Cannabis terpenes are a fascinating subject that never stops surprising. They’re the aromatic essential oils that give each strain of cannabis its distinctive aromas, and as a new wave of research suggests, these fragrant compounds may impart a wide range of beneficial effects, from producing a natural calm to helping ease pain and inflammation.
How? It all comes down to the endocannabinoid system, or “ECS,” a crucial regulatory network that helps control such vital functions as memory, immune function, pain response, and more. Researchers are still mapping the mysteries of the ECS, but it’s clear that it’s one of our body’s major signaling networks, and terpenes are tailor-made to speak its language.
Ready to dive in? Come with us as we explore three key terpenes: myrcene, humulene, and caryophyllene. You can think of them as members of the earthy, spicy family of terpenes, lending crucial aromatic elements to cannabis products and strains.
What Is Myrcene?
If you love that classic rich, musky, earthy scent of cannabis, you have the terpene myrcene to thank. Besides cannabis, you’ll find it in all sorts of unexpected places, including many foods and beverages, perfumes and cosmetics, and soaps and detergents. In the cannabis world, it’s often known as “the mother of all terpenes” for its ability to help other terpenes and even cannabinoids synergize their effects for greater impact.
What makes myrcene’s scent so compelling? Something about it toes the line between bewitching and … well, pungent and dank. For those who love ambiguity in their aromas, there’s simply nothing that compares. With its bold and empowering qualities, it’s a major reason why you’ll find it in many of our products.
Scent & Taste
If there’s one thing everyone agrees on, it’s that myrcene isn’t exactly subtle. Some of the descriptors for its aroma include dank, gassy, intensely herbal, and akin to a wet forest floor.
As for its flavor, myrcene presents a slightly different side. While it’s still earthy and musky, spice-like elements also emerge, reminding some fans of cloves or cinnamon and others of the tropical edge found in mangoes—especially their peels.
What Is Myrcene Found In?
Outside of its starring role in cannabis, myrcene appears in many significant plants and herbs. It’s a key component of thyme, lemongrass, and bay leaves, among others. It’s also a vital sensory component of mango and even some citrus fruits, where it deepens the clean, floral bite of limonene.
The terpene is also a major element in hops, the plant that serves as the main flavoring agent in beer. As a result, beer lovers will recognize some of the same bitter, earthy, and peppery notes myrcene produces in their favorite beverages.
Reported Benefits & Effects
We’ve known for some time about myrcene’s effects. Long used as an all-natural sedative in traditional medicine, modern clinical studies point to the terpene’s potential to help us get deeper, more restorative rest. Beyond this, other research supports that, like many other terpenes, myrcene may help fight inflammation and even lend natural pain-fighting qualities.
Bonus effect: Since myrcene occurs in high concentrations in mango, some claim that consuming the fruit 45 minutes or so before you imbibe may produce stronger effects from your cannabis. Truth or urban legend? There’s only one way to find out!
What Is Humulene?
Woodsy, earthy, and spicy, the humulene terpene is another heavy hitter in the cannabis realm. Like myrcene, it’s associated with the scent of beer, as it’s a major aromatic component of the hops plant. However, it also appears in many common herbs and spices. Strong yet subtle, herbal yet bracing, it’s a unique terpene that lends its properties to a wide variety of cannabis products and strains.
Scent & Taste
If myrcene is instantly recognizable as an earthy, musky scent, the humulene terpene puts its own spin on these deep aromas. Woodsy, spicy, and floral, humulene’s sensory profile is less brash than myrcene’s, and you may also detect notes of tobacco, fragrant wood, and toastiness.
Those who’ve tasted pure humulene sometimes describe it as bitter, but there’s more to the picture. Sit with it, and you’ll find fruity, spicy, and dry herbal notes, making humulene one of the most enticing of the many terpenes in the natural world.
What is Humulene Found In?
Though humulene is most commonly associated with the aromatic notes of beer, it casts a much wider net. A major component of cloves, juniper, and black pepper, it also fortifies leafy and resinous herbs such as sage, coriander, oregano, rosemary, and more.
Reported Effects and Benefits
Like many other terpenes, humulene is associated with powerful anti-inflammatory effects, with one study suggesting it could potentially be as powerful as certain commonly prescribed steroids. Like other terpenes, it also demonstrates a strong antimicrobial effect in some studies, making it a potential weapon in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bugs.
Due to its potential in fighting inflammatory bowel disease, the humulene terpene may offer relief for many dealing with the intense side effects of IBS.
What Is Caryophyllene?
If you like a bit of spice in your life, there’s a good chance you’ll love the peppery, spicy, and altogether assertive caryophyllene (or beta-caryophyllene) terpene. Reminiscent of black pepper, where it occurs in high concentrations, this terpene lends select cannabis strains and products their in-your-face kick.
Popular in aromatherapy for its woodsy and spicy notes, used in topicals for its soothing potential, and used as a flavoring additive in many foods and beverages thanks to its peppery, cinnamon-like bite, it’s definitely among the top cannabis terpenes you should know.
Scent & Taste
As with myrcene and humulene, caryophyllene has a main association: The bracing smell of black pepper. But like those other top terpenes, there’s much more to the story. You’ll get that hit of spice, but behind it are the warming scents of cinnamon, cloves, and exotic copaiba oil—a traditional medicinal compound long cherished for its potential anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties.
What Is Caryophyllene Found In?
In the culinary world, caryophyllene lends its distinctive taste to black pepper and cinnamon, along with basil, cloves, and rosemary. It’s also a chief contributor to some truly fascinating plants, helping give the ylang-ylang flower—a medicinal plant found throughout the Pacific region and Asia—its distinctive scent and potential to impart a sense of well-being while taming stress and even reducing blood pressure.
Reported Effects and Benefits
As one of the most extensively studied terpenes, caryophyllene demonstrates an impressive range of effects. Studies suggest the terpene may help control inflammatory and nociceptive pain, combat anxiety and depression, and may even help reduce alcohol dependence.
Since the COVID pandemic, caryophyllene has also been under intense scrutiny for its ability to bind to CB2 receptors in the ECS, thus potentially helping address the so-called “trinity of infection, immunity, and inflammation” from COVID-19.
Spice Up Your Next Session With Urb
As members of the largest and most diverse group of compounds in the natural world, terpenes are major players in the aromas and flavors found in countless plants—and even some insects. At Urb, we lean on these terpenes for their very special blend of spicy and earthy notes in our True-Infused Terpene blends.
Myrcene, with its deep, musky aroma, is as essential to cannabis as THC, offering potential anti-inflammatory benefits and promoting relaxation with calming, sedative effects. Humulene brings a woodsy complexity and is the primary aromatic compound in hops, contributing to beer’s signature scent. Caryophyllene, known for its spicy, peppery notes in many cannabis strains, is notable for its potential to ease pain and even help curb alcohol dependence. Together, these terpenes enhance both the sensory and therapeutic experience of cannabis.
Curious to experience these terpenes for yourself? We’ve got you covered—explore Urb’s terpeneverse to learn more about all our hand-picked terpenes and access our curated terpene collections.
