“Smoky” flower aroma? Might be Beta-caryophyllene
The "peppery / musky / funky" smell of caryophyllene isn't far away from “smoky” in the olfactory universe
As we’ve begun to receive the test results for this year's harvest, a trend is apparent: a prevalence of the terpene beta-caryophyllene.
Every single cultivar that we've tested to date shows caryophyllene in its top three terpenes.
Sixty-two percent (18/29) of batches tested so far have caryophyllene as their most plentiful terpene — including varieties where it wasn't even in the top three in past years (such as 2019 Pineapple Jager or 2018 Wesley’s Wish).
What’s Beta-caryophyllene?
Beta-caryophyllene is the primary terpene (aromatic compound) in black pepper, and it contributes the slight pungency that you may experience when smelling freshly cracked peppercorns. In addition, caryophyllene is commonly found in hops, cloves, oregano, cinnamon, and basil.
The scent of caryophyllene has been described as, "Woody-spicy, dry and tenacious." Leafly notes that, "Cannabis strains with high levels of caryophyllene tend to be spicy and musky, and some are also known to have a funky profile. Many carry prominent notes of diesel and fuel that are known to cause the same nose-tingling bite associated with taking a whiff of pepper."
What does this mean to the consumer?
It’s a good thing! Having an abundance of beta-caryophyllene is a therapeutic jackpot, as it offers potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, as well as anticancer and antimicrobial properties.
Known as “the dietary cannabinoid”, caryophyllene is the only terpene known to activate Endocannabinoid System (ECS) receptors.
Specifically, it activates CB2 receptors, which could create a wide variety of potential therapeutic effects, including addressing:
Sensory experience-wise, consumers should be ready for caryophyllene’s “strong, spicy, peppery scent” — especially in cultivars where it hasn’t been there before, or it’s replacing the typical sweet mango tones of myrcene or the apple-y aroma of farnesene as the dominant profile.
The "peppery / musky / funky" smell of caryophyllene also isn't far away from “smoky” in the olfactory universe. We wonder, could the unexpected prevalence of the terpene this year in wildfire-region cannabis be contributing to some people’s identification of a “campfire smell”?
Why is Beta-caryophyllene so prominent in our cannabis this year?
Interestingly, our team hypothesizes that this year’s prevalence of caryophyllene could be due to effects of the wildfires.
We think that it’s possible that the smoke itself, or subsequent effects from smoke and ash may have:
promoted the production of caryophyllene;
suppressed production of other particular terps;
or both.
Some early indicators that directed us in this line of inquiry were both qualitative and quantitative. A couple of members of our team detected a common scent note across different cultivars, and subsequent data from the lab certificates of analysis (COAs) offered a potential explanation.
Trends in the COAs
Higher Production of Caryophyllene?
Even in cultivars where caryophyllene was measured as the top terpene last year, it has in a few cases increased its intensity. For example, last year ACDC x Purple Trainwreck came in at just over 1% caryophyllene, but this year measured just over 1.5%. That's a huge increase!
With that increased level of terpene comes an increase in sensory experiences from that terpene — it’s likely more intense in the smell, flavor, and effects that it contributes.
Could it be that the wildfire conditions promoted the development of caryophyllene?
Lower Production of Other Terpenes?
In other cases, caryophyllene coming to the forefront in smell may have been more because of suppression of other terpenes. For example, last year Cherry Blossom had 1.67% farnesene as it’s top terpene, with caryophyllene coming in second at .628%. However, this year the same cultivar measures caryophyllene as the top terpene, at about .5% between the two batches.
So the caryophyllene is in the general realm of its level last year, but this year there's a complete lack of the previously intense farnesene contributing to the smell and taste, giving caryophyllene the most influence. In our COAs so far, farnesene is not showing in the top three terpenes this year for ANY cultivar, when last year it was the top one or two for several.
Results showed a similar case for Kush Petals, but with selinadeine (first) and of farnesene (second) being replaced by caryophyllene, which didn’t make last year’s top three terpenes for the cultivar. Nice Tsunami also showed selinadeine dropping out of the top three spots when it had been first last year, and caryophyllene bumping up a spot.
Could it be that the wildfire conditions suppressed the development of certain terpenes?
Higher Caryophyllene AND Lower Other Terps?
There are also instances that might show both of these effects at play. For example, Llama Kush was dominant in myrcene last year at 0.887%, with caryophyllene coming in third at 0.281%; this year, caryophyllene bumped to the front, measuring 0.829%, with myrcene slightly reduced at 0.497%.
Did the wildfire conditions promote the development of caryophyllene while also suppressing the development of certain other terpenes?
Some Caveats
The jury is still out. This is a theory that our team is exploring. It is based off of a relatively small sample size of tests — COA results aren’t in yet for our full crop.
One additional wrinkle is that cannabis labs frequently change their equipment, testing protocols, and reference standards. This can have a huge impact on the exact test results for a flower. While we have used the same lab (Lightscale) this year as last year, it’s important to note that variations in measurement procedures and techniques can and do cause variation in results.
However, we’ve identified this early potential trend in the data, and it could be one potential contributing factor to some people’s experiences of a "different" smell in our cannabis this year.
We’re also reaching out to other farms and partners to see if we can compare terpene results. We’ll continue to follow the data and keep you posted!
