Terps is slang for terpenes, the volatile compounds that give cannabis much of its smell. "Great terps" means great aroma and flavour; "terpy" flower smells strong.
In practice
The slang is broader than the chemistry. Cannabis aroma includes monoterpenes (myrcene, limonene, pinene), sesquiterpenes (caryophyllene, humulene), and non-terpene compounds such as esters, aldehydes and volatile sulfur compounds, some of which dominate the smell at tiny concentrations. A lab report listing total terpenes as 2-4% w/w does not tell you how a jar smells.
Terps are fragile. Heat, light, long open-air exposure and fast drying drive them off. A slow dry in a cool room and a cure that lowers moisture gradually keep them. Two-way humidity packs, in GenetixBay's view, rob terpenes; if a jar is too dry, a fresh bud is a better way to add moisture.
Don't confuse with
- Terpene: the chemical class; terps is the slang for the experience.
- Flavonoids: colour and some flavour compounds, not terpenes.
Myth check
"Specific terpenes cause specific effects." Reported, not established for flower in real use. Effects claims based on terpene profiles remain largely unproven.
Terpenes are volatile hydrocarbon compounds built from five-carbon isoprene units; in cannabis they are made in the trichome heads and are a major part of aroma and flavour.A monoterpene is a ten-carbon terpene made from geranyl pyrophosphate, such as myrcene, limonene, pinene or terpinolene; they are the most volatile terpenes and the first lost in drying.A sesquiterpene is a fifteen-carbon terpene made from farnesyl pyrophosphate, such as beta-caryophyllene, humulene and bisabolol; they are heavier and less volatile than monoterpenes.Volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) are trace sulfur-containing aroma molecules, especially prenylated thiols, that give cannabis its skunky, gassy smell at concentrations far below terpenes.A COA (certificate of analysis) is a lab's signed report of what it measured in a specific sample, such as cannabinoids, terpenes, moisture and contaminants, with methods and limits.A salt-solution sachet sold to hold a sealed container at a fixed relative humidity; GenetixBay regards them as a marketing gimmick that robs terpenes.Drying cannabis below the target water activity (under about 0.55), leaving buds brittle and harsh, with lost terpenes; rehydrating does not restore them.A terpene profile is the measured mix of terpenes in a sample, reported as each compound's % w/w and the total, used to describe and compare cultivar aroma chemistry.Candy terps is slang for the sweet, fruity, dessert-like aroma profile fashionable in modern cannabis, often paired with gas as the dominant market trend.Gas is slang for a sharp fuel, diesel or solvent-like aroma in cannabis, and by extension for any flower people rate highly.Loud is slang for flower with a very strong, room-filling aroma, often implying high quality.A chemotype is a plant's chemical phenotype, in cannabis usually its dominant cannabinoid class: THC-dominant (I), mixed (II), CBD-dominant (III), CBG-dominant (IV) or cannabinoid-free (V).
