When people ask about natural versus synthetic terpenes, they usually want to know one thing: is what I am consuming derived from plants, or made in a lab? The short answer is that terpenes can come from either source, the molecule itself can be identical either way, and what matters most is that the terpenes used are food grade and produced to a known standard.

Botanical and cannabis-derived terpenes

Natural terpenes are extracted from plants. They can come from cannabis or hemp, or from other plants entirely, which is where the term botanical comes in. A limonene molecule pulled from an orange is chemically the same limonene found in a cannabis strain. This is the basis for our two lines, explained in hemp vs botanical terpenes.

Synthetic terpenes

Synthetic terpenes are produced through chemical synthesis rather than extracted from a plant. In principle a synthesized terpene can be the same molecule as the natural one, but quality, purity, and food-grade standards vary, and not all synthetic material is intended for consumption.

What actually matters

The honest takeaway is that source matters less than standard. The important questions are whether the terpenes are food grade, whether they are used at appropriate flavoring levels, and whether the finished product is made in a quality-controlled facility. A natural terpene used carelessly is worse than a food-grade one used correctly.

How MONDAYS approaches it

MONDAYS uses food-grade terpenes at flavoring levels, made in a cGMP-compliant facility, with the hemp line verified by DEA-registered lab testing. Whether a given profile draws on cannabis-derived or botanical terpenes, the standard is the same. Learn more in are terpenes safe to eat and lab testing and COAs.

Frequently asked questions

Are natural terpenes better than synthetic?

The same molecule can come from either source. What matters most is that the terpenes are food grade, used at proper levels, and made to a quality standard, rather than the source alone.

Are MONDAYS terpenes natural?

MONDAYS uses food-grade terpenes, drawing on cannabis-derived terpenes for the hemp line and plant-based botanical terpenes for the botanical line.

Is a synthetic terpene the same molecule as a natural one?

It can be. Chemically, a terpene is a terpene regardless of how it was produced, though purity and food-grade standards vary by source.

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.