West Virginia’s medical marijuana program offers legal cannabis for patients approved for a medical marijuana certification.
Medical marijuana patients might look for cannabis flower with the highest THC percentage or shop for the best value, while many patients may even buy based on simply smell or appearance alone.
While there are many ways to determine the right cannabis flower for you, a strain’s terpene profile can often be one of the most important parts of figuring out the correct strains for your symptoms.
In this article, we’ll show you how to shop for cannabis flower based on the terpenes and how to match a strain’s terpene profile to your symptoms!
Why Terpenes Make a Big Difference in Cannabis Flower
Terpenes Are the Taste & Smell of Cannabis, & Many of the Effects Too!
Cannabis flower has quite a few ingredients, with different compounds and molecules combining to cause different effects, flavors, and aromas.
But much of the cannabis plant’s smell and taste comes directly from terpenes, which are aromatic compounds found in cannabis flower.
The terpenes in a cannabis plant not only affect how the cannabis flower tastes and smells, but they are also responsible for a large part of how the effects of cannabis are perceived!
Terpenes act as a funnel for THC, driving the experience in one direction or another. When you think of the “sleepy” kind of high or the “excited” type of high, it’s likely the terpenes causing the high to feel that way, so they’re extremely important for medical marijuana patients.
Choose Your Cannabis Flower by Indica or Sativa First!
Before you dive into a particular strain’s terpene profile, you should probably figure out whether you’ll need a sativa or indica first.
Many patients find the sedating pain relief that comes from an indica to be the best for their symptoms, while other patients will prefer sativa strains for their uplifting and energetic highs.
Picking between an indica, sativa, or hybrid will help you figure out which overall experience you’re looking to have, and that will play the biggest role in getting the perfect strain for your symptoms regarding the terpene profile.
The difference between an indica, sativa, or hybrid can be quite severe, so it’s important to determine which strain type will best fit with your treatment plan. Once you’ve decided on a strain type, there are a couple of ways to figure out a strain’s terpene profile.
How to Determine a Cannabis Strain’s Terpene Profile & Match It With Your Symptoms
Terpenes Are Often Listed on the Packaging, but Ask Your Budtender to Be Sure
You can often find a strain’s dominant terpenes listed on the packaging, though not every processor or cultivator advertises them like they should.
If there’s no terpene profile listed on the packaging while you’re at the dispensary, talk to your budtender to figure out which terpenes are in the cannabis flower you’re browsing.
Pro Tip: You can shop by a strain’s terpene profile often by just asking your budtender for strains that contain the terpenes you’re looking for! It’s important to note that some terpenes are more common than others in cannabis flower. If you’re trying to find a very rare terpene, it may not be as easy to locate in cannabis flower available in West Virginia.
If you’re looking to do some research before you arrive at the dispensary, the best place to determine a particular strain’s most common terpene profile is Leafly. You can search through thousands of different listed cannabis strains and see not only their dominant terpenes but also user reviews on how the cannabis worked for them personally.
Keep in mind that not every strain will have identical terpene profiles and each plant will have unique properties based on how it was grown and the genetics that were used to grow the cannabis plant.
Not every strain listed on Leafly will perfectly represent the same strain you’ll find at the dispensary, but when it comes to averages, you can get a good sense of common terpene profiles on Leafly.
Choosing Cannabis Terpenes Based on Your Symptoms
Since terpenes play such a big part in how the effects of cannabis are perceived, it’s not a bad idea to have a general sense of the terpenes that are commonly found in cannabis.
Terpenes like caryophyllene, humulene, limonene, linalool, myrcene, pinene, and terpinolene are among the top terpenes you’ll commonly find in cannabis.
You’ll typically find that many terpenes have anti-inflammatory properties as well as antifungal properties, though each terpene can have an array of many medicinal or therapeutic benefits on its own.
As a medical marijuana patient, you may want to choose your terpenes based off their perceived effects, so here’s a list of the most common terpenes in cannabis and their effects:
· Alpha-Pinene – Elevated mood, heightened alertness, & mental clarity.
· Caryophyllene – Sedative, pain reliever, & reduced anxiety.
· Humulene – Pain relief, stress relief, & relaxing.
· Limonene – Stress reliever, improved mood, & heightened focus.
· Linalool – Calming, anti-anxiety, & pain relieving.
· Myrcene – Relaxation, pain-relieving, & sedating.
· Terpinolene – Varying. *
*Terpinolene gets a special category because its reported effects vary wildly among patients. Some patients experience calming effects from terpinolene, while others may experience edginess or anxiety from terpinolene, so biology may play the biggest part in how this terpene is perceived.
Medical marijuana patients have the freedom to choose from any of the terpenes that are available from cultivators in West Virginia. As the medical marijuana program continues to expand, the number of available terpene profiles will grow alongside it.
Get Your Medical Marijuana Certification in West Virginia
Patients diagnosed with a qualifying condition can apply for a medical marijuana certification in West Virginia. A West Virginia medical marijuana card allows patients to legally purchase cannabis from approved dispensaries, and getting a medical marijuana card is fast and easy!
Take the steps to schedule your medical marijuana evaluation appointment today and get access to legal marijuana products available at dispensaries!
Being a West Virginia medical marijuana patient allows you the freedom to take your medication the right way for you. We’re dedicated to helping patients every step of the way! Feel free to give us a call at 877-303-8424 and we can answer your questions about getting a medical marijuana card in West Virginia.
Doctors Who Care.
Relief You Can Trust.
West Virginia Marijuana Card’s mission is to help everyone achieve
wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to medical marijuana.
Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce the stigma for
our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
If you have any questions, call us at 877-303-8424, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
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