CBD TERPENES

Are you a veteran or a newbie to CBD products? This article will help you understand CBD terpenes and how they work.

CBD terpenes are natural elements in the hemp and cannabis plants that enhance the therapeutic effects of CBD to a high er level. Have you ever smelt the enticing aroma from a flower garden, fresh fruits, or a body fragrance? All these are a result of terpenes. Terpenes are natural aromatic compounds that plants produce to attract agents of pollination and repel pest and disease-causing microorganisms. Terpenes are responsible for the enticing scent of citrus from all fruits and the soothing aroma harnessed from lavender. They also possess strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory abilities that have several therapeutic functions, especially when combined with CBD.

What Is the Source of Terpenes?

All plants produce terpenes; however, the richest source of terpenes is cannabis sativa. These plants have received attention lately due to the source of two main active compounds with several therapeutic effects; THC and CBD. CBD has many therapeutic effects. The two varieties of cannabis sativa are hemp and marijuana. Hemp is abundant in CBD, while marijuana’s most abundant compound is THC.

The level of terpenes influences the overall effects of the cannabis strain. For that reason, knowing the amount of terpenes in various CBD strains gives users an idea of the effects they should anticipate. This article provides you with what you need to know about CBD terpenes and their effects on health.

Terpenes In CBD Oil

Terpenes, as said earlier, are natural organic chemical compounds in the flower, bud, or cannabis plant that gives them a distinct smell. While terpenoids are terpenes altered chemically to give something different from terpenes with a different effect on the body—terpenoids are derived from drying and curing cannabis flowers or buds. Full-spectrum CBD and broad-spectrum CBD strains contain terpenoids, while CBD isolate doesn’t because it consists of CBD only. However, some manufacturers deliberately add terpenes in CBD isolate to enhance its effects, thus giving rise to CBD terpenes. It’s advisable to get CBD oils that have not been under too much processing meaning the contents should mirror the ones available in the original plant.

What Are the Effects of CBD Terpenes?

Terpenes in CBD don't make users feel euphoric. However, it might have mild sedative effects when taken in high quantities. Sarris et al.  (2020) linked CBD terpenes to relieving anxiety, pain, and other therapeutic abilities. The following are the main terpenes you can find in CBD oil:

Beta-caryophyllene

According to Chen& Pan (2021), that unique scent comes from plants due to this terpene. Beta-caryophyllene interacts with the body through the endocannabinoid system and the receptors. He et al.  (2020) suggested that Beta- caryophyllene terpene has low addictive behavior.

Myrcene

This terpene is named after Myrcia Sphaerocarpa – a herb found in Brazil and is normally used as a remedy for dealing with high blood pressure, diabetes, and diarrhea. The terpene features sedative effects, but it doesn’t have psychoactive effects like THC.  it is sourced from many cannabis chemovars, hops, lemon grass, basil, and mangoes.

Limonene

The terpenes are mainly found in citrus rinds. It adds a lemon-like aroma to many products such as food, household cleaning, and perfumes. Moreover, its acts as a high-end solvent and pesticide. Khalsa et al. (2021) discovered that this terpene has anxiety-relieving effects when taken in the right dosage.

Pinene

This terpene is mostly found in citrus fruits and pine needles. It is also popular in Chinese traditional medicine as it was used to suppress the growth of cancerous cells. According to Diniz et al. (2020), pinene has anti-inflammatory properties that give the ability to limit the growth of cancerous cells.

Do CBD Terpenes Have the Entourage Effects?

Terpenes help improve the entourage effects of various CBD products. Nallathambi et al. (2018) showed that CBD and THC have energy boosting and synergetic effects that make each one of the compounds more effective. For instance, CBD and terpenes work together to relieve pain, anxiety, inflammation, and other chronic health conditions. However, there is a need for more studies to verify the truth in this statement.

The entourage effects of CBD terpenes have been studied by many scientists now, trying to find out how it works. Baron et al.  (2018) discovered that extracting full cannabis compounds may have more therapeutic effects that using isolated compounds. The entourage effect of CBD terpenes assumes the unique interaction between terpenes, CBD, and flavonoids. When you take CBD terpene, the effects of CBD are enhanced while mitigating any unwanted reactions that may be experienced. However, the effects aren’t linked to terpenes alone; CBD as an isolate has been proved to have entourage effects that make it counteract the psychotropic induced by THC. This is helpful to people who are sensitive to high doses of THC.

The Bottom Line

Terpenes are aromatic chemical compounds that plants produce to attract agents of pollination and repel pest and disease-causing microorganisms. Many CBD products consumers buy have terpene-related compounds that enhance the entourage effects when taken. Studies about cannabis show that its main active ingredients, CBD and THC have energy boosting and synergetic effects that make each one of the compounds more effective. For instance, CBD and terpenes work together to relieve pain, anxiety, inflammation, and other chronic health conditions. 

References

Baron, E. P., Lucas, P., Eades, J., & Hogue, O. (2018). Patterns of medicinal cannabis use, strain analysis, and substitution effect among patients with migraine, headache, arthritis, and chronic pain in a medicinal cannabis cohort. The journal of headache and pain, 19(1), 1-28.

Chen, C., & Pan, Z. (2021). Cannabidiol and terpenes from hemp–ingredients for future foods and processing technologies. Journal of Future Foods, 1(2), 113-127.

Diniz do Nascimento, L., Moraes, A. A. B. D., Costa, K. S. D., Pereira Galúcio, J. M., Taube, P. S., Costa, C. M. L., ... & Faria, L. J. G. D. (2020). Bioactive natural compounds and antioxidant activity of essential oils from spice plants: New findings and potential applications. Biomolecules, 10(7), 988.

Ferber, S. G., Namdar, D., Hen-Shoval, D., Eger, G., Koltai, H., Shoval, G., ... & Weller, A. (2020). The “entourage effect”: terpenes coupled with cannabinoids for the treatment of mood disorders and anxiety disorders. Current neuropharmacology, 18(2), 87-96.

He, Y., Galaj, E., Bi, G. H., Wang, X. F., Gardner, E., & Xi, Z. X. (2020). β‐Caryophyllene, a dietary terpenoid, inhibits nicotine taking and nicotine seeking in rodents. British journal of pharmacology, 177(9), 2058-2072.

Khalsa, J. H., Maggirwar, S. B., & Bunt, G. (2021). Cannabis/Cannabinoids for Treating COVID-19 Associated Neuropsychiatric Complications. Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology, 16(4), 718-721.

Liktor-Busa, E., Keresztes, A., LaVigne, J., Streicher, J. M., & Largent-Milnes, T. M. (2021). Analgesic Potential of Terpenes Derived from Cannabis sativa. Pharmacological Reviews, 73(4), 98-126.

Nallathambi, R., Mazuz, M., Namdar, D., Shik, M., Namintzer, D., Vinayaka, A. C., ... & Koltai, H. (2018). Identification of synergistic interaction between cannabis-derived compounds for cytotoxic activity in colorectal cancer cell lines and colon polyps that induces apoptosis-related cell death and distinct gene expression. Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 3(1), 120-135.

Sarris, J., Sinclair, J., Karamacoska, D., Davidson, M., & Firth, J. (2020). Medicinal cannabis for psychiatric disorders: a clinically-focused systematic review. BMC psychiatry, 20(1), 1-14.