Patent Application
20210170347
This disclosure generally relates to terpenes. More particularly, the disclosure relates to terpene compositions adapted for olfactory use and/or gustatory use.
Terpenes are hydrocarbon compounds found in a variety of plants, some of which are cannabis and some of which are not. In particular, terpenes are recognized for their ability to emit a strong aroma of varying scents, depending upon the particular terpene strain. With respect to cannabis, terpenes emit such scents to deter would-be attackers, such as herbivores, from eating the plant, or attract those who are more interested in eating the attackers, such as carnivores.
Furthermore, many cannabis plant growers tend to grow cannabis in a way that strengthens the potency of tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”), which typically has the psychoactive effect of producing a sense or euphoria in a human being, the result of THC binding with cannabinoid 1 (“CB1”) receptors in the brain. Cannabis plants with a higher potency of THC than others also tend to have the terpenes that emit a smell typically considered to be a desirable aroma to many users of cannabis.
While being grown, cannabis may lose some, if not all, of the aroma associated with its terpenes. The aroma may be lost, or diminished, based on a variety of factors (e.g., seed selection, sub-optimal growing environment, etc.).
As a result, current apparatuses and processes do not adequately maintain the natural aroma from cannabis after being grown.
A terpene composition, adapted for olfactory and/or gustatory use, has one or more terpene materials. Furthermore, the terpene composition has one or more emulsifiers. The terpene composition also has a humectant. Finally, the terpene composition has a solvent. The one or more terpene materials are in a range of five to fifty percent of the terpene composition.
Alternatively, a process for manufacture of a terpene composition, adapted for olfactory and/or gustatory use, determines an amount of one or more terpene materials that meets a predetermined weight threshold of the terpene composition. Additionally, the process adds one or more emulsifiers to the one or more terpene materials. The process also mixes the one or more terpene materials in the one or more emulsifiers, until the one more terpene materials are dissolved, to form an emulsified solution. Furthermore, the process adds a humectant to the emulsified solution. Also, the process mixes the humectant with the emulsified solution, according to a predetermined time threshold based on batch size, to form a viscous solution. In addition, the process adds a solvent to the viscous solution. Finally, the process mixes the solvent with the viscous solution to form the terpene composition. The one or more terpene materials are in a range of five to fifty percent of the terpene composition.
The above-mentioned features of the present disclosure will become more apparent with reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and in which:
A terpene composition is adapted for olfactory and/or gustatory use. In particular, the terpene composition may be used to infuse an aroma into a storage container that stores one or more cannabis materials (e.g., cannabis flowers, leaves, etc.), either during transportation for sale, storage prior to sale, or storage by an end-user. As a result, cannabis aroma emission is not only restored, but can also be modified into a particular aroma enhancement that is desirable to users during use, without compromising on the potency of THC.
In particular, the terpene composition may include a variety of ingredients that help ensure the foregoing aroma infusion effect. An example of the formula for the terpene composition is provided in the following table (expressed in weight percentage):
As an example, the terpene blend may have a weight percentage of ten percent of the entire composition. The terpene blend may include one or more terpene materials. As an example, the terpene materials may include one or more naturally derived non-cannabis terpene isolates, which are food grade. As another example, the terpene materials may include one or more terpenes extracted from one or more cannabis plants. As yet another example, the terpene materials may form a cannabis/non-cannabis hybrid formulation, including one or more naturally derived non-cannabis terpene isolates and one or more terpenes extracted from one or more cannabis plants.
Furthermore, the terpene blend may include materials other than specific terpenes. For instance, the terpene blend may include one or more essential oils. Additionally, or alternatively, the terpene blend may include one or more flavor enhancers, such as an ester and an aldehyde.
Furthermore, the terpene composition may have one or more emulsifiers, such as polysorbate 20, which may have a weight percentage of two and five tenths percent, and polysorbate 80, which may also have a weight percentage of two and five tenths percent. (Although two emulsifiers are described herein, one emulsifier or more than two emulsifiers may be used instead. Furthermore, different emulsifiers other than polysorbate 20 and polysorbate 80 may be used.)
Additionally, a humectant, such as glycerine, may be used to thicken the terpene composition—in essence providing viscosity to prevent deformation. In one embodiment, the humectant has the largest weight percentage of any of the ingredients in the terpene composition (e.g., fifty five percent). Another example of a humectant that may be used is propylene glycol. Yet another example of a humectant is butylene glycol. Alternatively, a combination of humectants (e.g., glycerine/propylene glycol/butylene glycol) may be utilized.
Finally, the terpene composition may have a solvent, such as various forms of water. For example, deionized water may have a weight percentage of thirty percent of the entire terpene composition. (Alternative forms of water (e.g., distilled water, spring water, drinking water, purified water, alkaline water, reverse osmosis water, tap water, and electrolyte-enhanced water) may be used instead of deionized water.) Alternatively, a solvent other than water may be used instead.
The specific formula provided in the table above is only one example of a particular formulation, by weight percentage, that may be used for the terpene composition. A variety of weight percentages, being bounded by certain ranges, may be used to determine other formulations. The table illustrated below provides weight percentage ranges for the various ingredients in the terpene composition:
As illustrated in the table above, the terpene blend may have a weight percentage in the range of five percent to fifty percent, leaving at least half of the remainder of the terpene composition to be other ingredients. Furthermore, the humectant (e.g., glycerine) may have a weight percentage in the range of thirty five percent to seventy five percent. In essence, the terpene blend itself, and the humectant that increases viscosity of the terpene composition to prevent deformation, are necessary ingredients in the terpene composition.
Conversely, the other ingredients may be optional. For example, the emulsifiers (e.g., polysorbate 20 and polysorbate 80) may disperse the terpene blend in an emulsion for subsequent thickening via the humectant, but the terpene blend may be exposed to the humectant without any emulsion. As another example, the terpene composition may not have any water.
Moreover, a particular process for manufacturing the terpene composition is provided for herein.
Initially, the user 101 procures a container 102 (e.g., vial, test tube, etc.) containing a terpene blend 111. For example, a container rack 103 may contain a plurality of containers 102, each having the same terpene blend 111 or each having different terpene blends 111. The user 101 may begin the process by weighing a beaker 104 containing the terpene blend on a scale 105, as the user 101 pours the terpene blend 111 into the beaker 104. For example, the user 101 may pour the terpene blend 111, either directly from the container 102 or indirectly from a dropper 106, into the beaker 104 until a predetermined weight has been reached.
Additionally,
Finally,
To summarize,
Although the process 500 is illustrated in
Finally, the terpene composition is just one example of an aroma restoration/enhancement composition that may be utilized with respect to cannabis. For instance, another composition may be formulated with the ingredients, and ranges provided for herein, but with one or more non-terpene materials in place of the one or more terpene materials. For example, various flavor enhancers (ester, aldehyde, etc.) may be used without any terpenes in the composition.
It is understood that the apparatuses and processes described herein may also be applied in other types of apparatuses and processes. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various adaptations and modifications of the embodiments of the apparatuses and processes described herein may be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the present apparatuses and processes. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the present apparatuses and processes may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.
