Cannabis terpenes
Terpenes are the aromatic compounds that make one cannabis cultivar smell like pine and another like citrus — and they shape how a strain feels far more than the THC number alone. Every Kentucky-compliant product has a terpene profile on its COA. These guides tell you how to read them.
Myrcene
Earthy, herbaceous, ripe mango, slightly musky
Myrcene is the most abundant terpene across the cannabis catalog and the one most responsible for what patients call the 'indica body feel.' If a strain relaxes you into the couch instead of lifting you, myrcene is usually the reason.
Limonene
Bright citrus — lemon, orange peel, grapefruit
Limonene is the citrus terpene, and the second-most-common terpene in cannabis. Patients often describe limonene-forward products as uplifting, mood-brightening, and less physically heavy than myrcene-dominant strains. It's a common go-to for daytime medicating.
Pinene (α-Pinene)
Fresh pine, rosemary, forest-floor
Pinene is the terpene that smells like the woods after a rain. It's also the terpene most associated with keeping your head clear — patients often reach for pinene-forward products when they need to medicate without losing sharpness.
Linalool
Lavender, floral, slightly spicy
Linalool is the terpene that gives lavender its calm. In cannabis, it appears in smaller quantities than myrcene or limonene — but even in low concentrations it shifts a strain toward calm, sleep, and anxiety relief.
Caryophyllene (β-Caryophyllene)
Peppery, spicy, woody
Caryophyllene is the terpene that behaves like a cannabinoid. It's the only known terpene that binds directly to the CB2 receptor — the same receptor cannabinoids like CBG interact with for inflammation. That gives it a research profile the other terpenes don't have.
Terpinolene
Fresh, floral, slightly piney, herbal
Terpinolene is one of the more distinctive terpenes — a complex mix of floral, piney, and herbal notes that doesn't fit neatly into any one aroma family. It's less common in cannabis than myrcene or limonene, but when it dominates a profile the effect is unmistakable.
Humulene (α-Humulene)
Earthy, woody, hoppy, subtly spicy
Humulene is the terpene cannabis shares most directly with hops — the two plants are close cousins botanically, and humulene is a major contributor to that classic beer-aroma family. In cannabis it often travels alongside caryophyllene and adds anti-inflammatory depth without dominating the profile.
Ocimene
Sweet, herbal, mildly citrus and woody
Ocimene is one of the lighter, more delicate terpenes in cannabis — sweet-herbal with a subtle citrus edge. It's less studied than the big five terpenes but shows up often enough in modern cultivars that it's worth knowing about.