Oregon State Maps Cannabis Aromas: First Standardized Vocabulary for Hemp and Cannabis Scents

Oregon State researchers propose the first common language for cannabis and hemp aromas

Researchers at Oregon State University have published a PLOS ONE study that proposes the first standardized vocabulary to describe the wide variety of aromas found in cannabis and hemp. The team distilled sensory data into 25 descriptive terms and grouped them into four clear scent profiles, aiming to give consumers, retailers and growers a shared way to talk about product quality.

Why aroma matters

"Aroma plays a key role in how consumers judge cannabis quality," said Tom Shellhammer, professor of food science and technology at Oregon State. Shellhammer — whose prior work includes hops and beer flavor research — notes that focusing only on THC is like judging wine or beer solely by alcohol content: aroma and ingredient origin are essential to understanding quality.

Four scent profiles and 25 descriptors

The researchers organized 25 aroma descriptors into four main scent profiles:

• Fruit / Berry / Candy — sweet, fruity notes.
• Citrus / Chemical — bright citrus alongside sharper chemical-like notes.
• Cheesy / Vomit (fecal) — pungent, dairy- or sulfur-like notes.
• Funky / Earthy / Complex — a broad profile including funky, earthy, musty, straw, fuel, black tea, woody and nutty/toasted notes.

The study found the complex fourth profile was most commonly associated with cannabis, while the first three profiles were more often linked to hemp samples.

Measured compounds didn’t fully predict perception

Importantly, the team reported that measured terpenes and volatile sulfur compounds did not reliably predict how people perceived the aromas. This suggests sensory evaluation and a shared descriptive language are important complements to chemical analysis when assessing product quality.

Scope and implications

To stay within legal and regulatory boundaries, researchers analyzed the aroma of the plant samples only; they did not study the smell of smoked cannabis or hemp. The standardized vocabulary is intended to help consumers make clearer choices, support retailers in describing products more consistently, and give growers better tools to communicate aroma-related quality.

“As the cannabis industry transitions from unregulated to legal frameworks, it’s critical to offer consumers tools for assessing product quality beyond terpenes and THC,” Shellhammer said.

Publication: PLOS ONE. Location: Oregon State University.