The entourage effect is a hypothesis within cannabis science proposing that the various compounds in the plant, including cannabinoids and terpenes, may interact with one another to produce a combined profile of activity that differs from that of any single isolated compound.
The concept is frequently invoked when comparing full-spectrum and broad-spectrum extracts with single-compound isolates. Proponents suggest the plant's chemical complexity is relevant to its overall behaviour, while critics note that rigorous evidence remains limited.
It is important to characterise the entourage effect as a theory under investigation rather than an established mechanism. It is presented here as a defined term within the scientific discussion of cannabis.