Whether you’re just dipping your toe into the world of CBD or you’ve been using it for a while, chances are you’ve heard of the entourage effect. You might already understand that it’s a desirable effect when it comes to CBD drops and other products, but what is it? How does it work? And how can you ensure you experience it?

In this article, we’re going to explore what the entourage effect is, and how it relates to cannabinoids and CBD. We’ll break down quite a few of the most-asked questions we hear so that you can better understand how it works, how you can use CBD terpenes to your advantage, and which CBD products to look for to achieve the best possible outcome.

Read on to learn more!

Overview of the Endocannabinoid System

In order to better understand how the entourage effect works, let’s explain the endocannabinoid system, as well as some key terms that you should become familiar with:

• Terpenes: these are aromatic compounds in the hemp and marijuana plant (as well as a host of others) that can produce various effects when consumed. Read more in-depth about terpenes here: https://riponnaturals.com/what-are-terpenes
• Flavonoids: phytonutrients that not only add color to fruits, vegetables, and other plants, but they also serve as antioxidants, regulate the immune system, and can help reduce inflammation.
• Cannabinoids: chemical compounds that bind to the endocannabinoid system (ECS) receptors throughout your body to induce homeostasis. Your body produces some of these naturally, but phytocannabinoids are plant-based and can come from the hemp and marijuana plants.
• Endocannabinoid system: the system in humans and animals that regulates homeostasis. Controls the compounds in the body that influence sleep, stress, appetite, inflammation, mood, pain, and other functions.
• CB1 receptors: receptors in the ECS, primarily located in the nervous system and brain, as well as the heart, bladder, and small intestine. When some cannabinoids bind to CB1 receptors, they can produce a high.
• CB2 receptors: receptors in the ECS that are located in several internal organs,  as well as white blood cells. These receptors do not produce a psychoactive effect, but they do influence your immune system, as well as cell reproduction.
• Full-spectrum CBD: CBD product that includes all the cannabinoids and terpenes that are naturally found in the hemp or cannabis plant, including trace amounts of THC.
• Broad-spectrum CBD: CBD product that includes all the terpenes and cannabinoids from the cannabis plant, but without any THC.
• CBD isolate: pure CBD, minus any other cannabinoids or terpenes.

How the Endocannabinoid System Works

To illustrate how the entourage effect works, let’s consider inflammation. Inflammation can happen because of an injury, allergic reaction, or illness. Say you bump up against something that scratches you, and your skin tears. Immediately, your body kicks into action to repair the damage. As a result, your blood clots at the site of the injury, histamines cause the tissues to swell, and your immune system sends antigens to the site to fight infection. Your body even produces pain-killing molecules so you can get to safety without pain hindering your ability to get out of danger.

Your ECS is what oversees this entire response. It works to induce healing, to fight infection, to reduce pain, and to return your body to its normal state (homeostasis). When your body signals a problem such as an injury, the ECS produces cannabinoids, which bind with CB1 and CB2 receptors to moderate these vital processes in the body. Once everything is good to go, the ECS produces macrophages, “cell eaters” that consume the cannabinoids to stop the responses.

Sometimes, however, people suffer what’s called endocannabinoid deficiency, which means the body can’t produce enough cannabinoids on its own to achieve homeostasis. Many mental and physical health issues have been associated with this deficiency, and scientists and conducting more research on it.

We do know that phytocannabinoids can work with the body to create a similar response, and this is why CBD, THC, and other cannabinoids have been recognized for centuries for their potential health benefits.

Now let’s look at how cannabinoids work—and, more specifically, the entourage effect!

What is the Entourage Effect?

Let’s start with a basic overview of the entourage effect. Whether you intend to supplement your current wellness routine, or you have something more specific that you’re seeking out CBD products for, one of the primary keys to their efficacy lies within the entourage effect.

Consider this: when you take pure CBD (also known as CBD isolate), the only compound you’re consuming is CBD, which on its own has several potential health benefits. You will not experience the entourage effect with CBD isolate.

But when you take a full- or broad-spectrum CBD product, you are receiving the benefits of CBD as well as benefits from the accompanying terpenes and flavonoids. The full-spectrum entourage effect occurs when using full-spectrum CBD because of the small amounts of THC in the product, as well as the full range of cannabinoids. If drug testing is a concern for you, we do not recommend taking a full-spectrum product because even small amounts of THC can build up and show up on a test. Consider a broad-spectrum product, which still produces the entourage effect but without the THC.

When you use CBD, CBN, or CBG oil, for example, these cannabinoids work with the CB1 and CB2 receptors in your body in the same way your body’s natural endocannabinoids do. The difference is that these cannabinoids work synergistically with the terpenes and flavonoids to create an effect that’s much greater than either one of these compounds on their own. They provide a boost to each other, maximizing the potential impacts in the body, or even buffering them.

CBD and the Entourage Effect

So what should you look for if you want to use a CBD product that creates the entourage effect? In addition to seeking out a full- or broad-spectrum formula, you want to take a look at the terpenes. The terpenes boost the effects of the cannabinoids, and each has its own potential benefits.

Finally, you will want to consider whether or not you use a broad- or full-spectrum CBD product. The THC in full-spectrum products is 0.03% or less, and it’s not enough to produce a “high” feeling.

Terpenes and the Entourage Effect

The first place to start is to look at a product’s third-party lab reports. This not only ensures that the CBD you’re purchasing is free of pesticides, heavy metals, and other undesirable ingredients, but it also shows you the levels of specific cannabinoids and terpenes that exist in the product.

CBD with terpenes is crucial to the entourage effect. For example, if you would like to experience the entourage effect for anxiety, you could consider a CBD oil with the following terpenes: linalool, myrcene, or caryophyllene, to name a few. Or if you’re looking for something that could make you feel a little more energetic, look for limonene, valencene, pinene, or terpinolene. Terpenes matter greatly, and targeting the right ones is critical!

When you buy CBD oil, look on the product page for the lab report if terpenes aren’t listed in the product description. The best CBD companies want you to understand more about their products to make an informed decision and will make this information easily accessible.

Check out our guide to terpenes, as well as their potential health benefits here:

We hope this has helped you better understand the benefits of the entourage effect so that you can be a more informed consumer. When you’re considering CBD, CBN, or CBD products, check out Ripon Naturals. We proudly carry Sunmed products, and whether you visit our store in Ripon or buy CBD online, we’re here for you!

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We believe that understanding the role terpenes play in the efficacy of the CBD products you use is essential to determining the right products for you. In this article, we will examine the role that terpenes play in your overall health, especially in relation to how they interact with CBD. Read on to learn more!

What are Terpenes?

Although you’ve likely heard of terpenes in accordance with their relation to CBD, terpenes are not exclusive to cannabis. They are found in many plants, as well as animals, bacteria, and fungi. They’re used in an enormous variety of consumer products, including perfume, flavorings, essential oils, and medicine. The science of mass spectrometry has given us the ability to identify countless types of terpenes, allowing us to discover more about what they can potentially do. For the purpose of this article, we’re going to focus on terpenes and cannabinoids to help you make more informed decisions when it comes to the CBD products you use.

We mentioned that terpenes could be identified through mass spectrometry, but another way to determine is through smell. Each strain has a distinctive aroma, which can range from floral to citrusy to piney to earthy…and everywhere in between! 

Some plants, including hemp, employ terpenes as a way to repel pests and germs and even kill predators. Terpenes also attract bees and other pollinators for the purpose of reproduction, and they can also heal damage to plants and act as their immune system against disease.

Where do Terpenes Come From?

We’re going to focus specifically on how terpenes are isolated from the CBD plant here. Let’s start with this fact: not all cannabis plants are created equal. Much like the hops plants that provide aroma and flavor to beer, cannabis and hemp plants have innumerable strains, each with its own aromatic and chemical composition profile. 

Trichomes are the tiny hairs on the cannabis plant that produce terpenes, phytocannabinoids, and flavonoids. When you touch the flower, stem, and leaves, this is what produces the sticky, resiny substance that comes away on your fingers.  

Extracting terpenes from the plant is a delicate process—heat breaks down terpenes fairly quickly but is also a crucial part of the CBD oil production process. Some producers use solvents to extract the terpenes before applying heat to finish the cannabis extraction. Once these two separate processes are complete, manufacturers can re-combine the terpenes with the CBD oil for the finished product. Other methods can include vacuum-drying ovens, supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, and winterization. To ensure that the terpenes are still in a bioavailable condition in the finished product, be sure to read the third-party lab report associated with the product you’re using, which will show how much is in the sample.

How Terpenes Affect the Body

Now that you understand a bit about the role terpenes play in plant bodies, let’s explore more about how terpenes work and how they affect the human body. With this knowledge, you should be able to identify the terpenes that are most appealing to you, and maybe even seek them out when you buy CBD. 

How Terpenes Work

CBD is not a one-size-fits-all product, so investigating a product’s terpenes will help you make a more informed buying decision. Up to 200 terpenes have been identified in hemp and cannabis plants, and each has specific properties and functions in the human body. Where some create a calming or sedative effect, others can produce a more energetic result, and others can help pain or even increase sex drive. 

Think of aromatherapy, and how you feel when you inhale lavender, lemon, rosemary, sage, or peppermint. Each aroma invokes a distinct experience. For example, where lavender has been found to inspire relaxation, peppermint and lemon are more likely to make you feel energetic. While some people prefer to use a diffuser to enjoy the aromas, others mix them with teas, apply them directly to the skin, or take them sublingually. Please use caution before using any essential oil and conduct thorough research to ensure the safest methods for use! The same concept applies to terpenes. Each has a distinctive profile, interacts with different molecules and receptors in the body, and produces a unique effect. We will cover some of the most popular terpenes below and how they have the potential to affect the body.

Entourage Effect of Terpenes

What is the entourage effect? Think about this: 1 + 1 = 2, but when you combine cannabinoids with terpenes, 1 + 1 can equal 3, 5, 7, and beyond. To quote Aristotle, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Terpenes and CBD work synergistically with one another in what’s known as the entourage effect. Using CBD as an example to illustrate this, it means that mixing terpenes with cannabinoids would create a different impact than only taking one on its own. Terpenes can affect the way that CBD binds to your endocannabinoid receptors, producing amplified results in some cases…or even buffering effects.

So if, for example, you opt for a CBD isolate, it will be free of all terpenes and flavonoids and only contain CBD. You might decide to introduce your own blend of terpenes, which you can procure separately to add to CBD isolate. Mixing terpenes with CBD isolate isn’t always the best option for many, so we recommend checking out broad-spectrum and full-spectrum CBD oils and reading the lab reports for the brands you use to determine which terpenes are present.

Formulating Terpenes with CBD

Understanding the entourage effect and the production process for formulating terpenes with CBD oil will provide a better understanding of the quality of the products you use. Let’s look at a quick comparison of full- and broad-spectrum formulas, as well as isolate, and how they can impact the overall outcome.

Full-Spectrum CBD 

High-quality full-spectrum CBD contains higher levels of CBD, as well as trace amounts of TCH (up to 0.03%), essential oils, and, of course, terpenes. This type of product is formulated with the entourage effect in mind because of its composition and is considered to be much more effective than CBD isolate, for example. The amount of THC in full-spectrum CBD is not enough to produce a high feeling.

Broad-Spectrum CBD

Broad-spectrum CBD is similar to full-spectrum, but when it is extracted, it is done with all the terpenes, cannabinoids, and essential oils, but is put through a refinement process to eliminate any remaining traces of THC. This type of CBD also triggers the entourage effect, and the main difference between this and full-spectrum CBD is that it doesn’t have any THC in it.

Isolate CBD

Isolate CBD is the purest form of CBD. During the production process, all cannabinoids (aside from the cannabidiol) are stripped away, including essential oils and terpenes. CBD isolate is the purest form of CBD and still does provide the same benefits of CBD, but it does not produce the entourage effect.

The type of CBD you use will depend on the desired outcome you’re hoping for. Some may also opt for a broad-spectrum or isolate because they’re cautious regarding drug testing for work or other reasons. Keep in mind that while these two products do not contain THC and are lab tested for trace amounts of it, a drug test might still show up as THC because it cannot distinguish between different cannabinoids. If this of concern to you, proceed with caution when using CBD.

Terpenes and Flavonoids

A compound that is similar to terpenes is flavonoids, which work in concert with terpenes and cannabinoids to produce therapeutic effects. They are similar to terpenes in that they produce flavor and aroma, and roughly 20 compounds have been identified in cannabis (they are also known as cannaflavins). Terpenes and flavonoids both protect the plant, but flavonoids provide color–that’s why you see such a beautiful array of hues in cannabis plants! 

Benefits of Flavonoids in CBD

Some flavonoids have been studied enough to identify some potential health benefits. Cannaflavin A is a compound that one study found to have more potent anti-inflammatory effects than aspirin. Early studies are finding that other strains have the potential to help fight infection and fungus, where others have antioxidant properties. They also play a role in the entourage effect to modify and/or bolster the effects of cannabinoids in the endocannabinoid system.

More research is needed to fully understand the effects of terpenes with flavonoids in the body, but what we have seen so far shows promise.

The Difference Between Terpenes and Terpenoids

In our research, we have found that terpenes and terpenoids are used interchangeably. While they are similar, terpenes are “wet” and contain carbon, and terpenoids are “dry” and contain oxygen. Terpenoids actually start out as terpenes, but after oxidation, terpenes become terpenoids. This usually happens when the plants are dried or chemically altered. 

Types of Terpenes

Knowing more about the types of terpenes that are available in CBD will help form a better understanding of how the product you’re using can potentially benefit you. While this list below is by no means exhaustive, it is comprised of the most common terpenes found in CBD, CBN, and CBG products. 

Before using any terpene, it is crucial to understand that many more studies are required to truly assess their possible benefits. While these prospective health benefits have been identified through preliminary studies, terpenes are not designed to replace the care of a medical professional. 

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