Are Terpene-infused Products Passing the Smell Test?

The risks and benefits of the companies using cannabis-extracted terpenes as an ingredient in their beer and food.

Today you’ll go to the nearest Wal-Mart after work. You won’t go there to buy something from the store, but instead to meet someone you met on Craigslist to make a purchase of their TV. There’s nothing nefarious there.

However, as the seller drives away, you’re quickly surrounded by police and placed under detainment for possession of stolen property.

Is this bait-and-switch style scenario going to happen with terpene-infused products?

According to the Schedule I status of cannabis and hemp-derived consumables, they are not permitted. A DEA spokesperson supported the idea that terpene-infused products, including beer and food, are prohibited by law.

That isn’t stopping companies like Lagunitas from producing a terpene-infused beer: Supercritical Ale. If you search online for terpene and cannabis cookbooks, you’ll find no shortage of them. Perhaps the benefits of being on the forefront of the terpene-infused products is worth the risk.

Figure 1 What’s in your craft beer?

The products need to undergo rigorous testing by theFederal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) to ensure they contain no psychoactive ingredients. Even if the TTB approves the use of terpenes in beer and food, the DEA could still come down on them through the Controlled Substances Act. So, the risk is not a small one.

What does that say about the benefits?

If Michigan’s people vote to legalize cannabis this year, the state is projected to bring in and additional $1 billion annually in revenue. California is the largest cannabis-market in the world. Canada will legalize cannabis nationwide in mid-October. [1]

The worldwide cannabis market is rapidly gaining momentum. As the industry grows around it, the opportunity for land-grabs and early-producers of interesting new products will likely see a large windfall should their products prove worthy over time.

The risk is huge, but the payout could be even bigger.

For now, when Americans can get their hands on terpene-infused beer, they don’t take long to tap out a keg. [2] The feedback from the cannabis and beer communities has been positive, which indicates the risk of infusing consumables with terpenes might well be worth it.

Have you tried a terpene-infused beer or food? How did it impact your experience? Let us know in the comments below!

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