ENFLEUR would like to share education on the entourage effect, which is the purported benefit of consuming whole-plant cannabinoids above their constituent parts. For our purposes here, the entourage effect refers specifically to plant-derived cannabinoids (or phyto-cannabinoids) that are taken altogether, instead of isolating or excluding particular cannabinoids. A full-spectrum hemp-derived CBD will contain not only CBD, but also all of the other ancillary cannabinoids, such as CBG, CBN, and CBDa, over a hundred different identified cannabinoids, including the infamous THC, but in doses too small to have a psychoactive (or high-inducing effect).
In addition to cannabinoids, a whole-plant hemp cannabinoid extraction also contains terpenes, which have a host of purported therapeutic benefits as well. Terpenes are just an organic component that, in part, make up what is more commonly known as essential oils. Technically, it’s a volatile hydrocarbon that is responsible for the aromatics and taste of the cannabis plant. They are also present in other plants, such as conifers, citrus, peppercorn, and lavender. Terpenes boast a wide-range of clinically studied therapeutic potential, of which more can be read about here.
Why does this matter? There is clinically demonstrated reason to think that the whole is, in fact, greater than the sum of its parts. This is because there appears to be a synergistic relationship between cannabinoids and terpenes that work to amplify each other’s therapeutic benefits.