What makes pot so fragrant?

[Medivape]

I normally have highs which have a really good strong fragrance. Hell, I think all pot smells good for that matter! But the last bag I got is a different strain and it is super-duper fragrant! I usually keep my nugs in a Ziploc bag, inside a wooden box and you can't smell anything outside the box. With this stuff you can still smell it throughout the room. I ditched the Ziploc bag and put the nugs in a tightly sealed, heavier plastic, specimen cup inside the box. That seemed to do the trick.

That just made me wonder, does anyone know what makes weed so fragrant? It doesn't necessarily mean you've got some potent stuff just because it has a strong aroma, right?

I wish I knew what I was getting. I'd like to know the names of the strains so I can look them up and determine what types I really, really liked.

 

[bongoman]

It's all about terpenoids:

Plant terpenoids are used extensively for their aromatic qualities. They play a role in traditional herbal remedies and are under investigation for antibacterial, antineoplastic, and other pharmaceutical functions. Terpenoids contribute to the scent of eucalyptus, the flavors of cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, and the color of yellow flowers. Well-known terpenoids include citral, menthol, camphor, Salvinorin A in the plant Salvia divinorum, and the cannabinoids found in Cannabis.

 

[Medivape]

Thanks, talk about a quick response! So does Stronger Smell = More Cannabinoids = More Potent Stash?

 

[max]

Thanks, talk about a quick response! So does Stronger Smell = More Cannabinoids = More Potent Stash?

Terpenoids are essential oils, not cannabinoids. Although some have properties that are analgesic, sedative, and antiinflammatory, I think the THC and other cannabinoids are more important in the potency dept.

 

[stickstones]

Then is the presence of terps, and any variance thereof, an indication of the presence of cannabinoids? And does the presence of more terps indicate more cannabinoids?

 

[Purple-Days]

I would say no. Take Bubblegum and it's variants that won the cannabis cup in '98, '99 and 01 (I think), it is known for being a relatively 'low odor' strain but a high THC strain at the same time.

 

[Beezleb]

Ive seen weed that smelled like the bomb and was weak and some that hardly smelled at all and was very strong. Odor is not a practical means of determining strength in my view.

 

[max]

My experience hasn't been that the stronger the odor, the more potent the weed. Although I can't recall a fragrant bag that wasn't good, I presently have a strong smelling strain that takes a back seat to some other bud that only smells slightly of dryer sheets.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

"Just cuz it stank, dont mean its the dank"

 

[EitherOr]

A strong odor could also mean it hasn't been completely dried/cured.
I have material that was slow cured and stored in airtight containers. It hardly smells until you grind it... then it wakes up.
When it was very fresh this stuff stank to the heavens, as it aged the flavor and effect has increased, but smell declined.

 

[eLiguL]

A strong odor could also mean it hasn't been completely dried/cured.
I have material that was slow cured and stored in airtight containers. It hardly smells until you grind it... then it wakes up.
When it was very fresh this stuff stank to the heavens, as it aged the flavor and effect has increased, but smell declined.

Thats odd, I find the longer I cure the more complex the smell.

 

[youdontknowme]

i've had it all ways, good bud no smell, great smell weak bud, and the two more obvious permutations where smell correlates to quality. but i have to agree with the wonder, because you can keep some pretty stinky non herb stuff in places and not have it stink everything up, but a 1/4 or 1/2 of some strong smellin purp will stink up your room, car etc. if in almost anything except a ball/mason jar.

worth keeping in mind that any weed you buy off the street could just be sprayed with smell, dealers do that to make it seem nicer. in situations where you are buying out of a dispensary or "know" the farmer then you have the only true way to tell what you are getting: genetics and grow conditions. street dealers around here can usually just tell you the price, most that say anything more are either lying to jack it up or make it seem like a great deal, or have just been misled themselves.

and yes, i would have to say older bud typically smells less, esp. if you've kept in the freezer. half the time with street pickups the main problem is that it was rushed to market and is either incompletely or incorrectly cured

% THC and the heritage (indica vs. sativa) are the only two things that i normally look at in the end.

 

[ataxian]

I would say no. Take Bubblegum and it's variants that won the cannabis cup in '98, '99 and 01 (I think), it is known for being a relatively 'low odor' strain but a high THC strain at the same time.

I have about 1/2 oz left of BUBBLE GUM OG.
FLAVOR/EFFECT = CIVILIZED
EARLY MORNING = CORRECT START

 

[Baron23]

Ive seen weed that smelled like the bomb and was weak and some that hardly smelled at all and was very strong. Odor is not a practical means of determining strength in my view.

Yeah, me too. Stuff stunk to high heaven but just didn't delivery.

 

[George1151]

Hey Baron this was a great line spiral posted back in 2009 on this subject lmao

"Just cuz it stank, dont mean its the dank"

 

[AVENTUS]

I would say no. Take Bubblegum and it's variants that won the cannabis cup in '98, '99 and 01 (I think), it is known for being a relatively 'low odor' strain but a high THC strain at the same time.

Bubblegum has only the most delicate floral/sweet terps, it's such an anomalie. Lebanese marshmallows are in it, so many strains, but it was the queen of them all, who smelled beautiful, and produced.

 

[MoltenTiger]

I was doing some reading from "THE PROPAGATION, CHARACTERISATION AND OPTIMISATION OF CANNABIS SATIVA L. AS A PHYTOPHARMACEUTICAL"
A thesis submitted by David Potter J P MIBiol CBiol FLS CMIOSH

fascinating info, unfortunately I can't navigate to the PDF I bookmarked and also can't really remember it in great detail. I also didn't read all of it, though it's on my to-do list!

I guess it's likely that some smells, detection of terpenes, could signify the existence of particular cannabinoids due to the plants growth and synthesising mechanisms. This, as well as the largely unexplored synergism between terpenes and cannabinoids, could mean that potency detection (or at least type of effect) could be relatively predictable by an appropriately trained nose.

However the cannabinoid concentration itself should be key to intensity of effect, more than the stank.

 

[Doktor Dub]

I think it s not just how strong a strain smells but also how it smells... in my Experience, most often the Strains which smell a bit like fuel, piss, unatural etc. are usually pretty good and strong, the strains which smell more natural or like "real Weed" not so much...

That being said, in theory there should not be to much correlation and all of you are perfectly right.