The short answer: plants make terpenes naturally as part of their essential oils, and manufacturers capture them through extraction methods like steam distillation and CO2 extraction. The result is a concentrated terpene that can be used to flavor other products.

How plants make them

Terpenes are produced by the plant itself, in cannabis by the resin glands, or trichomes, and in other plants in their oil glands and flowers. The plant uses them to attract pollinators and deter pests. This is where every natural terpene starts, whether it ends up in a perfume, a food flavoring, or a chew.

How they are extracted

To use terpenes, makers separate them from the plant. Common methods include steam distillation, where steam carries the volatile terpenes out of the plant material; hydrodistillation, a related water-based method; CO2 extraction, which uses pressurized carbon dioxide; and cold pressing, used especially for citrus peel. Each method aims to capture the aroma compounds cleanly.

Cannabis-derived versus botanical

Terpenes can be extracted from cannabis and hemp, or from other plants entirely. A limonene molecule extracted from an orange is the same as one from a cannabis strain. This is the basis of our two lines, explained in hemp vs botanical terpenes, and it connects to the natural vs synthetic question.

How MONDAYS uses them

MONDAYS uses food-grade terpenes at flavoring levels, made in a cGMP-compliant facility, with the hemp line verified by DEA-registered lab testing. The terpenes are what let a chew taste like a specific strain. Explore them in our Terpene Library.

Frequently asked questions

How are terpenes extracted?

Common methods include steam distillation, hydrodistillation, CO2 extraction, and cold pressing, all of which separate the aroma compounds from plant material.

Are extracted terpenes still natural?

Terpenes extracted from plants are natural in origin. See natural vs synthetic terpenes for how that compares to synthesized ones.

Where does MONDAYS get its terpenes?

From cannabis-derived terpenes for the hemp line and plant-based botanical terpenes for the botanical line, all food grade.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.