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Tag: terpenes

‘Tis the Terp Season

by Josh Leone
Josh Leone is the co-host of the Truly Medicine Podcast & representative of EZ Street Cannabis Products.

The holiday season is coming whether I like it or not just as the deadline for this article and my male pattern baldness. I can’t help but think that I’m not alone in thinking, “what the hell is 2020 gonna do
to it?”

I say to this year, you can have the same 40 Christmas songs played on repeat in every store. Keep the mass consumption and the overall commercialism of the whole thing. I’ve always been more of a Thanksgiving guy anyway.

Being thankful and surrounded by food, family and friends has more of a cannabis vibe to it anyways.

It’s funny how the push and pull of the holiday season feels like the manic personality of this year. The year we have come to love and hate. The calm and the chaos of a Thanksgiving day spent demanding that our kids be grateful for everything that they have before we lay them down to bed just to go out the next morning at 4:30am and drop kick a total stranger to buy them more does not feel right to me.

 

Regardless of how my family spends their holidays, 2020 can have chaos and we’ll keep calm. Terpene profiles are very important when trying to stay in front of anxiety. Linalool, Myrcene and Caryophyllene are three terpenes that can help.
  • Linalool: Anti-anxiety
    Muscle relaxant
    Strains: Lilac Cookies, Hibiscus, Sour Diesel
  • Myrcene: Sedative
    Relieves Stress
    Strains: Blue Dream, Northern Lights, Alien OG
  • Caryophyllene: Anti-depressant
    Muscle relaxant
    Strains: GG4, Chemdawg, OG Kush

It’s been a rough year for everyone and we’re all stressed, and have been stressed. So remember this DAMNIT, whether you’re passing the garlic mashed potatoes to grandma or the Hindu Kush to grandpa, just take what you need baby and pass it to the left.

Take care of each other, folks.

Winter Wellness

by Amy Lee

Managing mental wellness is a daily struggle for many people, in fact, it is said that approximately 43.8 million adults in the United States identify with at least one mental illness.

The most common mental illnesses throughout the United States include anxiety, depression, substance abuse disorder (alcohol included), bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and PTSD.

The winter months may prove to be especially difficult for individuals already suffering from one or more mental illnesses. The struggle to stay balanced mentally during the winter may be attributed to the shift in the body’s natural rhythm as the sky gets brighter later in the morning and darker earlier in the evening.

This seasonal shift alone is responsible for the condition “seasonal depression”. Seasonal depression affects 14% of Americans annually. Although the shift in daylight may seem small, it plays a major factor in the rhythm of the body. Pairing societies already massive mental wellness crisis with a national health pandemic has me worried, to say the least.

A national survey on mental health during the coronavirus pandemic hosted by The Single Care, states that 59% of Americans are aware their mental wellness is being affected in a negative manner. If you find yourself also struggling, below I have highlighted some winter wellness tips along with strains and the terpene profiles that support the endocannabinoid system best for the most common mental illnesses.

  1. Make a plan for each day to accomplish.
  2. Keep up with your personal hygiene.
  3. Stay stocked in medicine for at least a week at a time.
  4. Schedule weekly calls with friends and loved ones.
  5. Add 15-30 minutes of movement to your day via a walk, yoga, anything!
  6. Know your triggers and have a plan of action.
  7. Take advantage of virtual therapy.
Here are some of the top-rated strains to support mental wellness during the winter months.
  • OG Kush – Relieves stress, anxiety, and stimulates the CB1 receptors.
  • Headband – Mood enhancing.
  • Northern Lights – Wonderful for bipolar.
  • Green Crack – Helps depressive symptoms and is a wonderful motivator.
Some of my favorite terpenes for winter months are found in many different strains, so if there is a symptom you suffer from more, search for a strain that is higher in those terpenes. That profile will support the endocannabinoid system in the areas you desire specifically.
  • Caryophyllene – A common terpene found in many strains. This terpene is a favorite of mine because of the unique response it has in the body. This terpene responds with both CB1 and CB2 receptors and assists in relieving stress symptoms and calms the mind and body. A wonderful terpene for those suffering from anxiety, depression, and stress-related symptoms.
  • Limonene – This bright and sunny terpene is an instant
    mood booster and energizer which is helpful for those
    suffering from depression or anxiety.
  • Linalool – Provides a sweet floral smell romancing the
    nose and body into a soothing calm.

Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. Callers can also order free publications and other information. 

 

More from Amy Lee:

The Science of Cinnamon & Cannabis

The Terp Series: Linalool, the Memory

by Brittiany Ralls

Remembering smells of lavender when I was younger, reminds me of my grandparents. Lavender was regularly used in lotions, candles and bath salts in my grandparents house. I remember always feeling calmer at their home. Makes sense, since lavender is supposed to offer effects of relaxation. Which is one of the many beneficial qualities Linalool offers to us through our endocannabinoid system. This amazing terpene typically smells of lavender, very florally.

Linalool may be the third most abundant terpene in cannabis, but it’s not always on the forefront of smells. Making strains that have it as the dominant terpene very noticeable when it comes to the nose. Terpenes being part of cannabis means we should discuss what we currently know, which isn’t much, and hope to find ways of using these terpenes medicinally. Linalool, just like other terpenes, has so much to offer.

So, sit back, relax and smell the lavender, while we discuss linalool the terpene that helps with memories.

With Alzheimer’s being the 6th leading cause of death in the United States this is a very prevalent disease that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. It’s a disease I have seen first hand eat away a person I once knew. Strip away all the memories of loved ones being born, loved ones dying and eventually all the abilities to function like an independent person. Two thirds of those diagnosed with Alzheimers are women.

Linalool

Alzheimer’s has affected my family and it scares me to know that I may one day have it also. In the past 20 years those with Alzhiemer’s has increased exponentially. Making more research on substances that can help this disease be so imperative. This is where terpenes and cannabis comes in. Possibly through more research, cannabis and the terpenes it carries, like linalool, could help in reducing the cognitive impairment that happens with diseases like Alzheimer’s. Which is why I’m calling linalool the memory. But, just like with other terpenes, linalool has way more to offer than that. Linalool has been shown to be sedative, helping with depression and lowering anxiety. Linalool can also help with blocking glutamate in the brain which deals with excitement.

Possibly allowing linalool to be an anti-epileptic substance, helping those with epilepsy.

Remembering smells of lavender when I was younger, reminds me of a simpler time. A time that doesn’t exist anymore. But a time that I hope I’m able to remember still one day. When I’m using strains like Lavender Kush, Zkittlez, and Do-Si-Do, I can smell the lavender and these strains are some of your best options for finding linalool dominant terpene profiles. As you can always do, feel free to look at testing for strains you are interested in from your budtender. So that you can see what terpenes the strains have and determine if it is a strain that has linalool as the second or third most dominant terpene. Never be afraid to ask for testing results since this is your medicine. Especially if you are treating serious diseases like Alzheimer’s or epilepsy.

 Sources:

The Terpene Series: Myrcene, The Pillar

by Brittiany Ralls

The terpene we will be discussing first is Myrcene: The Pillar. Throughout this series each terpene will be named something similar to this. Hopefully allowing you more of a reference to the terpene and what it does for the body and who it is in the world of terpenes. As we have discussed, terpenes are some of the more important aspects of the cannabis plant and have proven qualities to assist in aiding tons of ailments that attach to the human body. Myrcene is a terpene that is commonly produced in cannabis. Part of the reason it is called “The Pillar.” The second reason it is called “The Pillar” has to do with the functions it has on the body.

Myrcene has the ability to help with quite a few ailments thus making it a very sought after terpene.

 

This terpene smells of earth, herbal and musk. With it being found in more than just cannabis it is regularly ingested. Lemongrass and mango’s are some other options for finding Myrcene. Myrcene is found across the board, including strains like Blue Dream, OG Kush and Tangie. Now the ailments that this terpene helps with is expansive. Everything from aiding in relaxation and sleep to cancer cell reduction. Myrcene is able to help with pain and inflammation making it a go to for those that have different types of arthritis and body aches or back pains. Diabetes is another possible ailment that Myrcene could help with if given in correct doses. Myrcene also protects our bodies from DNA damage by blocking certain toxins from entering our bodies. Thus protecting our “Pillars” within our bodies, our DNA. With so many ailments that it can help with, Myrcene is probably one of the more versatile terpenes. Which is the other reason we call it “The Pillar.” Myrcene’s ability to span across the body and assist in healing in such a holistic way makes it one of the backbones of terpenes.

terpene

Some have said this is the “couch lock” terpene. Arguing that this particular terpene is more found in Indica’s, but studies have shown that is not true. Myrcene shows up almost at the exact same rate in all Indica, Sativa, and Hybrid strains. Very common in commercial establishments. Which means a lot of you are getting Myrcene on a pretty regular basis. Too high of levels of Myrcene can have adverse effects on humans, but really we know that with anything we take into our bodies. Too much of one thing, isn’t typically a good thing. That doesn’t change just because it’s cannabis. Since this particular terpene can take on the smell of other terpenes, several of them are slightly similar in smell, it can be difficult to identify for some patients. This is why testing is so great! With the new requirements for compliance purposes, dispensaries should be getting testing done that tells you about the strains they have on the shelf including the terpenes more present.

But by knowing what each terpene is capable of helping with, you are able to pick strains based on your body’s needs.