Commonly Asked Questions
Q. Why are Cannabinoids So Important?
A. The human body naturally produces endocannabinoids during our younger years. Endocannabinoids will be present in various organs and tissues, such as the muscle, brain, and circulating cells. Endocannabinoids become active when they bind with a cannabinoid receptor. The receptors are located throughout the body. The largest receptor system in the human body is the endocannabinoid system. As we age and if we do not supplement our cannabinoids, our cannabinoid receptors close down. Therefore, it is important to feed those receptors and encourage closed receptors be active again for our overall health.
Q. what are terpenes?
A. Terpenes are hydrocarbons present in essential oils produced by nature. There are more than 20,000 terpenes in existence. Plants, animals, microbes, and fungi produce terpenes to carry out necessary biological functions. This diverse class of compounds serve as vitamins, hormones, pheromones, and as part of the immune system.
One way to think of botanical terpenes is as building blocks created by plants. These building blocks are blended with other aromatic compounds in countless ways in order to produce complex essential oils, such as Lavender, Rose, Sandalwood, etc.
In addition to unique aromas, terpenes play an equally important role in influencing the way we taste, smell and feel when a plant, herb or fruit is consumed. This happens because terpenes interact synergistically with other botanical compounds and humans hormones to create a phenomenon referred to as the “entourage effect” that magnifies the benefits of the plant’s individual components.
Q. what are terpenes used for?
A. There are many diverse applications for terpenes in isolated forms as well as in complex blends. It might surprise you to know that terpenes are used in the development of food flavorings, incense, cosmetic products, organic gardening products, household cleaners, natural medicines, and perfumes.
In the past few years, product developers have used isolated terpenes in order to reverse engineer the terpene profile of popular herbs; this blend is then introduced to a formulation in order to mimic the scent and flavor of the herb.
Q. Where do terpenes come from?
A. The vast majority of our terpenes are derived from many different natural sources. There are over 20,000 terpenes in nature and they are not unique to only one species of plant. For example, some natural sources of alpha-pinene include pine trees, other coniferous trees, eucalyptus, sage, rosemary, frankincense and ironwort. The structure of terpenes are always the same no matter what plant they were isolated from. There is a myth that the source of the terpene is important, but that is not true. When terpenes are isolated from any plant, there is virtually no difference between them.
Our terpenes are extracted via steam, expression, or vacuum distillation methods and fractionally purified.
Q. how do i use terpenes?
A. A little at a time – Terpenes can be added to aromatherapy blends, diffusers, lotions, edibles, tinctures, cocktails, homemade cleaners, bug repellents, plant extracts, etc.
Q. What is the entourage effect?
A. The term “entourage effect” has become an important piece of vocabulary to describe the relationship between terpenes and other phytochemicals (chemicals made by plants).
Terpenes such as Myrcene, Nerolidol and Terpinolene have relaxing effects, while Alpha-Pinene is known to be uplifting. The entourage effect magnifies the therapeutic benefits of the plant’s individual components so that the medicinal impact of the whole plant is greater than the sum of its parts.