Frequently Asked Questions

terphunter is a cannabis intelligence engine that combines dispensary data, lab reports, peer-reviewed research, AI analysis, and community feedback to help you understand products by their terpene and cannabinoid profiles — not just THC percentage.

The goal is to give you more signal when making purchasing decisions. Instead of relying on a strain name or a single data source, you get the most complete picture we can build from every source available.

We combine multiple data sources to build the most complete picture of each product: dispensary menu data, lab reports, peer-reviewed terpene and cannabinoid research, AI-powered analysis, sales and pricing data, and real-world user experiences and feedback.

No single source tells the whole story. We layer these sources together and clearly distinguish between measured data, AI-derived insights, and community-reported effects so you know what you're looking at.

Data is updated regularly through automated scraper runs. Each product shows an "Updated" timestamp in the product browser so you can see how fresh the data is. Products that appeared in the last 3 days are marked as "New."

Because dispensary inventory changes frequently, some products in our database may no longer be available at the dispensary. Always confirm availability before visiting.

We currently cover dispensaries in Michigan and Ohio across multiple chains, including locations in the Detroit metro area, western Michigan, and northern Michigan. Coverage continues to expand as we add new runners to our scraper fleet.

You can see all covered dispensaries and filter by location in the product browser once you log in.

Most cannabis data sites are menu scrapers — they pull dispensary listings at national scale and show you what's on the shelf. That's useful, but it's brittle and expensive. When menu providers fight back, costs spike. When the data is a raw dump, quality suffers.

terphunter takes a different approach: regional depth over national breadth. We focus on Michigan and Ohio with deep coverage — 33 terpenes, full cannabinoid profiles, COAs, AI analysis, and community feedback per product. We'd rather have rich, layered data for the products you can actually buy than thin data for everything everywhere.

Our infrastructure runs on owned hardware (a Raspberry Pi runner fleet), not rented cloud scrapers. Data is structured and normalized from ingestion — not cleaned up after the fact. And we don't link to dispensary product pages or facilitate transactions.

Premium subscriptions fund operations. We don't run ads, don't take investors, and don't sell your data. The product is the product — not you.

Infrastructure costs are predictable because we run on owned hardware. We expand coverage by adding Raspberry Pi runners to our fleet, not by increasing cloud bills. Premium features (Terpie AI, extended TerpScan) give subscribers real value while keeping all core product data free for everyone.

We also have a referral system — share your code, earn bonus TerpScans when friends sign up. Growth should come from the product being genuinely useful, not from marketing spend.

No. terphunter aggregates and analyzes data to help you make informed decisions — we don't link to dispensary product pages, don't facilitate transactions, and don't take referral fees.

We track in-stock status based on dispensary menu data, but menus can lag reality. Always confirm availability with the dispensary before visiting. Our job is to help you understand the chemistry of what's available, not to sell it to you.

A lot of what terphunter does is personal — saving favorites, tracking products you've tried, getting alerts when new products match your preferences, and storing your TerpScan history. An account is what ties all of that together across sessions and devices.

We only ask for an email and password. We don't sell your data, don't run ads, and don't share your information with dispensaries or anyone else. Your account exists so that your experience can be yours — saved, persistent, and private.

That said, the educational guides, market insights, and COA browser are all accessible without logging in.

Quite a bit. The Terpene Guide, Cannabinoid Guide, Genetics, Market Insights, and COA Database are all accessible without logging in.

A free account unlocks the full product toolset: TerpAtlas with terpene sorting and effect filters, TerpLab with quick presets, couch lock scoring, genetics filters, and TerpBlender for mixing strains. All scoring, filtering, and comparison features are free.

Free accounts get the full toolset — no paywalled data. You get TerpAtlas with terpene sorting and effect filters, TerpLab with quick presets, couch lock scoring, and genetics filters, TerpBlender, Find Similar, the COA database, all guides, market insights, and product effects feedback.

Premium ($5/mo) adds Terpie AI features: Terpie AI search (natural language queries), Ask Terpie (AI Q&A on any product), TerpBlender AI analysis, TerpScan (20 scans/day vs 5/month).

There's a 3-day free trial with no credit card required, so you can try everything before deciding. See the pricing page for the full comparison.

TerpAtlas is the product browser. It shows every cannabis product we track across all dispensaries, with terpene and cannabinoid profiles, potency, and in-stock status — built from multiple data sources. You can filter by dispensary, strain type, brand, and product category.

All sorting, effect filters, comparison, favorites, and alerts are free.

TerpLab lets you search and score products by terpene profile, couch lock potential, and strain genetics. Set terpene weight sliders to rank products by what matters to you, or use quick presets for common goals like Sleep, Pain Relief, or Focus.

All scoring, presets, couch lock, genetics filters, and TerpBlender are free. Premium unlocks Terpie's AI-powered search, Ask Terpie (AI Q&A on any product), and TerpBlender AI analysis.

TerpScan lets you snap a photo of any cannabis product label and get an instant report card — terpene profile with visual bars, couch lock score, AI-generated effects and aroma descriptions, strain classification, and a shareable link you can send to friends.

It's useful for products you already have at home, labels you saved from past purchases, or anything not yet in our database. Free users get 5 scans per month; Premium unlocks 20 scans per day.

TerpBlender lets you select up to 4 products and set custom gram weights to see what the blended terpene profile would look like. You'll see predicted effects, couch lock score, flavor profile, and a generated blend name for your custom mix.

Basic blending is free for all users. Premium users can get Terpie's AI analysis of the blend — explaining how the products complement or contrast each other based on their terpene profiles.

Terpie is our AI cannabis scientist, trained on peer-reviewed terpene research. Click "Ask Terpie" on any product's detail panel to ask questions like "Why did this make me sleepy?" or "Will this help with back pain?"

Terpie explains the science behind the product's specific terpene and cannabinoid profile in plain language — citing actual receptor mechanisms and research. It's a Premium feature, limited to 20 questions per day.

The Couch Lock Score (0–100) is based on peer-reviewed terpene research. Key factors that increase the score: myrcene (the biggest contributor — it helps THC cross the blood-brain barrier), THC potency, linalool, CBN, and caryophyllene.

Factors that decrease the score: terpinolene, limonene, and pinene (associated with uplifting, energizing effects). Indica strains get a small bonus. The score is calculated from the product's actual lab data, not from the strain name.

Start with the Terpene Guide and Cannabinoid Guide to learn which compounds are associated with the effects you're looking for — relaxation, energy, sleep, pain relief, focus, etc.

Then use TerpAtlas to browse and filter products, or TerpLab to score products by terpene profile. If you have a label from something that worked, scan it with TerpScan and hit "Find Similar" to find in-stock products with a matching terpene profile.

Remember: reported effects are based on general research and user reports — your experience may differ. Start low, go slow, and track what works for you personally.

We pull from multiple sources — dispensary menus, lab reports, research papers, AI analysis, and community feedback — specifically because no single source is perfect. Lab testing accuracy varies between facilities, and dispensary menus can have gaps or inconsistencies.

By combining sources we can cross-reference and flag anomalies. We clearly label what comes from measured data vs AI predictions vs community reports. Use it as the best available picture, not as absolute truth — and track what actually works for you.

Terpenes are aromatic compounds found in cannabis and many other plants. They're responsible for the smell and flavor of a strain — the citrus of Limonene, the earthiness of Myrcene, the spice of Caryophyllene.

Beyond aroma, research suggests terpenes interact with cannabinoids and your body's endocannabinoid system to shape the overall effect of a product. This is often called the "entourage effect." Two products with the same THC percentage can feel very different depending on their terpene profile.

Read more in the Terpene Guide.

No — and this is one of the core reasons terphunter exists. THC percentage has become the dominant marketing metric in cannabis retail, but research consistently shows it's a poor predictor of the subjective experience.

The terpene profile, minor cannabinoids (CBG, CBN, CBC), and your individual biology all play significant roles. A 20% THC product with a rich terpene profile may be more effective for your needs than a 30% product with minimal terpenes.

The entourage effect is the theory — supported by a growing body of research — that cannabis compounds work better together than in isolation. THC, CBD, minor cannabinoids, and terpenes each have their own effects, but they also modulate each other when present together.

For example, CBD is thought to reduce some of the anxiety that high doses of THC can cause. Myrcene may enhance the sedative qualities of certain cannabinoids. Pinene may partially counteract short-term memory impairment from THC.

This is why whole-flower or full-spectrum products often feel different from isolated THC or CBD.