// Definition
The distinction between terpenes (pure hydrocarbons composed of isoprene units, like limonene and myrcene) and terpenoids (terpene derivatives containing oxygen, sulfur, or other heteroatoms, like linalool and geraniol). Dr. Mark Scialdone stresses that cannabis aroma comes not just from terpenes but also from terpenoids, aliphatic alcohols, thiols, diols, esters, and acids — the full volatile organic compound (VOC) profile.
// From the Episode
Scialdone notes that classifying beta-caryophyllene as a cannabinoid because it binds CB2 is incorrect — compounds are classified by molecular structure, not receptor affinity. The aromatic fraction responsible for cannabis effects includes dozens of compound classes beyond the commonly tested monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. Nick Ziegler emphasized that nobody has successfully recreated a strain's true aroma by reassembling its measured terpene profile, precisely because unmeasured trace VOCs are missing.
// Source
Ep. 169 HC 3.0 Ep 28 →