Pantone’s color of the year is a perfect match with these gorgeous terpenes

Pantone recently announced its color of the year, Very Peri, a “dynamic periwinkle blue hue with a vivifying violet red undertone” that appears purple to the naked eye.

The color connoisseurs at Pantone say they chose this complex hue to set the tone for 2022 based on its rich lineage and aesthetics. As Leatrice Eiseman of Pantone explains, “[Very Peri] is a spritely, joyous attitude, and dynamic presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expressions.” 

In 2019, we created a color-coded guide to help cannabis consumers better remember and understand how a variety of terpenes collaborate to impact the effects of different strains. And it just so happens that three of our favorite terpene tones pair beautifully with Pantone’s Very Peri, both on the color spectrum, and in spirit.

Many cannabis consumers rely on strain types to curate their experiences. But terpenes can also help predict how a strain may affect you.

Myrcene, for example, deep blue in our guide, happens to be the most common terp in commercial cannabis. It was found in 40% of popular strains in 2019 and is widely known to induce calmness.

Caryophyllene, on the other hand, stands out with a rich red tone that leans toward fuchsia—a perfect match for its warm and spicy cinnamon notes, also found in basil, oregano, and black pepper. Cultivars like GSC are heavy in this terp, which is known for intense anti-inflammatory effects.

Then there’s one of the rarer tones of the terp kingdom, linalool, which helps promote sleep and stands out with an alluring purple tone that’s also found in soothing floral plants like lavender. If you’re looking to relax, legendary strains like Dosidos and Kosher Kush deliver this underground sleeper in higher-than-normal doses.

To get more familiar with these three lovely terps, mix and match the following cultivars with Very Peri’s diverse color profile and bold personality traits below.

Linalool-dominant strains

Linalool is not unique to the cannabis plant. Its distinct lavender notes are present in over 200 types of plants. It’s so common, in fact, that even those who don’t use cannabis are likely to consume over two grams of linalool annually via food.

Linalool has anti-microbial properties, which are protective for the plant and show a potential therapeutic use for humans. A 2018 mouse study used lavender, peanut stems, and leaves to access linalool’s sedative and anti-anxiety properties.

The study found that mice exposed to linalool vapors showed lowered depression-like behaviors. The study exposed mice to fear-inducing environments, and the mice given linalool continued to work to escape and fight through seemingly hopeless situations. This matches the brave and bold spirit of Very Peri to a T.

Though it is hard to find in commercial cannabis strains, linalool is a supporting player to some of the most popular strains around. For example, Leafly 2021 Strain of the YearDosidos has prominent limonene properties, but it also strikes a chord with smokers because of the linalool and caryophyllene working in concert behind the scenes.

Myrcene-dominant strains

The earthy myrcene essence behind powerhouse strains like Grape Ape has helped make our deep blue terp the most prominent in commercial cannabis.

Its indigo hue is also a staple across pot culture, including Blue Dream, and the infamous Purple Haze, which was immortalized by cross-generational kings of cool Jimi Hendrix and Cam’Ron, who named a classic song (1968) and album (2004), after the iconic cultivar. If you are ready to enter the cool and creative headspace that helped get Jimi and Cam in their zones, dive into a deep blue sea of myrcene and vibe out. [Editor’s note: Jimi said his song’s inspiration was a dream, not drugs, despite common legend that he was referring to the psychedelic LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide)].

And don’t forget that Very Peri was chosen for it’s creative potential. If you’re looking to leave a loud mark on the world, this deep ubiquitous blue terp will almost always appear in your terpene pallet.

To demonstrate its prominence, if you picked a random flower product off of a shelf in a legal state, you could comfortably bet it will be myrcene-dominant roughly 40% of the time.

What popular strain names tend to be associated with the highest levels of myrcene? These strains tend to produce powerful levels of the big blue terp known as myrcene for those who want to get wavy:

• OG Kush
• Blue Dream
• Remedy
• 9 Pound Hammer
• Grape Ape
• FPOG
• Granddaddy Purple
• Tangie
• Harlequin

Caryophyllene-dominant strains

Very Peri was identified as one of the most dynamic colors in the 2022 spectrum, and caryophyllene remains one of the most dynamic terpenes around.

It’s the only terpene that is known to bind to CB2 receptors. That means this terp comes with a host of potential medical benefits in addition to its deliciously rich aroma and taste. It’s rich, red overtone also shares lineage with Very Peri’s less visible red roots.

Caryophyllene is found in high levels in classic strains like Sour Diesel, as well as many strains of the popular Cookies family—Platinum GSC, GSC, Cookies and Cream, and Candyland (Platinum Cookies x Grandaddy Purple). This terp is a great option to help reduce anxiety and inflammation.

Some strains with a higher-than-average amount of caryophyllene include:

• GSC
• Bubba Kush
• Sour Diesel
• Chemdog
• Candyland
• Death Star
• Original Glue
• Cookies and Cream
• Gelato
• The White
• Master Kush

What terpenes are you smoking to match Very Peri’s top tone of 2022?

Is it the calming and inspiring purple punch of linalool?

The deep blue power of myrcene’s relaxing waves?

Or the fiery spice that fuels caryophyllene’s dynamic properties?

Let us know what terpenes you’re smoking via social media (@Leafly) and keep on chiefing on, no matter what 2022 throws at you.