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PL TERPENES
Terpenes are preserved by limiting heat, light, air and time: dry slowly, cure in sealed jars, and store flower or extracts in airtight glass in a cool, dark place. Because terpenes are volatile, they evaporate and degrade faster than cannabinoids. Preserving aroma and flavour is mostly about controlling four enemies.
The four enemies
Terpenes are lost to heat (they evaporate at relatively low temperatures), light (UV degrades them), air (oxidation), and time. Every one of these is manageable.
Drying and curing
Aggressive, hot drying drives terpenes off. A slow dry followed by a proper cure in sealed jars, opened briefly each day at first, preserves far more aroma than rushing the process.
Storage
Keep dried flower or extracts in airtight containers, in a cool, dark place. Glass is better than plastic, which can absorb terpenes. Avoid temperature swings and direct light.
When working with heat
Any process that applies heat, decarbing, infusing, extracting, will lose some terpenes. Lower temperatures and shorter times preserve more, which is one reason gentle methods are favoured.
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Frequently Asked Questions
At what temperatures do major cannabis terpenes boil and evaporate?
Monoterpenes begin volatilizing well below their atmospheric boiling points during open heating. Beta-caryophyllene boils at 119 C (246 F), alpha-pinene at 155 C (311 F), myrcene at 168 C (334 F), limonene at 176 C (349 F), and linalool at 198 C (388 F).
How do you preserve terpenes during decarboxylation and infusion?
Keep decarboxylation temperatures tightly controlled around 110-115 C (230-239 F) inside a sealed vessel so volatile aromatic fractions condense back into the plant material rather than escaping into the room.
What storage conditions prevent terpene loss in dried flower?
Store dried cannabis flower in airtight glass jars in a dark cabinet between 15 C and 20 C (59-68 F) with 58% to 62% relative humidity to minimize oxidation and evaporation.
Sources
- Russo EB. Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects. British Journal of Pharmacology. 2011;163(7):1344-1364. doi:10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01238.x
- Milay L, Berman P, Shapira A, Guberman O, Meiri D. Metabolic Profiling of Cannabis Secondary Metabolites for Evaluation of Optimal Postharvest Storage Conditions. Frontiers in Plant Science. 2020;11:583605. doi:10.3389/fpls.2020.583605
- Bueno J, Leuer E, Kearney M, Green EH, Greenbaum EA. The Preservation and Augmentation of Volatile Terpenes in Cannabis-Based Products. Journal of Cannabis Research. 2020;2(1):27. doi:10.1186/s42238-020-00035-z
- Wang M, Wang Y-H, Avula B, et al. Decarboxylation Study of Acidic Cannabinoids: A Novel Approach Using Ultra-High-Performance Supercritical Fluid Chromatography/Photodiode Array-Mass Spectrometry. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. 2016;1(1):262-271. doi:10.1089/can.2016.0020
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