Terpenes are volatile compounds present in plants and responsible for their aromas. We encounter terpenes every time we smell a flower or taste a fresh fruit. They are present all around us.
Terpenes are intended to protect the plant they inhabit, while giving it a unique aromatic specificity. It is in particular thanks to terpenes that we find a very wide variety of cannabis plants, with different tastes and aromas. Some terpenes are very powerful and can have therapeutic functions.
There are more than hundred different terpenes in the world, including more than 200 that have been distinguished in cannabis plants. Surely there are many more to discover. However, only a few industrial hemp terpenes are concentrated enough to be considered significant.
Let's discover together most of the things to know about terpenes in this article.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN TERPENES AND WHAT ARE THEIR VIRTUES ?
Terpenes are molecules with odoriferous, properties, produced by many plants. More simply, they are what give plants their smells and flavors.
Basically, terpenes are a way for plants to defend themselves against predatory insects but also a way to attract those that play a beneficial role in pollination.
They are present in many natural substances such as oils, hormones, vitamins and finally cannabinoids.
In terms of daily use, you will find them in many products such as essential oils, food, cosmetics and household products, among others.
In hemp, terpenes are produced by the same glands secreting the molecules of THC and CBD. This is what will give your cannabis its lemony, earthy or minty taste.
Note that the is cannabis one of the plants with one of the greatest combinations of terpenes. The current renewed interest in THC/CBD and its potential therapeutic functions has led to extensive studies on terpenes. Apart from the fact that they are responsible for the smells and flavors of cannabis, it would seem that terpenes also have a role to play in our organism.
Here is a short list of the main terpenes along with their effects :
HUMULENE
Humulene or a-caryophyllene is one of the main terpenes present in hemp like myrcene, limonene or pinene. This terpene is well known to brewers because it brings the hoppy and refreshing taste of beer.
You can find it in ginger and ginseng to which it gives its strong taste. Note that Chinese medicine has used this terpene for centuries as a natural antibiotic but also as a sedative.
It also has properties :
– Antibacterial and antimicrobial
– Anti-cancer by acting with other terpenes and cannabinoids to reduce cancer cells and limit their spread
– Anti-inflammatories
– Anorectics (to suppress hunger)
BETA-CAROPHYLLENE
This peppery-tasting terpene is a natural insect repellent due to its smell. You can find it in many plants and spices such as black pepper or cloves.
In cannabis, it will bring rather woody and spicy.
Several studies have been conducted on this terpene with a particular taste because it has many benefits that can help you to fight :
– Local pain because it is a very good analgesic at local application . This is true when you try grandmother's remedy using cloves, which has a high concentration of beta-carophyllene to cure toothaches for example.
– Chronic pain : this terpene acts like a cannabinoid (like THC or CBD), so it interacts with the receptors of the endocannabinoid system. Thanks to its interactions, it would play on the perception and regulation of pain and inflammation.
So it could be used as a treatment for persistent and debilitating pain. So THC/CBD strains with a high concentration of this terpene could be useful for you in fighting arthritis and other neuropathic pain.
– Nephrotoxicity (kidney failure to put it simply) caused by chemotherapy. By associating it with CBD and thanks to its interaction with the receptors of the endocannabinoidal system, Beta-caryophyllene is involved in the regulation of emotional behavior and it could serve for a therapeutic purpose.
– Anxiety and depression. But it also has an antifungal and antioxidant role !
LINALOOL
Linalool is a terpene with floral smells and more particularly levender, it is because of him that this Provençal plant has this very particular perfume. But it was also isolated in mint or laurel.
Its fragrant virtues are used thanks to lavender, you will also find Linalool in many household and cosmetic products.
But today, this terpene has been studied more extensively and research has shown the following therapeutic properties :
– Sedatives, relaxants and sleeping pills (you may still have a grandmother who puts a sachet of lavender seeds under her pillow).
– Immune strengthening and anti-inflammatory.
– Anti-anxiolytics
– Restoration of cognitive functions (as for Alzheimer’s disease for example)
– Skin regeneration in local application (currently used to help restore scars)
PINENE
As its name suggests, it is this terpene that is found in large quantities in conifers (pine, fir, etc.).
it will surely remind you of the aromas smelled during your walks in the pine forests but it is also present in certain spices such as sage or rosemary.
In addition to this pleasant smell reminding you of the holidays, pinene has several benefits and properties :
– Anti-inflammatories
- Local antiseptics and antibacterials: pinene has been shown to protect the lungs from certain viral infections such as infectious bronchitis.
– Expectorants and bronchodilators: this means that pinene would help open the airways of the respiratory system and could therefore fight asthma.
- Anticancer
LIMONENE
It is probably the second most common terpene in cannabis, limonene is present in citrus fruits, certain plants and spices (rosemary, peppermint specially).
Basically, it is used by plants as a repellent against predatory insects and parasites, so it is a natural insecticide.
Its aroma will give you a citrus taste specific to many varieties of hemp. In terms of benefits, limonene is known for :
– Its antifungal and antibacterial effect
– Be an anti-anxiolytic and antidepressant
– Potentially be able to simultaneously increase concentration, attention and general well-being.
MYRCENE
It is also present in hops for example, myrcene is the most frequently present terpene in cannabis.
Its aroma bringing the earthy taste with notes of grapes and spices to your plant, it has a flavor comparable to that of cloves and like it, it would have medicinal properties :
– Antibacterial
– Anti inflammatory
– Analgesics and anti-tumor (it would fight the proliferation of affected cells and reduce tumors).
Note that myrcene helps the various cannabinoids, including CBD, to be absorbed by your body and increase therefore their effects.
CONCLUSION
It is important to note that we have just studied only the 6 main terpenes knowing that there are more than a hundred more than a hundred in the different varieties of hemp. Their combination is therefore infinite and their distribution within 2 plants of the same variety can totally vary.
