For years, the THC percentage printed on a cannabis label did most of the heavy lifting when it came to purchase decisions in Michigan dispensaries. The higher the number, the faster the product moved — a dynamic that shaped what cultivators grew, what buyers stocked, and what consumers thought they were supposed to want. That era is winding down, and cannabis terpenes in Michigan are becoming the metric that actually matters to a more experienced buying public.
The shift didn’t happen overnight, but it’s accelerating. Michigan’s adult-use market has matured enough that a significant portion of regular consumers have cycled through enough high-THC product to know that the number alone doesn’t tell them much about what a session is actually going to feel like. Two strains sitting at 28% can produce experiences that bear almost no resemblance to each other — one leaving you locked to the couch, the other functional and clear-headed — and the difference almost always comes down to the terpene profile.
What Terpenes Actually Do
Terpenes are the aromatic compounds that give cannabis strains their distinct smell and flavor, but their role extends well beyond sensory experience. They interact with cannabinoids in ways that shape the character of a high — influencing whether the effect skews energetic or sedative, anxious or grounded, cerebral or physical. Myrcene, one of the most common terpenes in cannabis, is largely responsible for the heavy, couch-settling quality associated with many indica-leaning strains. Limonene tends to produce something more uplifted and mood-forward. Pinene has a reputation for promoting clarity and counteracting some of the short-term memory effects of THC. Caryophyllene, which also binds to CB2 receptors, brings a spicy, peppery quality alongside potential anti-inflammatory properties.
Understanding these distinctions changes the way a seasoned consumer shops — less “what’s the highest THC you have” and more “what’s the terpene breakdown on that one.”
Why the Michigan Market Is Ready for This Conversation
Michigan legalized recreational cannabis in 2018, which means the state now has a substantial population of consumers who have been buying legally for several years and have developed real preferences and real opinions. The market’s oversaturation has also played a role — with hundreds of licensed dispensaries competing for the same customers, the ones winning on repeat business tend to be the ones helping consumers shop smarter, not just cheaper. That dynamic is creating an environment where terpene literacy is becoming a genuine point of differentiation at the retail level.
At The Refinery’s Kalamazoo location, that kind of conversation is already happening at the counter — staff who can walk a customer through a terpene breakdown and explain why a particular Hytek strain is going to hit differently than another product sitting at the same potency are delivering something that a price-driven transaction can’t replicate.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Hytek, one of the in-house brands carried at The Refinery, has built a following in part because the flower is grown with the kind of attention to input and environment that produces expressive terpene profiles — the difference between a profile that reads on paper and one that actually translates in the jar. When a strain from Hytek shows dominant myrcene alongside secondary notes of caryophyllene and linalool, a consumer who knows what they’re looking for can make a purchase decision based on the experience they want, not just the number on the label.
Growing Pains operates in a similar space, with cultivars that reward the consumer who’s paying attention to more than potency. Checking the current Growing Pains selection on The Refinery’s menu gives a clear picture of what’s available in terms of strain-specific profile information — the kind of detail that makes the terpene conversation useful rather than theoretical.
The Practical Shift at the Shelf
The change in how Michigan consumers are approaching cannabis terpenes is also reshaping what moves and what sits. Strains with compelling terpene profiles and moderate THC percentages are increasingly competitive with maxed-out flower that offers little else. Consumers who have been burned by product that looked impressive on a label but delivered a flat or unpleasant experience are more willing to try something in the 20–22% range if the terpene profile is interesting and the cultivator has a track record.
That recalibration is good news for any retailer stocking quality over spectacle — which is exactly the position The Refinery occupies across its Detroit, Kalamazoo, and New Buffalo locations. The terpene shift isn’t a trend that will reverse — it’s the natural endpoint of a maturing market finding its footing, and the consumers leading it are the ones who’ve been paying attention long enough to know the difference.