Pinene

Pinene is one of the most prevalent terpenes in cannabis and nature. As the name suggests, it smells like pine trees. It’s also found in dill, basil, orange peels, and conifers. Pinene acts as an insect repellent for plants. Its therapeutic properties are being researched for inflammation, pain, respiratory conditions, and neurological disorders. In cannabis, pinene produces an alert, focused energy like walking through a pine forest. It counters some THC effects by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase enzymes. Early research also shows pinene may form cytotoxic products in the lungs when smoked, meaning potential respiratory irritation or hazards exist depending on method of consumption. Like limonene, pinene occurs in two isomeric structural forms: alpha pinene tends to smell more like pine while beta pinene smells like herbs, parsley and rosemary. Both forms appear in cannabis. Over 100 recognized terpenes exist in the plant kingdom, but pinene remains one of the most common across many species. Given its prevalence in nature, pinene plays a major role in the synergistic entourage effect when consuming whole plant cannabis.