A guide to common cannabis terpenes

Once you know that terpenes matter more than the indica/sativa label, the natural next question is: which is which? This is a field guide to the common ones.

Myrcene

• Aroma: earthy, musky, clove-like.
• Found in: mangoes, hops, lemongrass.
• Associated with: relaxation and sedation. The most common cannabis terpene; high-myrcene strains tend to feel mellow.

Limonene

• Aroma: bright citrus.
• Found in: citrus peels.
• Associated with: uplift and a brighter mood.

Pinene

• Aroma: fresh pine.
• Found in: pine needles, rosemary, basil.
• Associated with: alertness and clarity.

Linalool

• Aroma: floral lavender.
• Found in: lavender.
• Associated with: calm and relaxation.

Caryophyllene

• Aroma: peppery, spicy.
• Found in: black pepper, cloves.
• Associated with: a warm, spicy character. Notably, it’s the one terpene that interacts directly with the body’s cannabinoid receptors.

Terpinolene

• Aroma: fresh, herbal, a little floral and piney.
• Found in: nutmeg, apples, cumin, lilac.
• Associated with: an uplifting, alert feel. Less common, and often found in brighter strains.

Humulene

• Aroma: earthy, woody, hoppy.
• Found in: hops, coriander, cloves.
• Associated with: an earthy, grounding character. Frequently shows up alongside caryophyllene.

A note on the entourage effect

No single terpene “does” one thing on its own. The idea behind the entourage effect is that terpenes and cannabinoids work together, so a product’s overall profile, not any one compound, shapes how it feels. The research is still developing, but reading the whole profile is more useful than chasing one name.

How to use this

When you read a product’s terpene profile, you can roughly anticipate the character, a high-myrcene, high-linalool flower leans relaxing; a high-limonene, high-pinene one leans bright and alert. It’s a better predictor than the strain name. See how to choose a strain.

Sources

• National Library of Medicine, research on cannabis terpenes