Terpenes 101: What Are Terpenes?
As recreational cannabis grows in popularity here in Vermont, weekend users and connoisseurs alike are paying more and more attention to terpenes. You may have even heard of a cannabis cultivar’s terpene profile. But what are terpenes and what do they do? In this post, we’ll explore terpenes to understand how they add and modulate the experience of cannabis.
What Are Terpenes?
Terpenes are volatile aromatic hydrocarbons found in many plants and animals. Terpenes are composed of isoprenes— the smallest terpene units— and are classified by the number of isoprene units they contain. The most common terpenes are mono-, sesqui-, and di-terpenes.
Terpenes are responsible for the aroma of many plants and many of them you are probably already familiar with, but might not know their names.
Examples of terpenes include:
Linalool is prominent in lavender
Limonene is present in all citrus fruits
Pinene is emitted by pine trees!
Myrcene is commonly the predominant terpene in hemp and mangoes.
Fun fact: the word “terpene” is derived from turpentine, which is composed primarily of pinene, carene, camphene, dipentene, and terpinolene.
Why Do Terpenes Matter?
In addition to providing cannabis’s pleasant aroma and flavor, terpenes may be beneficial to humans and some animals. Research is ongoing, but there are some good evidence-based studies that point to the potential benefits of terpenes.
What Do Terpenes Do For Your High?
Terpenes also seem to factor into the overall experience of consuming cannabis and appear to modulate the user's experience as part of the entourage effect. The entourage effect is a theory first proposed by Shimon Ben-Shabat, Raphael Mechoulam, and colleagues in 19981 and then later popularized by Dr. Ethan Russo in his seminal research paper Taming THC (2011)2. The short version of this theory is that terpenes may be the reason that certain cultivars couch-lock the user while other cultivars provide energizing effects.
The entourage effect also applies to potential medical benefits, but further high-quality research is needed. Terpenes have shown promise for use as antimicrobials, anti-cancer agents, pain management, sedatives, soporifics, and more.
Terpenes are volatile hydrocarbons responsible for the aromatic profile of many plants and some animals.
Some research suggests they can modulate one’s cannabis experience.
What Are The Most Common Cannabis Terpenes?
Here is a list of the most common terpenes found in cannabis plants, some of their purported biological effects based on available research, and a short list of other sources of each terpene:
β-Myrcene | Also found in: mangoes, thyme, lemongrass, hops
β-Caryophyllene | Also found in: black pepper, clove, cinnamon, hops, rosemary
Limonene | Also found in: all citrus fruit rinds, juniper, and some conifer trees
Terpinolene | Also found in: lilacs, nutmeg, cumin, turpentine, apples, some conifers, tea tree
α-Pinene | Also found in: pine, conifers, rosemary, sage, some citrus
β-Pinene | Also found in: pine, camphorweed, big sagebrush, turpentine
D-Linalool | Also found in: lavender, basil, rose, mint family, laurel family, and some citrus
Humulene | Also found in: hops, sage, Japanese spicebush, ginseng, spearmint, ginger, Chinese laurel
Sunset Lake Cannabis Cultivars & Their Dominant Terpenes
Our cannabis cultivars contain a wide range of terpenes. Here are our top cultivars and their dominant terpenes*
White Widow: Myrcene, Caryophyllene, Pinene
Raspberry Parfait: Myrcene, Caryophyllene, Pinene
Pineapple Haze: Caryophyllene, Myrcene, Limonene
Mountaintop Mint: Caryophyllene, Limonene, Ocimene
Do-Si-Dos: Caryophyllene, Limonene, Humulene
Bubblegum Haze: Limonene, Caryophyllene, Humulene
All Gas OG: Caryophyllene, Limonene, Ocimene
Afghan Kush: Caryophyllene, Limonene, Ocimene
