Helping You Determine The Best Terpenes for Your Product

Every day is different here at Lab Effects, but some of the same questions do come up often from clients and terpene enthusiasts alike.

Here are our five most frequently asked questions, from our “most popular terpenes” to the manufacturing process and things to look for in a terpene provider.

1) What are the BEST terpenes?

Short answer: There is no “best” terpene!

Figuring out the best terpenes for you requires a conversation and narrowing down your formulation goals. We like to start with the condition: What therapeutic values are your customers asking for? What flavor/aroma are you looking for? What is the end formulation goal: IP? Standardization? Flavor? Therapeutic value? All the above?

The question becomes about your needs based on what you're trying to accomplish more than what's “best” and “popular”.

If your terpene goals aren’t related to their therapeutic value, we would inquire what region you’re located in. Our next step is to help you determine what strains are popular in your area so we can replicate these sought-after flavors and aromas.

After pinpointing regional favorites, we then ask about your client base. What are the majority of your customers looking for?

Are they purists, seeking a classic "weed/marijuana" profile? Cannabis-derived terpenes will give your clients the highly-desired “skunky” aroma they’re looking for and keep your formula 100% from the cannabis plant.

Do they want nuanced flavors? Flavor-enhanced cannabis profiles may be a better fit.

For those seeking enhanced flavors, Lab Effects also recommends building off the natural cannabis strain aroma and offering complexity with complimentary tastes.

Popular Terpene Pairings:

• Lemon Haze profile with Lemon Pound Cake flavor
• Tangie Haze profile with Tangerine Dream flavor
• Wedding Cake profile with Cake Crasher flavor
• Russian Diesel profile with Pineapple Express flavor
• Mowie Wowie profile with Fruit Punch flavor

We think of our formulations like wine: we strive for different flavors upon inhale, exhale, and post-exhale. Our goal is to achieve complexity of palette, aroma, and flavor.

Want something unique? Lab Effects always offers custom formulations. Challenge us.

2) What are the best-selling terpene flavors?

If we had to narrow it down, we do get a lot of requests for Lemon Haze, OG Kush, and Russian Diesel. If a new client wants samples, we typically offer a variety of sweet, savory, and citrusy, and these popular, complex cannabis profiles encompass this variety of flavors.

3) How do you formulate therapeutic blends to smell & taste good? Are there specific flavors that go better with certain blends?

Therapeutic blends are comprised of a combination of isolated terpenes that are known to provide specific health benefits. We typically choose flavors to enhance that experience based on the time of day a client would use their blend. For a focus or energy blend taken during the day, we recommend stimulating flavors like peppermint or blueberry. For more relaxing or sleep-focused blends, we would incorporate flavors like lemon or ginger.

4) What’s your favorite flavor and therapeutic blend Lab Effects offers?

You’re going to get a different answer from everyone, so we did just that! Here’s a sampling of some of our in-house favorites.

Dave, Director of Sales

Flavor: Pear-ple Gelato.

Therapeutic Blend: Relax/Sleep. “We sell a lot of this and every single customer has reported a great experience. It promotes a restful state that helps you go to sleep; it doesn't knock you out. Elements like CBN and other cannabinoids would need to be included if you wanted a ‘knockout effect’.”

Emma, Director of PR/Marketing

Flavor: Lemon Haze. “I love that it’s citrusy and sweet but not overpowering.”

Therapeutic Blend: Focus/Active/ADHD. “It leaves me clear-headed and gives me an even level of energy and focus during the day when vaped.”

Joey, Lab Technician

Flavor: Pear-ple Gelato.

Therapeutic Blend: Pain/Inflammation. “I skateboard a lot, and it helps me with aches and pains related to that and muscle recovery.

Shawn, Director of Operations

Flavor: Lemon pound cake.

Therapeutic Blend: Relax/Sleep.

Scott, CEO

Flavor: Cherry Lime-Aid.

Therapeutic Blend: Relax/Sleep. “This is the top seller of all of our therapeutic blends.”

Dustin, Creative Director

Flavor: Pear-ple Gelato. “It smells amazing. I can’t really put it into words (hence why you need to smell it!!).”

Therapeutic Blend: Pain/Inflammation. “Living an active lifestyle, you run into pains and stiffness regularly. By having products specifically targeting these ailments, it allows a person to get back to it faster!”

Drew, Lab Technician

Flavor: Grrrape.

Therapeutic Blend: Focus/Active/ADHD. “It helps me reduce daytime distractions and increases my productivity naturally.”

5) What questions should a manufacturer ask a terpene supplier?

When vetting a new terpene provider, all formulators and manufacturers should ask:

1. Are your terpenes 100% pure?
2. Are the terpenes diluted? If so, with what?
3. How do I improve my product line by incorporating terpenes?
4. What is the recommended percentage of terpenes to be used in different product applications?
5. Are your terpenes cannabis-derived or plant-derived?
6. If they’re cannabis-derived, how are they sourced? What does the supply chain look like? Is the quality going to be consistent?
7. Do you have COAs on the terpene blends?
8. Are your terpenes extracted from marijuana or hemp?
9. Do you formulate your terpenes in-house?

It's important that manufacturers do their due diligence when vetting a terpene provider. Be aware of the difference between a terpene provider and reseller. If you do work with reseller, make sure they have an open and transparent relationship with their supplier so you know that your documents (COAs, safety data sheets, etc.) are from the original source. Be aware of the chain of custody; if the original source documentation cannot be provided, move on.

It’s not as simple as popular or best

It’s about what’s right for you and your clients. We can make recommendations all day, every day, but the most important element in any formulation is knowing your client base and what they want in terms of flavor and therapeutic benefits.

Are you a cannabis manufacturer looking to get started with a specific formulation goal in mind? Contact us at info@labeffects.com. Questions? Comment below!