Building Cannabis Terroir Profiles: Appellations and Insights Gleaned from Specialty Industries

Abstract: Cannabis is the first rapidly growing agricultural industry in nearly a century. Given the history of prohibition and its profound repercussions on genetics and cultivation culture, the timing of mass adoption in the information age is shaping the way we describe, grade and market our products. In this conversation, we will discuss the cannabis industry’s unique position to utilize technology in crafting evaluation standards; while other specialty agricultural industries have relied on the human sensory system alone. This discussion will include a brief overview of how coffee, tequila, spices and wine build micro-regional terroir profiles and reputations. Then, we’ll explore how leveraging environmental data and terpene isolation through testing will drive research to create micro-regional terroir profiles and best practices for cultivating high-quality cannabis in any appellation.