Cannabis is made up of hundreds of phytochemicals, all of which work in unison to deliver the effects that users come to know and love.
The most abundant phytochemicals in nature are terpenes, responsible for deterring pests and attracting pollinators in maturing plants.
When analyzing those plants most effective in traditional botanical treatments, scientists find high levels of key terpenes that appear also in cannabis. For example:
Linalool, which gives off a floral scent, can be found in lavender, birch and rose. It acts on serotonin receptors popular in aromatherapy.
Pinene, with its sharp, refreshing pine scent, can be found not only in coniferous trees, but also eucalyptus, orange rinds and dill. Nicknamed a “miracle gift of nature,” researchers study.
Within cannabis, terpenes like linalool and pinene act in synergy with cannabinoids— this is known as the entourage effect. Cannabinoids consumed along with terpenes are thought to metabolize differently, impacting their activity throughout the body.
Evidence for this effect is examined in studies comparing purified cannabinoids to full spectrum extracts, which demonstrate the latter to be more potent. However, these terpenes aren’t known to act on the same receptors as cannabinoids, so how exactly terpenes contribute to the entourage effect remains an important area for development in research.
Frontiers | A Review of the Potential Use of Pinene and Linalool as Terpene-Based Medicines for Brain Health: Discovering Novel Therapeutics in the Flavours and Fragrances of Cannabis (frontiersin.org)
Absence of Entourage: Terpenoids Commonly Found in Cannabis sativa Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research (liebertpub.com)
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