FORT COLLINS, Colorado, October 9, 2024 – A presentation on how to build an aroma lexicon for cannabis is now available online. The presentation was given last month at the American Chemical Society Fall Meeting in Denver by Headspace Sensory founder Avery N. Gilbert, Ph.D. and co-author Joseph A. DiVerdi, Ph.D. from Colorado State University’s Department of Chemistry.
“Chemists and sensory experts have made great strides recently in understanding the compounds that give cannabis strains their distinctive odor,” says Gilbert. “We used to think it was all about terpenes. But now we know that non-terpene molecules provide key aroma notes such as skunk, tropical fruit, and cheese. We are finally getting our arms around the full range of the cannabis odor spectrum.”
As a result, says Gilbert, it is time for the cannabis industry to create an aroma lexicon or standardized vocabulary. “Smell is the most salient sensory feature of cannabis,” he says, “and an official lexicon would encourage better communication between experts and consumers, and between breeders and cultivators.”
He notes that official lexicons already exist for wine, beer, coffee, and tea.
The presentation is titled “How to Build an Aroma Lexicon for Cannabis,” and it covers the practical steps required, including selection of descriptive terms, identification of key aroma compounds, standardized sensory testing procedures, and the creation of an intuitive presentation format.
Free copies of the presentation can be downloaded here.
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