What are Terpenes in CBD Oil?

Terpenes are chemical components in cannabis that are responsible for the scent. This article discusses the difference between terpenes and cannabinoids and the role of terpenes in CBD oil. It also discusses on the benefits of different types of terpenes.

The legalization of hemp had a ripple effect on other aspects of cannabis. It meant that hemp derivatives were also legal, including the products. The legalization of hemp had a huge impact on its popularity which consequently influenced more research into cannabis as curious scientists sought to know more about hemp and were able to do so intensively with the government's support. The studies on hemp have brought out discoveries about its composition and knowledge about what else it contains. One component that we are now aware of is terpenes. This article discusses terpenes and their presence in CBD oil

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What is CBD?

Within hemp and marijuana are hundreds of chemical components known as cannabinoids. CBD(cannabidiol) is an example of a cannabinoid. Hemp and marijuana are not the same, although they have another cannabinoid known as THC( tetrahydrocannabinol), which gives cannabis its psychoactive properties. Both hemp and marijuana contain THC, although the amounts differ. Hemp has low levels of THC, while marijuana has high levels of THC. The THC levels usually determine a substance's legality in most jurisdictions. Therefore in areas where hemp is illegal, marijuana may be illegal because of the THC levels. The laws intended to avoid the psychoactive properties of both THC and marijuana. Some jurisdictions forbid hemp use because of THC's presence, 0.2% in the UK and 0.3% in the US, no matter how low it is.

What is CBD oil?

CBD oil is any oil that has been laced with CBD. CBD oil is not extracted directly from cannabis like hemp oil. CBD oil comprises two main ingredients - CBD and oil. The most common oil bases are coconut, olive, or hemp. CBD oil is probably the most popular CBD product as it is versatile. The consumer can make DIYs with CBD oil, for instance, CBD edibles, CBD skin care products etc

What are terpenes?

Terpenes are also present in cannabis and are responsible for the scent and flavour of specific strains of cannabis.Allen et al. (2019) noted that most odour and flavour properties of cannabis are from terpenes.Cox- Georgian et al. (2019) noted that the benefits of terpenes are not limited to pigments and flavouring but have various medicinal uses too. Cannabinoids such as THC and CBD do not have a scent or a flavour, and when they naturally have a unique natural scent or flavour in your CBD product, the elements responsible for that are terpenes. Different plants have different terpenes. There are over two hundred types of terpenes in cannabis alone.

 Terpenes are important for their therapeutic role in aromatherapy.

The difference between terpenes and cannabinoids

Terpenes are not cannabinoids. There are hundreds of cannabinoids in cannabis; some common examples are THC and CBD. Within cannabis, there are also hundreds of terpenes. Therefore terpenes are present in cannabis alongside cannabinoids

What is the role of terpenes in CBD oil?

CBD oil may contain terpenes instead of unnatural perfumes and flavours. Therefore that means that terpenes will be extracted alongside cannabinoids from cannabis to be infused into CBD oil so that the consumer may purchase CBD oil with a scent. To buy a cannabinoid that has terpenes, a customer needs to know the types of CBD oil.

Types of CBD oils that contain terpenes

CBD oils are not the same. When you purchase your CBD oil, you will notice the words "full spectrum", "broad spectrum", and "CBD isolate", which will determine whether your CBD oil contains terpenes or not. Terpenes are important in CBD oil because they contribute to what is known as the entourage effect, which is achieved when a CBD product has several cannabis components instead of only one component.Finlay et al.(2020) opined that The CBD isolate spectrum is the only spectrum that does not contain terpenes and is considered the purest form of CBD oil because it contains one chemical compound only - cannabinoids. It is the best spectrum for a first-time user. The CBD isolate spectrum CBD does not contain several chemical elements; therefore, the user does not experience the entourage effect.

The full spectrum

The full-spectrum CBD oil contains cannabinoids (including THC), terpenes, and other chemical components. It is therefore considered the most effective spectrum and best for veteran CBD oil users because it may overwhelm the newbies. The user enjoys the entourage effect because of the presence of many chemical components.

The broad spectrum

The broad spectrum contains as many chemical components as the full spectrum, including cannabinoids and terpenes but lacks THC. Therefore the user enjoys the entourage effect, but it is not as effective as the full spectrum. It is the ideal spectrum for users who want to enjoy the entourage effect without THC.

The benefits of different types of terpenes

Terpenes are increasingly getting popular because of their aroma. While they do not have psychoactive properties, they appeal to the user because of the scent. Booth & Bohlmann (2019) state that cannabis has hundreds of different types of terpenes. Lavigne et al. (2021) noted that terpenes have health benefits for the user.

Below are some benefits of some types of terpenes which can be felt in CBD oil;

• Caryophyllene is a major terpene in cloves, hops, and rosemary. Caryophyllene is beneficial for managing stress and depression.El –Hammadi(2022) noted that caryophyllene and nerolidol were efficient in pain management.
• Pinene is also felt in coniferous plants. As the name suggests, they are present in plants that have pines. They are useful for stress management.Weston-Green et al. ( 2021) stated that pinene benefits brain health.
• Other famous terpenes include Humulene,Limonene, Linalool and Myrcene. Learn more about cbd oil for lyme disease

Do terpenes have psychoactive properties?

Terpenes do not have psychoactive properties. They are only responsible for the aroma and flavour of a plant. The terpenes will not make you fail a drug test, as no drug test will look for terpenes because they occur naturally in every plant.

Are terpenes legal?

Terpenes are natural components that give plants and some animals their unique scent and can, therefore, not be avoided. Most plants have some terpenes in them; therefore, terpenes are legal in all countries.

Conclusion

The legalization of hemp has resulted in more studies on its components as scientists seek to discover what other benefits can be extracted from cannabis from its composition. Terpenes are an example of a chemical component borne out of curiosity. THC and CBD are only two components in cannabis, but there are more. Terpenes are useful because it not only gives cannabis its scent and flavour but is also ideal for aromatherapy. Their presence in the full spectrum and the broad spectrum CBD oil provides an entourage effect to the users so that they gain more from the CBD oil than they would from the CBD isolate spectrum. 

References

Cox-Georgian, D., Ramadoss, N., Dona, C., & Basu, C. (2019). Therapeutic and medicinal uses of terpenes. In Medicinal Plants (pp. 333-359). Springer, Cham.

Finlay, D. B., Sircombe, K. J., Nimick, M., Jones, C., & Glass, M. (2020). Terpenoids from cannabis do not mediate an entourage effect by acting at cannabinoid receptors. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 11, 359.

Finlay, D. B., Sircombe, K. J., Nimick, M., Jones, C., & Glass, M. (2020). Terpenoids from cannabis do not mediate an entourage effect by acting at cannabinoid receptors. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 11, 359.

Allen, K. D., McKernan, K., Pauli, C., Roe, J., Torres, A., & Gaudino, R. (2019). Genomic characterization of the complete terpene synthase gene family from Cannabis sativa. PloS one, 14(9), e0222363.

LaVigne, J. E., Hecksel, R., Keresztes, A., & Streicher, J. M. (2021). Cannabis sativa terpenes are cannabimimetic and selectively enhance cannabinoid activity. Scientific reports, 11(1), 1-15.

Weston-Green, K., Clunas, H., & Jimenez Naranjo, C. (2021). 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. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 583211.

El-Hammadi, M. M., Small-Howard, A. L., Jansen, C., Fernández-Arévalo, M., Turner, H., & Martín-Banderas, L. (2022). Potential use for chronic pain: Poly (Ethylene Glycol)-Poly (Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid) nanoparticles enhance the effects of Cannabis-Based terpenes on calcium influx in TRPV1-Expressing cells. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 616, 121524.