// Definition
Sulfur-containing volatile organic compounds present in cannabis at parts-per-million or parts-per-billion concentrations, responsible for the skunky/dank aroma. Among the most volatile compounds in cannabis, they are the first to dissipate during processing and serve as indicators of freshness.
// From the Episode
Dr. Mark identified thiols as the likely missing ~1% when cannabinoid and terpene analyses of live resin add up to 99%. He described them as present in 'parts per million or parts per billion' - so minute that they are the primary determinant of how fresh cannabis or hash is. He suggested studying thiol loss in freeze dryers by analyzing the vacuum trap contents. A future Hash Church episode with Abstracts and Nick Ziegler was announced to discuss thiols specifically. Ian from Abstracts had been sampling rosin for volatile compounds and planned side-by-side comparisons with live resin.