Ask a Stoner: Does Extraction Alter a Strain’s Smell or Flavor?

Dear Stoner: I know that terpenes stay with most forms of hash, but are they altered during the extraction process? Can a strain taste different in concentrate form?
Blue Angus

Dear Angus: Big time, and in many ways. About ten years ago, researchers discovered that old extraction methods from Morocco create new terpenes. Myrcene, a common cannabis terpene, transforms into a different chemical compound under oxidization and heat. The new terpene that results, aptly named hashishene, is believed to account for the more earthy, funky and pungent flavor that hash has in comparison to cannabis buds – but the first extraction methods were developed to increase potency, not smell and flavor, so people behind Lebanese, Moroccan or even bubble hash probably weren’t aware of terpenes and how they impact cannabis effects.

Commercial techniques from the 2000s were created under similar mindsets. Closed loop systems with butane or ethanol create extended heat during the extraction process, which significantly degrades terpenes, while CO2 extraction (and THC distillation, but that’s newer) kill off just about everything but cannabinoids. However, cryogenically freezing freshly harvested plants in the early 2010s introduced us to live resin and rosin. These extraction techniques better preserve strain terpenes, giving us aromatic and flavorful profiles that are better than flower, in some cases.

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