A terpene chart is a lab summary, not a personality test. Read it in this order: total terpene percentage, the top two or three individual terpenes, then the batch or test date. That covers most of what the chart can tell you. The rest is context, and context matters here.
what terpenes are in myrcene chart
Start with the total terpene percentage
Most dried flower lands somewhere between 1% and 3% terpenes by weight. Under 1% usually means a muted nose. Above 3% is on the high side and often shows up in fresh, well-sealed, small-batch flower.
Cannabis Terpene Chart for Sleep and Pain: What to Look For
Some labs report total terpenes in mg/g instead of a percentage. The conversion is easy: 1% equals 10 mg/g. A jar labeled 18 mg/g total terpenes is sitting at 1.8%.
cannabis terpene chart for sleep and pain
One catch. Some reports only sum the top 10 terpenes, or only the ones above a certain threshold. Others run a 30-plus panel. Two charts can show the same flower at different totals if the labs counted different compounds.
cannabis terpene chart for sleep and pain
The top three lines tell most of the story
Terpene charts sort from highest to lowest. Those first few entries shape the smell and the flavor more than anything below them. Common dominants:
- Myrcene: earthy, musky, herbal. Often the top line in heavier flower.
- Limonene: citrus peel. Bright, sharp, uplifting on the nose.
- Beta-caryophyllene: black pepper, clove, dry spice.
- Terpinolene: pine, tea tree, a little floral.
- Pinene: fresh pine and rosemary.
- Linalool: lavender, soft and sweet.
- Humulene: hops, wood, herbal.
Ratios matter more than any single number. A cultivar with 0.9% myrcene and 0.8% limonene reads differently than one with 1.7% myrcene and 0.1% limonene, even though both are myrcene dominant. Look at the gap between lines, not just the leader.
What ND, trace, and LOQ mean
ND means not detected. It does not mean zero. It means the compound fell below the lab's detection limit. Trace means the lab saw it but could not put a firm number on it. LOQ is the limit of quantification, the floor for reporting a real value.
So a chart with eight ND lines is not a bad batch. It may just be a narrow panel or a sample with low volatile content. Read ND as unknown and probably small, not absent.
Terpenes and cannabinoids are separate columns
THC percentage says nothing about terpene content. Plenty of 30% THC flower sits near 1% terpenes, and plenty of 18% flower hits 3%. They are different measurements from different parts of the same plant.
Indica and sativa labels are the other place people overread a chart. Those terms describe plant shape and history more than chemistry. The terpene list is the closest thing you have to a real chemical label, which is why it is worth learning.
Why two charts for the same strain look different
Terpenes are volatile. They evaporate, and they degrade with heat, light, oxygen, and time. Curing, drying, packaging, and storage conditions all shift the numbers. So does harvest timing, since terpene production peaks and then falls as the plant matures.
A test from six months ago does not describe the jar in front of you. When you compare two charts, compare batch numbers and dates first. Same cultivar, different batch, different chart. That is normal, not a red flag.
Also check what was tested. Whole flower, pre-ground, trim, and concentrates all read differently. Concentrates run much higher, sometimes 5% to 15% or more, because the terpenes have been concentrated along with everything else.
A quick way to read any chart in 30 seconds
- Find the total terpene percentage. Anything from 1% to 3% is normal flower.
- Read the top three terpenes and note the gap between them.
- Check for ND or trace labels so you know what was not measured.
- Find the test date and batch number. Older than a few months? Discount the numbers.
- Ignore the indica or sativa tag until you have read the terpene list.
That is the whole skill. The chart is a snapshot of one batch on one day, and once you read it that way, it stops being confusing.