Terpene Screening

Terpene screening is the analytical practice of identifying and quantifying volatile aromatic compounds in cannabis plant material. This category encompasses gas chromatography (GC), liquid chromatography (LC), and mass spectrometry (MS) methods used to profile monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and other secondary metabolites. Breeders and researchers employ terpene screening to document strain chemistry, verify genetic lineages, and track consistency across seed batches. Screening data serves as an objective reference for breeding programs seeking to stabilize desired aromatic profiles or explore novel terpene combinations. Understanding terpene composition has become standard practice in modern cannabis genetics documentation, independent of consumer marketing claims.

Breeders use terpene screening data to make informed selection decisions, ensuring that offspring maintain or diverge from parental terpene profiles as intended. Consistent screening across generations creates a chemical fingerprint that helps document genetic stability and authenticity within seed lines.