Terpenes 

 

Terpenes have been found to be essential building blocks of complex plant hormones and molecules, pigments, sterols and any plant resin or essential oils, and are produced by a wide variety of plants including cannabis.

 

Terpenes contribute to the scent, flavor, and color of the plant, and are referred to as terpenoids when denatured by oxidation (drying and curing the flowers).  

 

Terpenoids are all flavour and fragrance components common to human diets that have been designated Generally Recognized as Safe by the US Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory agencies.

 

Terpenoids are quite potent, and affect animal and even human behaviour when inhaled from ambient air at serum levels in the single digits ng·mL−1. Various researchers have emphasised the pharmacological importance of terpenes, or terpenoids, which form the basis of aromatherapy, a popular holistic healing modality. 

 

Terpenes share a precursor with phytocannabinoids.  They are the main class of aromatic compounds found in cannabis, and have also been proven to interact synergistically with cannabinoids to provide for a range of different effects.  

 

The terpenoid profile can vary considerably from strain to strain. Patients who abandon a suitable strain for one with higher THC and/or CBD content may not get more relief if the terpenoid profile is significantly different. 

 

Since there are endless combinations of cannabis genetics, the range of terpene profiles is immeasurable.

 

Terpenes the Aromatic Compounds In Cannabis

 

Typically when you hear the term “aromatic plant,” cannabis is not typically the first example that comes to mind for the majority of people. While typical cooking herbs such as basil, mint, oregano, rosemary and sage are considered aromatic plants because of their desired aroma and flavor (or terpene profile) in the kitchen, cannabis is no different.

 

Around 200 terpenes have been found in cannabis. Among them are monoterpenes, diterpenes, and sesquiterpenes, which are characterised by the number of repeating units of a 5-carbon molecule called isoprene, the structural hallmark of all terpenoid compounds.

 

While many people believe that it is the sticky glands of THC (delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol) that provide cannabis with its aroma, it is in fact the more unstable monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes that are responsible. It is also the smell of the specific sesquiterpene, Caryophyllene oxide that drug dogs are able to detect when probing for cannabis.

 

The terpenes in cannabis have also given the plant an enduring, evolutionary advantage.

 

Pungent terpenoid oils repel insects and animal grazers; others prevent fungus. Terpenes also play an important role by providing the plant with natural protection from bacteria and fungus, insects, and other environmental stresses.

 

Although, over 200 terpenes have been reported in the plant, only a small minority has been studied for their pharmacological effects. A study conducted in 1997 by the Swiss Federal Research Station for Agroecology and Agriculture entitled “Essential oil of Cannabis sativa L. strains” characterized 16 terpenoid compounds in the essential oil of different cannabis strains. The most abundant of which was myrcene. Other terpenes that are present in higher concentrations included alpha-pinene, limonene, trans-Caryophyllene and caryophyllene oxide.

 

Pharmacological importance of terpenes in cannabis and how terpenes work "Synergistically" with Cannabinoids

 

Terpenes, as it turns out, have been scientifically proven to be healthy for people as well as plants.

 

Cannabinoid-terpenoid interactions can act as a putative antidote to the intoxicating effects of THC, and can amplify the beneficial effects of cannabis while mitigating THC-induced anxiety.

 

In 2008, the Swiss scientist Jürg Gertsch documented beta-caryophyllene’s binding affinity for the CB2 receptor and described it as “a dietary cannabinoid.” It is the only terpenoid known to directly activate a cannabinoid receptor. 

 

Terpenes also display unique therapeutic effects that may contribute meaningfully to the entourage effects of cannabis-based medicinal extracts.

 

"Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects"

 

A September 2011, report by Dr. Ethan B. Russo, "Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects" published in the British Journal of Pharmacology discusses a wide-range of therapeutic attributes of terpenoids. 

 

This “phytocannabinoid-terpenoid synergy,”as Russo calls it, supports the theory with scientific evidence that non-cannabinoid plant components such as terpenoids serve as inhibitors to THC’s intoxicating effects, thereby increasing THC’s therapeutic index and the potential of cannabis-based medicinal extracts.

 

Dr Russo found that cannabinoid-terpenoid interactions both increase blood flow, enhance cortical activity,

and “could produce synergy with respect to the treatment of pain, inflammation, depression, anxiety, addiction and epilepsy.

 

Dr Russo article also reports that terpenoids and cannabinoids can kill cancer, respiratory pathogens, and fungal and bacterial infections including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the antibiotic-resistant bacteria that in recent years has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Americans. (1)

 

Terpenes Lacking in CBD only products

 

Of great importance is that Dr Russo's research found that terpenes are typically lacking in “CBD-only” products, and this could explain why there is a low success rate when used to treat many conditions such as epilepsy.

 

Types of Terpenes Found in Cannabis and their Benefits

 

As mentioned above, in addition to cannabinoids, many terpenes are also known to have their own pharmacological value, and can increase cerebral blood flow, enhance cortical activity, kill respiratory pathogens, and provide anti-inflammatory activity.

 

Beta-caryophyllene

 

Beta-caryophyllene (BCP), is a sesquiterpene found in the essential oil of black pepper and contributes to its spiciness. It is also found in oregano, and other edible herbs, and leafy vegetables, as well as in various cannabis strains, and is one of the reasons why green, leafy vegetables are so healthy to eat..  

 

Cannabis is known for possessing a significant amount beta-caryophyllene (BCP).  

 

This terpene has been found to be responsible for activating the CB2 receptor and acts as a non-psychoactive anti-inflammatory. It is gastro-protective, and good for treating certain ulcers, and offers great promise as a therapeutic compound for inflammatory conditions and auto-immune disorders because it binds directly to the peripheral cannabinoid receptor known as “CB2.

 

Because it binds to a cannabinoid receptor, beta-caryophyllene is considered a cannabinoid. BCP is also an FDA approved food additive, making it the first dietary cannabinoid.

 

Pinene

 

Pinene as the names suggest, is abundant in pine needles, and is also found in the oils of rosemary, basil, dill and sage. Evidence suggests that the terpene pinene is alerting, and can increase mental focus and energy, and has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine to retain and restore memory.  Pinene has also been found to act as an expectorant, bronchodilator and as a topical antiseptic.  

 

 

Limonene

 

Limonene is found in anything with a citrus smell such as oranges, lemons, rosemary, and juniper. Limonene is known to have relaxing, anti-bacterial, anti-depressant and anti-carcinogenic properties as well. It is thought to quickly penetrate cell membranes causing other terpenes to be absorbed more rapidly and effectively. Because of limonene’s potent anti-carcinogenic and anti-fungal properties, it is thought to be the component protecting people who smoke cannabis from aspergillus fungi and carcinogens found in cannabis smoke.

 

Myrcene

 

Myrcene is a building block for menthol, citronella and geraniol.  Myrcene possesses sedating, muscle-relaxing, anti-depressant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic effects amongst other benefits, and also has an effect on the permeability of cell membranes, which allows for the absorption of more cannabinoids by brain cells.

 

Myrcene is another abundant terpene found in cannabis, mainly sativas. It can be found in the essential oils of the bay tree, myrcia (where the name comes from), and mangos.

 

Ed Rosenthal, author of many books on cannabis, relates that the myrcene in mangos can increase the quality of low potency cannabis when eaten one hour before medicating.

 

Myrcene is also found in hops (Humulus), the only other member of the Cannabaceae plant family, and is also a very important chemical in the perfumery industry because of its pleasant odor, which is described as clove-like, earthy, and fruity.

 

 

Further research investigating the entourage effects in future experiments on phytocannabinoid-terpenoid synergy, will increase the likelihood of an extensive range of new therapeutic products from the cannabis plant in the future.

 

1. "Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects" Ethan B Russo; Br J         Pharmacol. 2011 Aug; 163(7): 1344–1364. doi:  10.1111/j.1476-

   5381.2011.01238.x PMCID: PMC3165946 at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3165946/