Up until recently, cannabis strains were divided into three distinct categories: indica, sativa, and hybrid. Indica use is reserved for pain relief, relaxation, and sleep; sativa is known for its uplifting, social, and creative properties; and hybrid strains fall somewhere in between depending on the ratio.
Now, the future of pot profiling has changed with the introduction of the Leafly Cannabis Guide. Leafly, the world's leading cannabis resource, introduced the Leafly Cannabis Guide to redefine the way consumers understand cannabis and search out the effects and feelings they want from the cannabis strains.
According to Leafly experts, predicting the effects of different cannabis strains goes beyond the plant type, it looks at the plant’s terpene and cannabinoid profile.
Terpenes are natural oils that give cannabis plants their aroma and work with the CBD and THC to influence how that particular strain makes a person feel. Cannabinoids are the naturally occurring chemical compounds found in the plant and are similar to the chemicals our bodies make that are involved in memory, movement, appetite, and pain.
Understanding Cannabis Strains
To find the right cannabis strains that give the desired effect, understanding the plant’s chemical ingredients is key.
The new Cannabis Guide is a dynamic system that combines lab-sourced data and over a million customer reviews to provide in-depth information about each strain's terpene and cannabinoid profile. The comprehensive guide gives consumers detailed insight into the terpene and cannabinoid profiles of popular cannabis strains, breaking them into categories based on desired effects and health and wellness goals.
Leafly scientists worked with several labs, including SC Labs of California, MCS in Florida, PSI Labs in Michigan, CannTest in Alaska, Confidence Analytics in Washington, ChemHistory in Oregon, and Anandia in Canada.
The guide uses flower-like images that illustrate each cannabis strain’s dominant cannabinoid profile using shapes (circles for CBD and diamonds for THC) and colors for flavors and aromas from terpenes.
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According to Leafly’s principal research scientist Nick Jikomes, the company developed the Leafly Cannabis Guide to “give everyone the ability to visualize, learn and apply information” about the diversity of cannabis plants.
What Does This New Discovery Mean for LPs?
At present in Canada, licensed producers are required to provide the cannabinoid potency for all of their cannabis products. The cannabis strains’ terpene profiles, however, are not required and cannot be communicated on the packaging.
In the US, it is much the same; cannabinoid and potency testing are required by state law in legal markets, but testing of terpenes is not. What’s more, it costs growers extra money to conduct terpene testing.
Leafly hopes that its new Cannabis Guide will encourage both growers and consumers to take more interest in terpene data.
Although it remains to be seen how this new set of guidelines for cannabis strains may affect licensed producers, it could lead to increased demand from consumers for more detailed information moving forward. Increased demand for terpene data could, in turn, boost cannabis stocks that offer lab testing.
One company that offers cannabis lab testing services, including terpenoid profiles, is Las Vegas-based Digipath Inc. (OTCQB:DIGP). Digipath was named one of the top 10 cannabis testing companies earlier this year, alongside industry giants Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A), PerkinElmer, Inc. (NYSE:PKI), and German-based Merck KGaA (OTCPK:MKGAF).
The Cannabis Testing Market is expected to grow significantly in the coming years to reach $2.4 billion by 2025.
Will this new Cannabis Guide change the way you look at pot stocks?
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