ABSTRAX Discovers Gassy Aromas, Unlocks Pandora’s Box of Terpenes

What if we could replicate the aromas of cannabis without the THC-component and use it for multiple industries — from cosmetics and wellness to food and beverage? ABSTRAX, a leader in cannabis research and producer of botanically-derived terpenes, has discovered the secret of the cannabis aromas, appropriately named “The Gas” — after extensive research and partnership with the largest cultivators in the USA. Being able to replicate the terpenes’ formulations of the world’s most-in demand strains is a revolution for the entire industry — both for manufacturers and consumers.

In this interview with Max Koby, CEO and co-founder of ABSTRAX, and his brother and business partner Kevin Koby, CSO and co-founder, we unveil the fantastic technology that has given ABSTRAX a competitive edge in cannabis research — and discuss the tremendous opportunities for every actor in the terpenes segment. 

Terpenes: A Fast-Growing Segment 

The terpene market is one of the fast-growing segments today in cannabis. By 2024, experts predict that the terpene segment of the flavor and fragrance industry will reach $2 billion — and will impact a large pool of industries where cannabis aromas are sought-after, for example, in cosmetics and skincare, health and wellness, food and beverage, and forth. 

As of today, extracting the plants’ most loved flavors — or gas — is an expensive and lengthy process, without forgetting the THC component that prevails — making it harder for companies to develop their favorite cannabis fragrances or smells for consumer products such as tea or skincare.  

On top of it, we are still discovering many components about the cannabis plants — and understanding the real benefits of each part takes time. Unlocking the full composition of the plants is an advent for the industry, as research can genuinely showcase the functionalities behind each component.

Discovery of The Gassy Scent and What it Means for the Industry

The discoveries of ABSTRAX are mind-blowing in that it enables them to not only replicate cannabis aroma profiles — which can be used for extensive research to ultimately help manufacturers better brand their strains — but also to educate consumers and finally to launch innovative products with cannabis-inspired flavors. 

ABSTRAX’s mission, as explained by Koby, is to pioneer cannabis aromas and terpene research. Max shares that the gassy aroma is the most complex smell to conquer. But after 2-years of research in California with worldwide experts, ABSTRAX has been able to identify 400 aroma compounds in cannabis plants. 

“We created a panel of industry experts and tastemakers to measure the gas factors,” Koby continues. “The number and concentration of new compounds in The Gas is what makes the strain unique and explains why people love it so much. We have developed the most advanced cannabis analytics to understand what strains are unique in their aromas.”

The Technology Used by ABSTRAX 

As the terpene segment is booming, ABSTRAX makes unprecedented progress to explore how to extract and replicate the terpenes that are identical in popular strains such as Sherbinskis, JoshD, and Jack Herer. Josh D adds, “The cannabis plant is the most abundant provider of terpenes — and 46% of the aromas are found in terpenes!”

“This discovery and research will have long-lasting positive effects on the cannabis industry as a whole and provide extremely valuable insights,” comments Josh Del Rosso, Founder and Managing Director of Josh D Farms. “It will also help us to further enhance our OG genetics to create the ultimate consistency and product experiences.”

By using advanced gas chromatography and a state-of-the-art type 7 licensed manufacturing lab, ABSTRAX works with in-house PhD Chemists via three-dimensional analysis to analyze the full aroma profile of the cannabis plants. “We want to focus on extracting these compounds and make life-changing discoveries that will benefit consumers,” Koby tells us.

With such technology and discoveries about the cannabis plants, manufacturers can rely on the data to improve their strains and find out the most desirable traits, which enables them to create higher quality products. ABSTRAX can furthermore develop botanically-derived terpenes that can be reproduced at the same quality and distributed around the world.

What the Research Offers

ABSTRAX has discovered components that have never been shared before. This progress in cannabis research is breathtaking for multiple reasons:

First, it gives manufacturers the possibility to improve their brands and know precisely the compounds of their strains to educate consumers broadly on their popular products.

Second, it enables the industry to tap into the prolific terpenes segment. For Max Koby, this is a challenging and exciting market as he states, “We believe that the Terpenes market is the intersection between cannabis and wellness, which are global emerging industries.”

Third, we can understand what the cannabis plant is composed of with exact precision—being able to discover the full components of the plant and how they can be used to enable the entire industry to develop outstanding products.

Finally, ABSTRAX is discovering new compounds in cannabis that can initiate medical research with universities on the biological effects of said compounds.