The signature skunky cannabis smell— once a telltale sign of a potent strain — may be fading into history. As legal cannabis markets mature and consumer preferences evolve, growers are increasingly breeding plants with more diverse, and sometimes more pleasant, aromas. From citrus to lavender and even freshly baked cookies, today's cannabis smell far different from the pungent varieties of the past.
NPR science correspondent Pien Huang recently explored this aromatic evolution during a visit to District Cannabis, a cultivation and retail company operating in Washington, D.C., and Maryland. During her tour of their grow facility, Huang got a firsthand look — and cannabis smell — at how plants are bred and cultivated with specific scents in mind.
The cannabis smell comes from a complex mix of chemicals known as terpenes. These are the same compounds that give other plants — like pine trees, oranges, and mint — their distinctive aromas. Cannabis plants can produce over 100 different terpenes, each contributing to a unique scent and potentially affecting the plant's effects on the body.
Copyright
©420 Intel