The former standard categorisation of Cannabis sativa is being replaced by more accurate and flexible terms, such as chemotypes (chemical types) or chemovars (chemical variations). These terms refer to the chemical composition of the plants.
What actually determines the effect is the combination (entourage effect) of the cannabinoids, terpenes (hydrocarbons), terpenoids (oxygen-containing terpenes) and flavonoids along with their quantities, not a name.
So if you find a plant or product with the same concentrations of THC, CBD, CBG and the same dominant terpenes, it’s likely that plant or product will produce a similar experience and you’re only going to understand this by looking at the chemovar specifications.
There are two main ways of looking at chemovars — from a scientific or laboratory perspective and from a practical or clinical perspective. The chemovar approach calls for a full chemical analysis, developed by scientists in order to categorise the plants and their potential effects. This methodology can result in a chemovar defined by the concentrations of dozens of cannabinoids and terpenes.
This approach may be the key to helping researchers overcome some of the main issues in cannabis research. It could also help healthcare professionals make better decisions when recommending cannabis treatment and help consumers get the most out of their cannabis experience.
Original source: Cannabis Chemotypes and Chemovars