A laboratory can describe the terpenoids in cannabis when it tests the sample. Inferring the original profile also requires information about whether the material was stored whole or ground, how long it was stored, and at what temperature.
Milay and colleagues stored whole and ground flowers from THC-rich and CBD-rich plant types in the dark at several temperatures. They tracked compounds over one year. Terpenoid concentrations declined under all tested conditions. Grinding and the colder temperatures below −20 °C were among the least favorable conditions for preserving the terpenoids measured in the plant material.
Ask when the sample was ground, how it was stored, and whether a retained portion was analyzed earlier. The paper describes changes under specific conditions and does not provide a universal correction for an unknown sample. A later profile reflects the material as tested, including any changes during handling and storage.