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Terpenes in Cannabis Explained in Detail

Dale blog imageAuthor: Dale Hewett
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Have you ever heard about certain terpenes within CBD products, or other cannabis products? What is the deal with terpenes? What is a terpene? What should you care? Terpenes are medicinal compounds found in many plants, including cannabis, and they are present in THC and CBD oils. There are many different terpenes within both plants and insects, each with different medicinal benefits. In this article, we will go over some of the more common terpenes found within cannabis products, and go over why they might benefit your health.

What Are Terpenes?

People eat foods that contain terpenes every day. Many citrus fruits and vegetables get their smell and taste from the terpenes they contain. The smell of pine, marijuana, lavender, and orange peels comes from terpenes.

Like many other plant compounds, terpenes are there to protect plants from bacteria and predators. To humans, terpenes are medicinal and can treat many conditions.

Terpenes are not specific to the cannabis plant. There are found in many different plant species, and even some bugs.

They are primarily used as a defense mechanism from herbivores. Every notice how some plants or some bugs have a horrible smell? That’s the terpenes at work.

While we are still in the early stages of learning about terpenes and how they can help people, there is a lot of evidence that they can treat many health problems.

Not everyone experiences the effects of cannabis by simply smoking it. Many people use edibles or oils instead.

Not all CBD products contain terpenes, either. You have to buy products with full spectrum or broad spectrum CBD to get the benefits of terpenes.

Does Cannabis Contain Terpenes?

Yes, you can find these compounds in the cannabis plant. You can benefit from terpenes no matter how you consume cannabis. Both hemp and marijuana contain different terpenes within them.

Remember, the cannabis plant encompasses both the hemp plant, and the marijuana plant species.

Cbd Terpenes Chart

Marijuana that you smoke always contains terpenes. A lot of the time, vaporizer liquid and edibles contain terpenes. Terpenes have therapeutic effects for your body, regardless of how you consume them.

Not all THC or CBD products contain terpenes. Sometimes, the edibles or tinctures you buy do not contain any.

If you are using CBD for medicinal purposes, it might not work very well without terpenes.

Terpenes Give Cannabis Plants a Distinct Smell, Taste, and Benefits

Like many other plants, cannabis gets its smell and taste from its terpenes. There are many different terpenes commonly found in marijuana. Each strain of marijuana has a different blend of terpenes.

Terpenes give each strain of cannabis a different smell and taste. A cannabis strain that contains limonene, for example, will have a lemony scent.

Related article: Does CBD Smell Like Weed?

Terpenes even give certain plants their color as well as their taste. Since terpenes are natural pesticides, people can make them into pesticides and cleaning products. You can also use terpenes to make dyes.

A strain that contains a lot of pinene will smell like pine needles, and linalool gives cannabis a flowery scent. There might be several different scents in a strain, with one or two of them being stronger than the others.

As well as giving different strains different scents, terpenes give different strains different health benefits. A strong terpene profile will bring many different effects, some of which are proven, others only widely believed.

Cbd Oil Drops

Some terpenes may be able to offer benefits like: reduce stress, reduce inflammation, relieve nausea, and even relieve mild pain. These compounds may even be able to treat diabetes or help treat cancer.

Whether or not terpenes are necessary or enough on their own depends on what health problem you are treating. Sometimes, you need THC – that substance has benefits; it does not only produce a high.

Other times, you may need CBD, other cannabinoids, or terpenes to treat your health problem. Not every strain will work as well for every issue.

Terpenes Determine the Differences Between Strains

People who use the cannabis plant recreationally may choose a strain based on what terpenes it contains rather than how much THC or CBD it contains.

You can often predict the effects of a new strain of marijuana if you know what terpenes it has.

Hemp Cbd Vs Marijuana Cbd Flowers Chart

Essentially, the different cannabis terpenes can offer completely different effects. Cannabis terpenes do much more than add to taste, or floral aroma. We’ll get into this later once we identify a few of the more common cannabis terpenes.

Are There Terpenes in Full Spectrum CBD Oil Products?

Full-spectrum CBD oil products contains terpenes. It depends on whether your problem is treated by terpenes or by CBD alone.

Using full-spectrum CBD is a good idea if you want to maximize your health benefits without getting high. Full-spectrum CBD contains a variety of different terpenes plus the CBD itself.

Full-spectrum CBD oil has other advantages besides terpenes, too!

Cannabis strains contain many different cannabinoids, with CBD being only one of them. You need full-spectrum CBD if you want the benefits of any of the other cannabinoids.

There is a strong terpene profile present in both hemp and marijuana.

While we are still trying to figure out exactly how they might offer benefits, but we believe its similar to how cannabinoids react with CB receptors.

Does Broad Spectrum CBD Oil Contain Terpenes?

Yes, broad spectrum CBD oil contains terpenes just like a full spectrum product will. The only different between a broad and full spectrum is the THC content. Full spectrum oils contain up to 0.3% THC, while broad spectrum CBD products contain near 0.0%.

Does CBD Isolate Have Terpenes in It?

CBD isolate only contains only CBD and does not include terpenes or other cannabinoids. While some people benefit from taking oil that only contains CBD, others need full spectrum CBD oil.

CBD, on its own, is powerful stuff that can calm you down without getting you high. It is a safe, legal, non-addictive compound that may offer many health benefits to those who use it.

That said, CBD isolate has nothing else in it. No CBC, CBG, CBN – nothing. Many people do not like it for this reason. Just like CBD offers benefits, so do other cannabinoids. You are giving up these other cannabinoids when you purchase an isolate.

Do Terpenes Get You High?

No, terpenes do not get you high on their own. However, they do affect your brain. If you are high on THC, terpenes may affect how the high feels.

Related article: Will CBD Make You High?

Terpenes account for the differences between different cannabis strains. One strain might feel different from another strain even though they contain similar amounts of THC and CBD.

This is because the terpenes can change the experience of the THC high. The major factor contributing to the high that a cannabis plant can bring, is THC.

You Can Choose the Best CBD Oil By a Terpene Profile

Those who use CBD medicinally and use little or no THC often know about terpenes as well. CBD oils advertise what terpenes they contain.

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You can pick the best CBD oil based on its terpenes. The combination of a high enough dose of CBD and the right cannabis terpenes is what treats many people’s health problems.

Terpenes with CBD may have a great, underutilized potential for treating pain. Many people may be able to replace harmful or addictive painkillers with gentler but still effective CBD products.

List of Common Terpenes

Below you’ll find a list of the more common terpenes in CBD products. Remember, there are way more terpenes within the hemp plant besides the one in this list.

Beta-Caryophyllene – Anxiety and Stress

Since many people take CBD for anxiety, beta-caryophyllene is one of the most important terpenes. Studies show that it helps calm you down and lift your mood.

Beta-Caryophyllene is also one of the terpenes present in the hops terpene profile, and it gives hops their smell and taste.

Beta-caryophyllene is found in beer brewed with hops. Does beer made out of hops have a calming effect? It almost certainly does.

Hops have long been assumed to have sedative properties but without scientific evidence. Recently, research has shown that they have sedative effects in beer.

Drinking non-alcoholic beer containing hops has a sedative effect, so it is not only the alcohol that matters.

Beta-Pinene – Multi Purpose

Beta-pinene is what gives pine needles their refreshing scent. Pinene works as an anti-depressant and might even have cancer-fighting powers.

Anyone with a persistently low or unstable mood should try CBD oil that contains pinene within the terpene profile. Prescription anti-depressants are not only addictive but may be much less effective than commonly believed. People are right to try natural treatments.

While people often permanently beat depression by improving their health and life, it is not easy for depressed people to improve their lives. People often use medicine to treat their depression first, then improve their lives so they can go off the medication.

People should try CBD if they need something to help them have the energy CBD brings to make lifestyle changes. It is better than anti-depressants and certainly better than alcohol or harder drugs.

Just because CBD is safer than many of the alternatives does not mean it is weaker. CBD, especially with beta-pinene, is a potent anti-depressant.

There is also evidence that alpha-pinene and beta-pinene are very potent anti-cancer substances.

Multiple studies show that these terpenes can reduce cancer rates, at least in animals. More research will be required before doctors begin regularly recommending pinene, or CBD tinctures with pinene, to patients.

Limonene – Pleasant Smells

Limonene is one of the most common and most aromatic terpenes. It gives lemons, and many other citrus fruits, their scent. Many strains of marijuana contain it, often even if the strain is best known for other terpenes.

Different Citrus Fruits

People use CBD with limonene to treat anxiety. Studies on mice show that it has significant anti-anxiety effects. At best, limonene may also help people beat cancer – according to studies.

One of the reason most citrus fruits smell and taste so delicious, is because of terpenes.

Myrcene – Cleansing Properties

Myrcene can kill fungus. It even has great antibacterial properties. These antibacterial properties and antifungal attributes may make it a good treatment for all sorts of illnesses, but we do not yet know a huge amount about it.

Hopefully, myrcene could be potent enough to use as a general antibacterial or antifungal medication, but we don’t know enough about it yet.

Myrcene might also work as a sedative. Many people use CBD to help them sleep. Possibly, CBD tincture containing myrcene could work as an excellent sleep aid.

This is one of the less well-understood terpenes. Experiment with it if you want and see if it works well for you.

Linalool – Stress Relief

Linalool works well for daytime stress relief rather than for sedating you before you go to bed at night. While it works as an anti-depressant, it is also a good choice for people who are not necessarily depressed but do want to lower their stress levels.

Lavender has a ton of linalool in it, hence the calming smell.

Linalool Terpene

Linalool affects the brain through the monoaminergic pathway, which is the same part of the brain beta-pinene affects. Plants containing linalool or beta-pinene have traditionally been used to treat anxiety or depression.

Try a CBD tincture containing both linalool and a high dose of CBD to keep your daytime stress levels down. It may also serve as a great sleep aid.

Humulene – Energy

While many terpenes calm you down, humulene can energize you.

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Some strains of marijuana can energize you. If you want an energy boost without a high, try a CBD tincture that contains humulene but has very little or no THC. Using low does of CBD oil helps energy levels, and humulene would go well with it.

Can Terpenes Be Bad For You?

We know that CBD is not bad for you, but what about the terpenes that are within many CBD products? Hemp extract can be full of terpenes, so you want to be sure that they really are good for you – and not bad.

Most people will be perfectly fine consuming terpenes. They are mostly harmless. However, a small percentage of the population may have allergies to certain terpenes. Since terpenes within the CBD oil products you see are in somewhat of a concentrated form, this can make allergies even worse. If you struggle with allergies, make sure the common terpenes on this last won’t aggravate them before consuming CBD products.

How to Start Using Terpenes

Since we do not know a huge amount about these substances yet, you may have to experiment with them yourself. Many things are assumed about them without being proven.

You may have to judge the alleged benefits of a terpene yourself. Try it and see if it improves depression, reduces stress, reduces inflammation, gives you energy, or anything else the terpene is said to do.

Terpenes In Cbd Oil


Make sure you take any terpene with a high enough dose of CBD. If you take a smaller than usual dose of CBD with a new terpene, it might not have much of an effect.

A lot of hemp plant strains will have a number of beneficial terpenes.

Do CBD Gummies Contain Terpenes?

Yes, CBD gummies can contain terpenes just like any other CBD product. As long as the extract used to make the gummies is either full spectrum, or broad spectrum, there will most definitely be at least some terpene content in your CBD  gummies.

Summary – All About Terpenes Within Cannabis

Anti-depressants don’t necessarily work very well for most of the people that take them. Often, you can do much better with a natural treatment, including CBD. CBD is great for getting to sleep at night and feeling calm during the day. CBD oil also contains terpenes, which are an almost miraculous class of substances that give many plants their medicinal powers.

We do not yet know just how effective terpenes are compared to other treatments. However, more and more research is showing that terpenes have plenty of benefits.

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About the Author - CBD Expert Dale Hewett

Dale Hewett Author
Dale Hewett

Dale Hewett is the owner and founder of New Phase Blends. He discovered his passion for CBD use after suffering from injuries sustained while on Active Duty in the US Army. His number one priority is introducing the same CBD products that he himself uses for relief to others who can benefit from them.

Dale holds a Master Degree of Science, and is the inventor of the popular, CBD-based sleep aid known as ‘Sleep.’ He’s given multiple lectures on CBD to institutions such as Cornell’s MBA student program, and Wharton’s School of Business.

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