Terpene Profile: Pinene
Photo credit: The Leaf Online
Formula: C10H16
Molecular Mass: 136.23404 g/mol
Boiling Point: 155 °C (311 °F)
Vapor Pressure: Not Available
LD50 (Lethal Dose): 3700mg/kg for mice (Compare to Nicotine: for mice – 3mg/kg, for humans – 40–60 mg/kg)
Pinene is the main terpene in pine trees which gives them their characteristic scent. It’s a major constituent of turpentine and is also found in high amounts in rosemary and cannabis. Although pinene has two main isomers, alpha– and beta-pinene, alpha-pinene is the dominant one found in cannabis and what I will be referring to when I mention pinene within this article. Pinene is one of the most common terpenes in the plant world and is commonly found in higher concentrations in strains like Jack Herer, Chemdawg, Bubba Kush, Trainwreck, and Super Silver Haze. Pinene is also crucial to our bodies because it forms the biosynthetic base for CB2 ligands in the endocannabinoid system.
Evidence shows that pinene can be a bronchodilator, increasing airflow to the lungs and helping with conditions such as asthma. Like many terpenes and cannabinoids, pinene is both an analgesic and anti-inflammatory, making it useful for a sufferer of chronic pain. Pinene helps fight cancer by encouraging apoptosis and being an anti-proliferative. Pinene is an antioxidant and even appears to aid in memory retention.
Therapeutic Uses
- Analgesic – Relieves pain.
- Antibacterial – Slows bacterial growth.
- Anti-inflammatory – Reduces inflammation systemically.
- Anti-Proliferative – Inhibits cancer cell growth.
- Antioxidant – Prevents oxidation damage to other molecules in the body.
Halent 2011 – Cannabinoid and Terpenoid Chart
Credit: Mitchell Colbert at Leaf Online.
