BULK TERPENES

Bulk terpenes from hemp

CBD Oil Europe offers terpenes derived from hemp. This article is written for professionals looking to buy bulk terpenes, wholesale terpene products or develop white label terpene products.

CBD is not the only compound hemp has to offer. Besides other cannabinoids, hemp flowers, like many other plants and trees (and even some animals), also produce compounds know as terpenes. Terpenes have a strong smell, and their function is to provide protection to the plants that produce them. Scientists have been calling for more research into the medical applications of terpenes.

Benefits of terpenes

Terpenes are the main compounds responsible for the scent of Cannabis, Rosemary, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Thyme, and many more. However, terpenes do more than just give off a smell.

Terpenes are the molecules that do the work in aromatherapy. One of the amazing thing about Cannabis is the amount of terpenes it produces, and the variety therein. The most common terpenes are mercene, (beta)carophylene, limonene, humunene and pinene, but some estimates put the total number in the hundreds.

The research concerning terpenes and their possible health benefits is in it’s infancy today. However, there are more and more studies, and especially interest in Full Spectrum cannabinoid treatment is growing rapidly.

Full spectrum extracts (cannabinoids + terpenes)

What does ‘full spectrum’ stand for? Full spectrum refers to extracts that contain all of the cannabinoids and terpenes that are present in the living plant. However, this is a gliding scale. The fullest spectrum is present in the living plants. Even then, a particularly hot day can cause a significant amount of terpenes to evaporate, as they are volatile compounds. Every process that is applied to hemp extracts, especially decarboxylation, results in some loss of terpene content. To make up for this loss, it is possible to mix hemp derived terpenes back into the final product before marketing. The science surrounding full spectrum cannabinoid extracts is complicated due to the many different compounds that play a role, as well as the fact that the endocannabinoid system is not very well understood today.

The opposite of full spectrum extracts are crystals or isolate, where only a single compound is present. CBD crystals do not contain any terpenes.

A paper by Lumir Onrej Hanus called ‘overcoming the bell shaped response curve’ argues the benefits of a whole plant extract over CBD isolate. This article focusses on a specific strain called ‘Avidekel’, also known as Cannabis Clone 202. This is not certified European hemp, but the concept remains interesting for everybody interested in the possible therapeutic effects of cannabinoids.

Terpene extraction methods

Hemp terpenes can be extracted using water vapour. The structure of terpenes is very different than that of cannabinoids. Terpenes are classified according to their molecular size: monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and diterpenes.

Terpenes seem to influence the interaction of cannabinoids with the endocannabinoid system, and some terpenes even directly interact with the endocannabinoid system.

There are countless applications for terpenes, and the field is growing rapidly as more scientific research is published.

Bulk hemp derived terpenes

We provide pure, hemp derived terpenes that are bottled and ready to sell to the final consumer, and bulk terpenes for further processing.

If you have any questions regarding terpenes and their (commercial) use, feel free to reach out to us.