Let's Talk Terpenes - no seriously!

We hear this term a lot as growers, smokers and lovers of our favorite plant. But what are they? What purpose do they serve? Do they have any use beyond creating that most intoxicating aroma we all know and love?

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Let’s investigate.

Terpene: Any of a class of hydrocarbons occurring widely in plants and animals and empirically regarded as built up from isoprene, a hydrocarbon consisting of five carbon atoms attached to eight hydrogen atoms (C5H8). The term is often extended to the terpenoids, which are oxygenated derivatives of these hydrocarbons.

OK. Well, that’s cool and all, but what do they DO?

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Before we start, we need to clear up a common misconception:

Terpenoids and cannabinoids are not the same thing. THC, CBD, etc. are cannabinoids which function as the “active ingredients” in the plant material. These are the compounds that are responsible for the majority of the psychoactive and pain relief activity. Most of the research available focuses on the cannabinoids due to the relatively simple extraction and clinical testing ability.

But what if the terpenes play a bigger role in cannabis’ “entourage effect” ]than previously thought?
Through our research at IRIS, We could find no specific studies that focused on the terpenes alone, but we can draw some inferences based on what we know about the most common terpenes in most cannabis strains.

Terpenes may comprise nearly 10% of a trichome while the plant is still alive, but as they are volatile compounds, they suffer significant loss during drying and curing. The majority of the terpenoids consist of the monoterpenoids: Limonene, Myrcene and Pinene.

If these sound familiar it’s because these are the terpenes responsible for the smell of lemon, eucalyptus and pine, respectively.

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Cannabis strains produce these “major” terpenes in varying levels hence the differing odor profiles of different strains. Once dry and cured, the terpene content is higher in sesquiterpenoids vs. monoterpenoids. Also, the more volatile monoterpenoids typically reside in the flowering heads of the plant where they serve as an insect repellant while the sesquiterpenoids serve as a “bittering” agent to discourage grazing.

Cannabis typically produces over 200 different terpenes in differing amounts depending on the genetic profile of the plant.

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To date, there are no laboratory tests to confirm which terpenoids are active at any given time in the plant life cycle, or thereafter. We can only make educated guesses by using our nose.

Some interesting study data from the NIH:

“Are cannabis terpenoids actually relevant to the effects of cannabis? Terpenoid components in concentrations above 0.05% are considered of pharmacological interest (Adams and Taylor, 2010). Animal studies are certainly supportive (Buchbauer et al., 1993). Mice exposed to terpenoid odours inhaled from ambient air for 1 h demonstrated profound effects on activity levels, suggesting a direct pharmacological effect on the brain, even at extremely low serum concentrations (examples: linalool with 73% reduction in motility at 4.22 ng·mL1, pinene 13.77% increase at trace concentration, terpineol 45% reduction at 4.7 ng·mL1). These levels are comparable to those of THC measured in humans receiving cannabis extracts yielding therapeutic effects in pain, or symptoms of multiple sclerosis in various randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (Russo, 2006; Huestis, 2007). Positive effects at undetectable serum concentrations with orange terpenes (primarily limonene, 35.25% increase in mouse activity), could be explainable on the basis of rapid redistribution and concentration in lipophilic cerebral structures. A similar rationale pertains to human studies (Komori et al., 1995), subsequently discussed. Limonene is highly bioavailable with 70% human pulmonary uptake (Falk-Filipsson et al., 1993), and a figure of 60% for pinene with rapid metabolism or redistribution (Falk et al., 1990). Ingestion and percutaneous absorption is also well documented in humans (Jäger et al., 1992): 1500 mg of lavender EO with 24.7% linalool (total 372 mg) was massaged into the skin of a 60 kg man for 10 min, resulting in a peak plasma concentration of 100 ng·mL1 at 19 min, and a half-life of 13.76 min in serum (Jäger et al., 1992). EO mixtures (including limonene and pinene) also increase permeation of estradiol through mouse skin (Monti et al., 2002).”

So, is there some evidence that terpenes share some responsibility in cannabis’ range of medicinal effects? Yes. Do we know the precise action of each as they relate to the effects of the cannabinoids? No.

Until the legal status of cannabis cultivation changes nationally (globally), science is still a long way from having the answers. Until then, perhaps the best course of action for deciding which genetics will work for you is to let your nose decide. If it smells good to you, the plant may have just the compounds your body needs.

Project IRIS Consulting
@4Rare420_Rx or #pharmagrade

Sources:
terpene | chemical compound | Britannica.com
Terpenes and the "Entourage Effect"
Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects