Trichome

A trichome is a tiny, resin-producing glandular structure on cannabis flowers and leaves where cannabinoids and terpenes are concentrated.

Under magnification, the glandular trichomes look like small mushrooms: a stalk topped by a round head that fills with resin as the plant matures. Cannabinoids such as CBD and THC, along with the plant's terpenes, are synthesized and stored inside these heads rather than throughout the plant tissue. Growers watch trichome color, from clear to cloudy to amber, as one sign of harvest timing.

Because trichomes hold most of the valuable chemistry, extraction methods are designed to collect them or dissolve their contents, and flower with dense trichome coverage yields more cannabinoid-rich extract. Many plants besides cannabis have trichomes, including tomatoes and mint, though most do not produce cannabinoids. The term is informational for readers and has no bearing on product claims beyond explaining where hemp's compounds come from.