Terpenes: Unlocking the true medicinal qualities of cannabis

Published: 23-Jul-2019

Jerusalem-based Eybna goes beyond cannabinoids and gets into the micro resolutions of the plant

Consumers of cannabis products are fast discovering what scientists in-the-know have understood for some time. Terpenes, the compounds in cannabis that account for its wide variety of smells and tastes have an even more critical role, unlocking the real medicinal qualities of the plant.

There are ore than 10,000 known terpenes found in flowers, plants and fruits, some of which interact with human and animal endocannabinoid systems and can influence neurotransmitters in the brain.

Think Linalool, a terpene found in lavender that has a calming effect when inhaled, and Limonene, the terpene found in citrus and is associated with mood elevation. The terpene Beta-Caryophyllene, found in basil and black pepper has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, pain-relieving and anti-anxiety benefits. All these terpenes and many more are found in cannabis.

There are more than 10,000 known terpenes found in flowers, plants and fruits

"The only way traditional medicine will fully adopt cannabis is if we understand the plant inside and out and know the specific materials' effects on the human body," says Nadav Eyal, co-founder of Eybna Technologies. "This medical understanding and acceptance will quickly make its way to mainstream consumers who will be able to purchase effective products to fit their individual needs."

For Eyal, the cannabis use is the first-time people are introduced to consuming terpenes in large amounts via inhalation. Studying its effects opens new opportunities for scientific discoveries impacting all botanical medicine including cannabis, the herbal that has, only in the past few years, developed into an international industry worth billions.

Making cannabis oil

It is little known that the extraction method for producing cannabis oil, which is used to infuse many of today's cannabis products, including vape pens, edibles, and topicals, strip out the terpenes.

Product manufacturers need to bring the terpenes back for the unique and varied smells and tastes that consumers of cannabis expect and more importantly, for the therapeutic effects of these products.

Eybna supplies terpenes to businesses throughout the United States and Europe

Headquartered in Jerusalem, Eybna is carrying out research into terpene properties. The company produces advanced terpene products for sale and claims to be at the forefront of the thriving cannabis industry. Eybna also operates offices in Los Angeles and supplies terpenes to businesses throughout the United States and Europe.

While terpenes represent only 1-3% of the net weight of the cannabis plant, they punch above their weight in value.

Beyond THC and CBD

THC and CBD are now becoming commodities while terpenes can be understood as the brains that unleash the real power of the cannabis plant. As cannabis increases its market share, so too will terpenes.

Not content to just sell, Eybna scientists are conducting the world's most advanced terpene research in Israel, the capital of cannabis R&D, a country where progressive laws toward medical cannabis research have transformed it into a haven for innovation.

Eybna says its vision is to use its discoveries to improve the medicinal benefits of cannabis for a range of indications, many of which the industry has not even contemplated.

The company believes that even with progressively advanced techniques to design drugs in the lab, synthetic forms of cannabis-based pharmaceuticals such as Merinol and Syndros have not been effective in alleviating symptoms or helping patients recover from a host of ailments.

"These man-made drugs lack the natural intelligence that terpenes add to other cannabis compounds, and they simply cannot be reproduced. No one has yet to imitate the complexity, or 'entourage effect' of terpenes and over 1,000 different compounds found in the whole cannabis plant," the company explains.

A game-changer

Eybna is currently collaborating with Israel's scientific institutions including The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Bar Ilan University and CannaSoul Analytics, headed by Dr David Meiri, where they are currently analysing, mapping and cataloguing hundreds of cannabinoids and terpenes.

Eybna says its focus on terpenes will be a medical and industry game-changer.

"We understand that even now, many people, including doctors, still see cannabis as a product for use just to get high and not for its medicinal capabilities," says Eyal. "Changing this stigma requires new scientific understandings," he says.

Eybna is gearing up for going beyond the basic cannabinoids and getting into the micro resolutions of the plant.

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