THE HEMP AND CBD GLOSSARY

In the living plant, cannabinoids are made as carboxylic acids, flagged by the letter A: THCA, CBDA, CBGA. The neutral forms, with no carboxyl group, carry the short name (THC, CBD, CBG). A lab report lists both separately, so every line deserves a careful read.

A trait inherited from ruderalis: the plant flowers according to age, a few weeks after germination, whatever the day length. The cycle is short and plants stay small. These varieties suit fast crops and latitudes with short summers.

Sales between businesses: shops, distributors, wholesalers. Prices are usually quoted excluding VAT, in volume tiers, with the invoice made out to the company. B2B requires the buyer to have a tax identification.

A concentrate with a creamy, smooth texture close to cake batter, hence the name. Opaque and yellow to golden, it is handled with a spatula. The term describes a texture, not a composition.

The long, strong fibre found in the bark of the stalk. It is freed by retting, a controlled breakdown of the tissues around it. Textiles, rope, technical papers and composite materials are its main outlets.

A uniform quantity of product with the same origin and the same harvest or packing date, identified by a unique number. The batch number links the label, the invoice and the test report. At Green Connection, batches are lab tested.

A sesquiterpene alcohol, C₁₅H₂₆O, with a soft floral scent, known as a constituent of German chamomile. Found in small amounts in some hemp varieties, it adds roundness to the bouquet. It has low volatility.

Terpenes taken from other plants (citrus, conifers, spices) or blended to mimic a profile. The molecules are identical to those in hemp, but the blends do not reproduce the hundreds of trace compounds in a natural bouquet. The opposite term is hemp-derived terpenes.

A mould caused by Botrytis cinerea that attacks dense buds from the inside when air is damp and cool. Affected areas turn brown, then grow a grey fuzz. An infected batch must be discarded.

A small modified leaf that wraps each female flower and shields the ovary. Growers often call it a calyx, even though hemp has no true calyx. Bracts carry the highest density of glandular trichomes anywhere on the plant.

A tight cluster of female flowers at the tips of the stems, which botanists call an inflorescence. In the trade it is simply a flower or a bud. Its density, trichome coverage and trim quality are the first things a buyer judges, as our hemp flower quality guide explains.

The botanical family hemp belongs to. It groups around ten genera, including Humulus (hops) and Celtis (hackberries). The close kinship with hops explains some shared aromas, notably the myrcene and humulene found in both plants.

A family of terpenophenolic compounds specific to hemp, with more than a hundred identified so far. Those made by the plant are called phytocannabinoids. THC, CBD and CBG are the best studied; the rest are known as minor cannabinoids. Our cannabinoid guide covers them one by one.

Scientific name of the species described by Linnaeus in 1753; the "L." credits him as the author. Most botanists treat it as one highly variable annual species with 20 chromosomes, with indica and ruderalis ranked as subspecies or varieties. Fibre hemp, seed hemp and flower cultivars all belong to this single taxon.

A glandular trichome with no stalk, its head resting directly on the leaf surface. It is smaller than the stalked type and produces fewer terpenes. Developmental studies suggest that some stalked trichomes grow from sessile-like precursors.

The largest glandular trichome: a round head sitting on a stalk, found mainly on the bracts during flowering. Researchers at the University of British Columbia showed that these trichomes carry the heaviest production of cannabinoids and terpenes. Their heads are what premium resins aim to capture.

A bicyclic sesquiterpene, C₁₅H₂₄, with notes of black pepper and clove. It has an unusual four-carbon ring. It is the sesquiterpene most often leading in hemp, and it oxidises into caryophyllene oxide.

Cannabichromene, C₂₁H₃₀O₂, derived from CBCA, which CBCA synthase produces. It is often more abundant in young plants than in mature flowers. It belongs to the minor cannabinoids that labs now test for more and more.

Cannabidiol, C₂₁H₃₀O₂, with a molar mass of about 314.5 g/mol. It was first extracted in 1940 and its structure was settled in 1963. In 2020 the EU Court of Justice ruled that it is not a narcotic drug under the 1961 Convention. Everything about the molecule is in our CBD guide.

Cannabidiolic acid, C₂₂H₃₀O₄, made from CBGA by CBDA synthase. It is the most abundant cannabinoid in most hemp varieties on the EU catalogue. An isomer of THCA, it differs by having an open ring.

Cannabidivarin, C₁₉H₂₆O₂, the propyl-chain counterpart of CBD. It shows up mainly in chemotypes rich in CBD and varins. Like THCV, it is quantified by liquid chromatography.

Cannabigerol, C₂₁H₃₂O₂, the neutral form of CBGA. Long found only in traces, it now dominates in bred varieties known as chemotype IV. Chemistry, origin and market are covered in our CBG guide.

Cannabigerolic acid, C₂₂H₃₂O₄. Nicknamed the "mother molecule", it is the starting point of biosynthesis: three enzymes each turn it into a different acid (THCA, CBDA or CBCA). It builds up in genetics where those enzymes are weak.

Cannabinol, C₂₁H₂₆O₂, the first cannabinoid ever identified, at the end of the 19th century. It forms mainly through slow oxidation of THC as flowers and resins age in air and light. A high CBN reading is therefore often a sign of age. See our CBN guide.

The report a laboratory issues for a given batch: sample identity, methods, cannabinoid results and, depending on the order, terpenes, moisture or contaminants. A COA is read alongside the batch number, the test date and the lab's name. It only applies to the batch it names.

Resin gathered by rubbing the flowers of living plants by hand, a tradition of the Indian and Nepalese Himalayas. Charas is soft, dark and intensely aromatic. Collection is slow and yields small quantities.

A classification of plants by the cannabinoid that dominates their resin. Genetic studies commonly separate type I (THC-dominant), II (mixed), III (CBD-dominant), IV (CBG-dominant) and V (almost cannabinoid-free). Chemotype is largely set by the synthase genes; our cannabinoid guide goes further.

The judgment of the EU Court of Justice of 19 November 2020. It holds that CBD lawfully produced in one member state is not a narcotic drug under the 1961 Convention, and that another state may only ban its sale on properly justified grounds. It is a landmark in European hemp law.

A stem cutting taken from a mother plant and rooted. Being genetically identical to the mother, a clone guarantees an even crop. The mother plant is kept in vegetative growth to supply cuttings continuously.

An eight-digit code from the EU Combined Nomenclature, built on the six-digit international Harmonised System. It classifies every good for statistics and customs duties. Raw or retted true hemp, for instance, falls under heading 5302.

The flower cluster that crowns a stem, especially the main stem. The word comes from Spanish, where it means tail. The top cola is usually the densest and heaviest bud on the plant, while lower branches give smaller buds.

The positioning under which Green Connection offers its flowers and resins: collector pieces and aromatic materials, not intended for consumption. Every buyer remains responsible for following the rules of their own country. Browse what is available in our catalogue.

The official EU list of agricultural plant varieties whose seed may be marketed. It includes several dozen hemp varieties. Only certified seed of these varieties qualifies for support under the Common Agricultural Policy.

An umbrella term for any material in which trichomes, or their compounds, are separated from the plant. Mechanical concentrates (kief, hash, rosin) are distinguished from those made with a solvent. Badder, crumble, shatter and wax are names for concentrate textures.

A dry, brittle concentrate that crumbles to the touch, honey to pale yellow in colour. Its texture comes from low moisture and low residual solvent. Like badder, the name describes appearance, not chemistry.

A variety created and maintained through cultivation. Under EU law, a hemp "variety" is an officially registered breed; in the flower trade people say strain or genetics instead. A trade name alone does not guarantee a chemical profile.

Ageing dried flowers in sealed containers for several weeks, opening them regularly at first to balance moisture (often called burping). Grassy notes fade and the bouquet rounds out. It is to hemp what ageing is to cheese or tobacco.

Describes a species whose male and female flowers grow on separate plants. Hemp is naturally dioecious, with an XY sex-determination system similar to that of mammals. For collector flowers, only the female plants are kept.

A trade buyer who purchases to resell to other outlets, sometimes within a set territory. It differs from a retailer, which sells directly to the public. Some suppliers reserve products or regions for their distributors.

Resin obtained by passing dry trichomes through screens of decreasing mesh size, with no water or solvent. Each pass separates a fraction of different purity. The finest grades approach the purity of the best ice water resins; our resin guide compares them.

The stage that brings fresh material down to a stable moisture level. It is done slowly, in the dark, in cool and moderately humid air, often around 15 to 20 °C and 55 to 65% relative humidity, for one to two weeks. Drying too fast drives off terpenes, as our storage guide explains.

The Economic Operators Registration and Identification number, issued by customs. It is required to import into or export out of the European Union. It begins with the code of the issuing country.

The VAT number that identifies a business for trade within the EU; its validity can be checked online through the European Commission's VIES system. Between businesses in two different member states, the supply is normally invoiced without VAT.

The large palmate leaf that symbolises hemp, usually made of five to nine serrated leaflets. It does most of the photosynthesis but carries few glandular trichomes. It is stripped before or during trimming.

The plant that bears the flower clusters, covered in resin-rich glandular trichomes. It supplies every flower on the market. Left unpollinated, it keeps producing resin instead of spending its energy on seed.

A seed produced to give almost only female plants. It is obtained by making a female plant produce pollen, which then passes on only X chromosomes. It spares growers from having to weed out males.

Shows how many sifting passes a dry resin has gone through. Each pass removes more plant debris and raises the share of trichome heads. A "3x filtered" resin is therefore, in principle, lighter, finer and cleaner than a "1x".

A plant polyphenol that mainly contributes to tissue colour. Hemp makes several, including cannflavins A, B and C, which are unique to it. Being practically non-volatile, flavonoids play only a minor role in scent, unlike terpenes.

The stage in which the plant forms its buds, triggered by longer nights or, indoors, by switching to 12 hours of light. It usually lasts seven to ten weeks depending on genetics. The first weeks bring a marked stretch of the stems.

The purest grade of sifted resin, made almost entirely of trichome heads. It is recognised by its ability to melt completely under heat without leaving plant residue. It is often rated on a one to six star scale.

Gas chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometer (MS), which identifies molecules, or a flame ionisation detector (FID), which quantifies them. It is the tool of choice for terpenes and residual solvents. The sample can be taken from the headspace above the material.

The genetic makeup a plant inherits from its parents. It sets the potential: chemotype, possible aroma range, flowering time. Cloning reproduces a genotype exactly, something growing from seed cannot guarantee.

Growing under cover, combining natural light with protection from rain, wind and pests. Supplemental lighting or blackout systems can complete the setup. Greenhouse flowers often sit between indoor and outdoor in density and price.

The best period to cut the plant. It is judged under magnification: trichome heads turn from clear to milky, then take on an amber tint. Pistil colour completes the picture.

Hemp resin collected and then pressed into a slab, ball or bar. The word comes from the Arabic hashish, meaning grass. Morocco, Lebanon, Afghanistan and the Himalayas each developed their own methods and textures, covered in our hash and resin guide.

Elements such as lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic, screened for in contaminant testing. Hemp readily absorbs metals from the soil, so much so that it is studied for cleaning up polluted land. Soil and input quality are therefore decisive.

Common name for Cannabis sativa grown for fibre, seed or flowers. In the European Union, the word covers varieties listed in the Common Catalogue whose THC content stays under the regulatory limit. It is one of the oldest crops known, cultivated in Asia for several thousand years.

The dry fruit of hemp, an achene holding a single seed. It is used for sowing and in several farm supply chains, including oil pressing. In a collector flower, seeds are a sign that pollination has occurred.

A female plant that also develops male flowers, often under stress such as light leaks, heat or unstable genetics. The precise botanical term is intersex. Those male flowers can fertilise the crop and leave seeds in it, which lowers the value of the batch.

A separation method in which the dissolved sample is pushed through a column under high pressure, each molecule leaving at its own time. Paired with a UV detector, it is the reference for quantifying cannabinoids. It works without heating the sample, so acidic and neutral forms can be told apart.

A sesquiterpene, C₁₅H₂₄, isomer of beta-caryophyllene and almost always found alongside it. It takes its name from hops (Humulus lupulus), where it was first described. It brings woody, dry, herbal notes.

The woody core of the stalk, left once the fibres are separated. Light and highly absorbent, it is used for animal bedding, mulch and as aggregate in hempcrete. It makes up most of the stalk's mass.

Growing with roots fed by a nutrient solution, in an inert medium such as rockwool or clay pebbles. It gives precise control over nutrition. In return it demands constant monitoring of pH and electrical conductivity.

Resin separated from the plant in ice-cold water and then collected in a series of filter bags with decreasing mesh. The cold makes trichomes brittle so they snap off cleanly. The name comes from a filter bag brand launched in the Netherlands in the late 1990s.

Rules from the International Chamber of Commerce, currently in their 2020 edition, that set who pays for transport, insurance and duties, and when risk passes from seller to buyer. EXW (ex works), DAP (delivered at place) and DDP (delivered duty paid) are the most common.

Labels born from describing plants of different geographic origin, one short with broad leaves, the other tall with narrow leaves. Analyses of tens of thousands of samples have shown they are poor predictors of actual chemistry. Today they mostly describe plant shape.

Growing under artificial light (LED or sodium lamps) in a closed room where temperature, humidity and airflow are controlled. It allows several harvests a year and yields dense, heavily frosted buds. A full comparison is in our indoor, outdoor and greenhouse guide.

Hemp grown at scale from certified varieties for fibre, seed, hurd or biomass. The European Union is one of the world's leading producers, with France in first place. Its cultivation is declared and inspected.

The international standard setting competence requirements for testing and calibration laboratories. Accreditation is granted by a national body, such as UKAS in the United Kingdom or INAB in Ireland. It covers specific methods, not the laboratory as a whole.

Molecules that share the same formula but arrange their atoms differently. THC and CBD are isomers (C₂₁H₃₀O₂), and so are THCA and CBDA (C₂₂H₃₀O₄). Weighing alone cannot tell them apart; chromatographic separation is needed.

A five-carbon molecule (C₅H₈) that serves as the building block of every terpene. Two units make a C₁₀ monoterpene, three make a C₁₅ sesquiterpene. This "isoprene rule" sorts terpenes by size.

The powder of trichome heads separated from dry flowers by rubbing them over screens. The word, of Arabic origin, also refers to the plant itself in Morocco. Loose, unpressed kief is the simplest form of sifted resin.

A local population grown for generations in one region without modern breeding, adapted to its climate. Landraces from the Hindu Kush, the Rif or South-East Asia stand behind many modern genetics. They are a living reservoir of aromatic diversity.

A greenhouse technique that covers plants to shorten their days artificially and trigger flowering. It allows two or three harvests a season instead of one. The term is short for light deprivation.

A monocyclic monoterpene, C₁₀H₁₆, smelling of orange or lemon peel. The D form is the one found in citrus. Common in hemp as a secondary terpene, it gives flowers their bright, zesty edge.

A monoterpene alcohol, C₁₀H₁₈O, with a floral scent of lavender and bergamot. It occurs in more than two hundred plant species. In hemp it is usually secondary but easy to notice thanks to its low odour threshold.

Growing in soil rich in organic matter and micro-organisms, where nutrition relies on biological activity rather than mineral feeds added at every watering. The soil is often reused from cycle to cycle. Many craft growers favour this approach.

The limit of detection (LOD) is the smallest amount a method can spot; the limit of quantitation (LOQ) is the smallest it can measure reliably. A result of "< LOQ" or "ND" does not mean zero, only "below what the method can measure".

The plant that grows stamen flowers and releases pollen. It carries very little resin. In flower production, males are spotted and removed early, since a single plant can pollinate a large area and fill the crop with seeds.

A count of the micro-organisms present: total aerobic microbial count (TAMC), total yeast and mould count (TYMC), plus screening for specific bacteria. It reflects hygiene during growing, drying and packing. Results are given in colony forming units per gram (CFU/g).

A unit of length, one thousandth of a millimetre, used for the mesh opening of screens and filter bags. Standard sets run from 25 to 220 µm. The 73 to 120 µm fraction usually gathers the most sought-after trichome heads.

The share of water in a sample's mass, expressed as a percentage. It is measured by loss of mass on drying. Two batches with the same moisture content can have different water activity, so the two measurements complement each other.

A plant carrying both male and female flowers on the same stem. Many industrial hemp varieties have been bred monoecious so that seed and fibre crops ripen evenly; French cultivars such as Futura 75 and Fedora 17 are well-known examples.

A ten-carbon terpene made of two isoprene units, light and highly volatile. Myrcene, limonene, the pinenes, terpinolene and ocimene are the main ones in hemp. They form the top notes of the bouquet and are the first to fade over time.

Short for minimum order quantity, the smallest amount accepted per order or per product. It lets the supplier cover handling costs. MOQs vary by product and format.

Resin produced in the Rif mountains of northern Morocco, around Ketama, long the world's leading hashish region. The traditional method beats dried plants over fabric stretched across bowls. The term also applies to textures and styles rooted in that tradition.

Toxins produced by certain moulds (Aspergillus, Penicillium), notably aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2 and ochratoxin A. They mostly appear when material was poorly dried or stored too damp. Screening for them is one of the most common contaminant tests.

An acyclic monoterpene, C₁₀H₁₆, with earthy, musky and fruity notes also found in hops, mango and thyme. It is very often the leading terpene in hemp. Its boiling point sits around 167 °C.

A sesquiterpene alcohol, C₁₅H₂₆O, with woody, floral and bark-like notes, present in neroli, jasmine and ginger. In hemp it is usually a secondary compound. Its low volatility makes it a stable marker of a profile.

An acyclic monoterpene, C₁₀H₁₆, with sweet, herbal, slightly woody notes. Present in basil, mint and many flowers, it is highly volatile. It mostly appears in fruity and tropical profiles.

A small aromatic molecule with a five-carbon chain, made inside the trichomes. It combines with geranyl pyrophosphate, a terpene precursor, to form CBGA. It is the building block behind every classic cannabinoid with a pentyl chain.

Growing in open fields under the sun, with one harvest a year in late summer or autumn. Plants grow taller and buds are airier. It is the historical method for European hemp and the most energy-efficient; see our growing methods guide.

Traces of crop protection products measured in a batch, often by chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Labs screen hundreds of substances in a single run. Results are compared with the applicable maximum limits.

The set of observable traits of a plant: shape, colour, density, aroma, chemical profile. It results from the genotype interacting with the environment. Two seeds of the same cultivar can therefore produce different phenotypes, which is why growers hunt for the best "phenos".

The daily length of light exposure. Hemp is a short-day plant: it flowers when nights grow longer. Indoor growers keep around 18 hours of light for growth, then switch to 12 hours to trigger flowering.

A bicyclic monoterpene, C₁₀H₁₆, found in two forms, alpha and beta. It carries the scent of pine needles and conifer resin. Alpha-pinene is one of the most widespread terpenes in the plant kingdom.

The female organ of the flower; the hairs you see poking out of the bracts are mostly the stigmas, two filaments built to catch pollen. White early in flowering, they turn brown or orange over time. Their colour hints at maturity but is less reliable than looking at trichomes.

In the French and Spanish trade, the name for dry-sifted resin that is powdery or only lightly pressed, golden to beige in colour. Strictly speaking it is a misnomer: true pollen comes from male flowers and holds no resin. Shops and buyers still use the term widely.

Small buds from the lower parts of the plant, which receive less light. Same genetics and often the same profile as the large buds, but less dense and lighter. They usually sell for less; our hemp flower quality guide explains how to judge them.

A disease caused by fungi of the order Erysiphales, forming a white, powdery coating on leaves and then on flowers. It thrives in stagnant air and can look like trichomes to the naked eye. A loupe tells them apart.

A document laid out like an invoice before the sale is completed, used for advance payment or customs formalities. It has no accounting value: the final invoice is issued afterwards.

A dated, priced proposal stating products, quantities, unit prices, shipping and payment terms. For trade volumes, prices are set by quote. Once accepted, it binds both parties.

The amount of water held in the air, as a percentage of the maximum it can hold at that temperature. It governs drying and then storage. Humidity that is too high invites mould; too low and flowers turn brittle.

Traces of solvent left in an extract after it is made, such as butane, propane or ethanol. They are measured by gas chromatography and reported in ppm. Mechanical resins (kief, hash, rosin) contain none by definition.

The sticky secretion of glandular trichomes, held under their thin cuticle. It concentrates the cannabinoids and terpenes. By extension, the word covers every product made by separating those trichomes from plant material.

The mechanism by which the business buyer, not the seller, accounts for the VAT due on an intra-EU purchase. The invoice then carries the matching mention and both parties' VAT numbers.

Resin pressed out using only heat and pressure, without any solvent, from flowers, kief or hash. It is called hash rosin when the starting material is ice water resin. Texture ranges from glassy to creamy.

A hardy, short-cycle form of hemp from Central Asia and Russia. Its key trait is that it flowers according to age rather than day length. Breeders crossed it with other lines to create autoflowering varieties.

A small quantity sent so a product can be judged before a volume order: look, density, aroma. It is the normal first step in a new trade relationship. Trade buyers can request one through our sample request page.

Taking a representative portion of a batch for testing. A result is only as reliable as its sample: take from several spots, homogenise, keep a retained sample. For official field checks on THC, the EU requires sampling from the upper third of the plants.

A fifteen-carbon terpene made of three isoprene units, heavier and less volatile than a monoterpene. Beta-caryophyllene and humulene are the most common in hemp. Their weight helps them survive drying, so their share rises in older flowers.

A glassy, translucent concentrate that snaps like glass, hence its name. Its colour ranges from light amber to gold. It softens with warmth and can lose its clarity as it ages.

The UN treaty governing narcotic drugs. Its Article 28 excludes from its scope the growing of hemp for industrial purposes (fibre and seed) or horticultural purposes. In December 2020 the Commission on Narcotic Drugs removed cannabis from Schedule IV while keeping it in Schedule I.

A Spanish word meaning "without seed", used for unpollinated female flowers. With no fertilisation, the plant keeps developing bracts and trichomes. It is the standard for any quality flower.

A pressed flat block or bar, the standard format for wholesale resin. Pressing reduces the surface exposed to air, which protects terpenes. Slabs are then cut to weight.

A small leaf growing out of the bud and coated in trichomes, hence its sugary look. Most of it is removed during trimming. Because it is rich in resin, sugar leaf trim is often used as material for sifted resins.

An enzyme that makes an acidic cannabinoid from CBGA. THCA synthase, CBDA synthase and CBCA synthase are oxidocyclases secreted into the storage cavity of the trichomes. Which gene dominates in a plant largely decides its chemotype.

A volatile hydrocarbon built from five-carbon units called isoprene. Hemp makes more than a hundred of them in its trichomes, and they account for most of its scent. Chemistry, volatility and 25 detailed profiles are in our terpenes guide.

The ranking of terpenes measured in a batch: one dominant, two or three secondary, and traces. Total terpene content in a flower amounts to a few percent of dry weight at most. The profile varies with genetics, growing and drying; our terpenes guide shows how to read it.

A terpene that carries an oxygen-containing group: alcohol, ether, ketone or oxide. Linalool, bisabolol and nerolidol are examples. In everyday use, terpenes and terpenoids are lumped together as "terpenes".

A monoterpene, C₁₀H₁₆, with fresh notes that are woody, floral and slightly citrusy at once. Rarely the leading terpene, it nonetheless defines a well-known aroma group among hemp varieties. It also occurs in apples, cumin and tea tree.

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, C₂₁H₃₀O₂, an isomer of CBD whose structure was described in 1964. It is the reference cannabinoid in regulation: its level decides whether a hemp variety is eligible in Europe. The legal picture is summarised on our European legislation page.

The maximum THC content for hemp varieties eligible for Common Agricultural Policy support, set by Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 and applicable since 1 January 2023 (it was 0.2% before). Member states keep powers over part of the sales rules; see our European legislation page.

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, C₂₂H₃₀O₄, molar mass about 358.5 g/mol. It is made from CBGA by THCA synthase and is the acidic form of THC in the plant. The full chemical profile is in our THCA guide.

Tetrahydrocannabivarin, C₁₉H₂₆O₂. It belongs to the varins, cannabinoids with a three-carbon side chain instead of five, built from divarinic acid. Notable amounts turn up in certain lines of African or Asian origin.

Sulphur compounds present in tiny traces yet with enormous odour power. In 2021 a US team identified 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol as the main source of the classic "skunk" smell. These compounds peak late in flowering and during the cure, then decline in storage.

A price grid in which the cost per gram or per kilo falls as the order quantity rises. Typical tiers run from a hundred grams to several kilos. Public prices for every product are listed in our catalogue.

A figure that adds THC to the share of THC corresponding to THCA, using the formula THC + 0.877 × THCA. The 0.877 factor is the ratio of the two molar masses. Several regulations refer to it; our page on the European legal framework sets out the details.

The ability to follow a batch from field to delivery: supplier, batch number, test results, transport, invoicing. For a reseller, it is the basis for answering an inspection or a question from a trade customer.

A microscopic outgrowth of the plant's epidermis. Hemp has non-glandular trichomes, which are simple protective hairs, and glandular trichomes, which secrete resin. Glandular trichomes give flowers their frosty look and are the raw material of every hash and resin.

Removing the leaves around the buds, by hand with scissors or by machine, on fresh plants (wet trim) or dried ones (dry trim). Hand trimming is slower but better preserves trichomes, a key criterion in our flower quality guide.

The stage in which the plant builds stems, leaves and roots without flowering. Indoors it is maintained by long days of around 18 hours of light. Its length influences final size and the number of bud sites.

How readily a compound escapes into the air. Light monoterpenes leave far faster than sesquiterpenes. A reference study measured a 31% loss of volatile oil after one week of air drying and 55% after three months of storage, which is why storing flowers and resins properly matters.

A measure of "free" water available to micro-organisms, on a scale from 0 to 1. The ASTM D8197 standard specifies 0.55 to 0.65 for dried flower: low enough to hold back mould, high enough to keep texture. It is the key indicator in our storage guide.

An opaque concentrate with a waxy, more or less pliable texture. When whipped and airier, it is called budder. The line between wax, budder and badder varies from producer to producer.

A product made or packed by a supplier and sold under the buyer's brand. The reseller chooses the packaging and visual identity. Responsibility for labelling in the country of sale lies with the reseller.

A business that buys in volume from producers and resells to trade customers. It selects, checks and stocks the goods and offers terms suited to shops. Our terms are set out on our wholesale Europe page.

The quantity of dry flower harvested, expressed in grams per square metre, per plant or per watt indoors. Yield and quality do not always go together: pushing the first can reduce trichome density or aromatic richness.