Display Title
Elucidating the Aroma and Flavor Chemistry of Cannabis and Hops

Broadcast Date: December 16, 2025 | 12:00pm - 1:00pm Central
Price: FREE for members, $49 for nonmembers

Webinar Summary

Hops (Humulus lupulus) and cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) are closely related members of the Cannabaceae family, yet they produce distinct chemical profiles. Hops are rich in bittering acids (e.g., humulone, lupulone), while cannabis is defined by cannabinoids (e.g., THC, CBD). Both, however, generate diverse volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that shape their characteristic aromas. Despite this kinship, the two have rarely been compared head-to-head at the chemical level to understand where they align, where they diverge, and how those differences map to sensory experience. In this talk, I’ll share Abstrax Tech’s recent work on hop and cannabis aroma chemistry, highlighting overlapping and unique classes of compounds and how specific constituents can push aroma in different directions. I’ll close with our framework for “defining dank” in cannabis - and discuss how clarifying that descriptor may inform hop selection, dry-hopping strategy, and flavor language in brewing.

Learning Objectives

Compare hops and cannabis chemistry: where their VOC classes overlap vs. diverge and what that means for aroma
Connect molecules to sensory: how specific compounds (beyond terpenes) steer profiles (citrus, tropical, “dank”) in both plants
Apply a practical “defining dank” framework: clearer vocabulary + simple analytical cues you can use for hop selection, recipe design, and QC

Webinar Presenter

Dr. Iain Oswald

Abstrax Tech

Dr. Iain Oswald is currently the Director of Research and Development at Abstrax Tech, a cannabis research and technology company located in Southern California. He obtained his B.S. and M.Sc. from the University of North Texas, where he studied organic and inorganic chemistry and conducted research on developing new phosphors for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). He then earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science from the University of Texas at Dallas under the mentorship of Professor Julia Chan, focusing on understanding complex intermetallics with exotic electrical and magnetic properties. Following this, he conducted postdoctoral research at Colorado State University with Professor James Nielsen, where he investigated molecular dynamics in perovskite solar cell materials.

Dr. Oswald’s current research interests include elucidating the complex phytochemistry of botanical plants, with a major focus on cannabis and hops. At Abstrax Tech, his research primarily revolves around understanding the volatile organic compounds that produce cannabis's unique aroma. He utilizes state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation, such as two-dimensional gas chromatography, to explore how low-concentration, high-odor-impact analytes affect aroma and to decipher the genetic pathways involved in their biosynthesis. A significant area of his work also examines the potential impact of these compounds on the psychoactive effects of cannabis.

Among his key publications, Dr. Oswald authored a seminal paper in 2021 that identified a new family of volatile sulfur compounds, known as cannasulfur compounds (CSCs), which are responsible for the 'skunky' and 'gassy' aroma in cannabis. In 2023, he published another influential study highlighting that the influence of terpenes on sensory perception of cannabis is largely overstated, whereas many non-terpenoid compounds have a much larger impact.

Dr. Oswald has received numerous accolades for his work, including being selected as one of 50 U.S. graduate students to attend the prestigious Lindau Nobel Laureates Meeting in 2015. In 2023, he was honored with the ElSohly Award by the Cannabis Subsection of the American Chemical Society for his groundbreaking research on cannabis aroma chemistry.

He has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles, presented at multiple national and local conferences, and is an inventor on numerous patents. Dr. Oswald’s contributions continue to advance our understanding of botanical phytochemistry and its applications.