The Complete Guide to Limonene Terpene & Its Cannabis Strains
Limonene terpene is one of the most flavorful terpenes in the world of cannabis. The scientific community has deeply invested in picking apart the inner workings of terpenes. The results of all that research have been powerful. Through it, we’ve learned how terpenes work in conjunction with THC and other cannabinoids, and what it means for you.
In the following guide, we break down the entire profile of this aromatic terpene, how it operates in your body, and where you can find it.
Let’s start by looking more closely at what cannabis terpenes are and why that matters.
Understanding Cannabis Terpenes
Terpenes, also known as terpenoids, are found throughout plants in nature. They are aromatic compounds that most people associate with cannabis because cannabis plants typically have extremely high concentrations of terpenes.
Essentially, terpenes are what give plants their smell, and what determines what that smell is. In cannabis, it's typically lavender, orange peel, pine, and even, you guessed it, lemon-y.
Most plants get their scent from a combination of fragrant terpenes. And these terpenes are used to protect plants from animals that consider them food or infectious germs as well as attract pollinators. Still others help plants recover from damage and support the plant’s immune system.
Interestingly, though, terpenes seemingly benefit our bodies, instead of harming them. Restrictions around the study of cannabis have eased allowing scientists to look more closely at these benefits, which we’ll break down later in this guide.
Besides their health benefits, terpenes also have marketing purposes. Isolated terpenes are used to create flavors and scents for countless everyday products, including body products, perfumes, and even foods.
When plants are dried and cured, terpenes oxidize and turn into terpenoids. This is an important part of the cannabis production process.
What Makes Terpenes Different from Cannabinoids?
This is a great question, and it’s one that even the savviest of cannabis consumers get confused by. To put it simply, cannabinoids are chemical compounds in cannabis.
The clearest example of what a cannabinoid is is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC activates receptors in your body’s endocannabinoid system. This is what gives you the “high” from cannabis. Cannabidiol (CBD) is also another popular cannabinoid, it works in the same system but doesn’t create a euphoric high. However, there are over 100 cannabinoids contained within the cannabis plant, each with its own effect on the body.
The other most prominent chemical compound found within cannabis is terpenes. Each strain of cannabis has its own terpene profile.
You likely have a few questions about how terpenes act in the body and how that differs from cannabinoids.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the commonly asked questions about terpenes…
Do Terpenes Get You Higher?
The answer to that question is, probably not. Some people do swear by their psychoactive effect, but there is little evidence to prove that when you buy limonene terpene-rich cannabis strains, you’ll get higher than if the profile was different.
How are terpenes absorbed in the body?
Our bodies absorb cannabinoids and terpenes in different ways. Cannabinoids bind to the brain’s ECS receptors, which inform the brain to perform certain activities. Terpenes, on the other hand, work to enhance or mitigate any effects of cannabinoids to potentially reduce the potency of THC.
How to use terpenes?
Terpenes can be used in multiple ways, including blended in your cosmetics and mixed into creams and lotions to enhance the fragrance of your products. Another way to use them is in food and drinks. Simply blending them into anything you consume is a great way to get the benefits from terpenes.
Hopefully, you have a better understanding of the difference between cannabinoids and terpenes.
Now, let’s dive deeper into the limonene terpene specifically.
Going on a Terpene Journey with Limonene
The limonene terpene falls into the monoterpene category. These are the most commonly found types of terpenes and limonene is a colorless liquid at room temperature and has a lemony aroma. Limonene provides a powerful citrus aroma commonly associated with lemons, grapefruits, limes, oranges, and countless other citrus fruits.
In nature, limonene is found in the rinds in citruses, and it is the third most common terpene found in cannabis. It provides many benefits including boosting your mood, relieving stress, and enhancing some of the most used everyday household products. Pretty much if you have a product that has a sweet, citrusy scent, you can guess it contains limonene terpenes in it.
The compound is available in multiple forms including the d-limonene compound. Some people use it in aromatherapy, typically used in diffusers, and has extremely powerful mood-boosting effects, including anti-anxiety and reducing symptoms of depression.
Interestingly, the limonene terpene is also converted by chemists into carvone. This process transforms limonene into mint, in particular, spearmint. You’ll also find this in trace amounts in cannabis.
There are so many uses for limonene, it’s a diverse and powerful compound that dictates your experience with cannabis, along with many other products you use every single day.
If you’re going to use consume it, however, you might want to learn more about how it affects your body.
Next up, we’ll look at what the effects of this compound, and what you can expect before you use it.
Limonene Terpene Effects—What To Expect
We’ve briefly discussed the aromatic effects of cannabis, but what we haven’t yet talked about is how that plays into the cannabis experience in general. Limonene does promote an elevated mood, reduces anxiety, and is typically found in strains well-known to do the same.
For example, lemon cannabis strains like those in the Kush family are considered some of the most relaxing you’ll find in any dispensary. However, you can find it in both Sativas and Indicas, with some strains having higher concentrations than others.
What causes a specific outcome for cannabis users is the overall terpene and cannabinoid profile. For example, one strain isn’t necessarily considered Sativa or Indica just because it concentrates a single terpene, but rather the entire list of compounds it contains. This is known as the entourage effect. So, limonene can show up and excel in a variety of cannabis strains that you might not expect.
Sativas are known for their energizing high, while Indicas provide a relaxing high when they have mega concentrations of limonene. Limonene can counteract the effects of sedative terpenes like myrcene, which can lower your mood overall.
The synergistic effect of various terpenes and cannabinoids, such as THC and CBD within each cannabis strain is important to your experience with it. In fact, research indicates that the different terpenes within your chosen cannabis strain affect how THC is delivered into your body and the high you feel.
Research shows that terpenes like limonene are natural mood-boosters and energizers, which help produce the positive antidepressant effects of CBD and THC. However, there are other benefits of this terpene including the following:
Reduces Stress
Some clinical studies have revealed that when consumed orally or inhaled, limonene vapor has the power to reduce anxiety in lab mice. Some studies have even shown that it reduces obsessive-compulsive disorder in other animal research studies, as well.
Provides Antioxidant Relief
Limonene also has a powerful ability to produce an antioxidant effect. D-limonene has a significant impact on the signaling pathways, giving it antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help the immune system by assisting with removing free radicals in the body. It can also protect cells from oxidative stress within the body.
Anti-Inflammatory Support
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to stress. When chronic, this inflammation is damaging to the body and leads to serious illnesses. This terpene has shown promising results when it comes to protecting the body from inflammation. Simply by reducing stress within the body, limonene provides anti-inflammatory support that you can take advantage of from limonene terpene-rich cannabis strains.
Reduces Cholesterol Levels
Limonene may also help reduce triglycerides in the body. These are known as good cholesterol and are well known to reduce blood sugar levels. While it shouldn’t be considered the entire source of your healthy heart habits, limonene provides an excellent supportive approach to keeping you healthy.
Weight Loss & Appetite
Riding on the heels of the previous benefit, limonene can help with weight loss by lowering your blood sugar levels and the lipids found in individuals who have metabolic syndrome. If you’re trying to lose weight or simply want to choose a cannabis strain that helps with suppressing your appetite, try strains high in limonene.
D-Limonene Antibacterial Effect
As previously noted, limonene is used in lots of household products, and one reason for this is the antibacterial effect of d-limonene in the body and on surfaces. If you’re suffering from an infection or simply want to simply make your body inhospitable to bacteria, it’s a good idea to choose strains associated with high concentrations of d-limonene.
Heartburn & Gastric Reflux
In one study with 19 individuals with heartburn, 17 had zero symptoms after they used limonene instead of pharmaceutical medication. This shows that you can use it to reduce your symptoms and improve your health overall.
Improved Skin Health
While it can produce skin irritation in higher doses, limonene does have the ability to reduce inflammation, rashes, and damage to your skin while improving your overall circulation.
Reduced Pain
In some rat and mice studies, limonene has been shown to reduce pain and pain sensitivity, in both bones and muscles. When used in pregnant women as aromatherapy, it was shown to reduce pain, vomiting, and nausea.
Gallstone Prevent & Reduction
Some studies also show that when taken every other day in high doses, limonene has the power to dissolve gallstones all the way.
Cancer Treatment
Similar to other terpenes, limonene can block cancer-forming chemicals and can slow the growth of liver, breast, stomach, and prostate cancers—but more research is needed.
The Limonene Terpene & The Entourage Effect
The entourage effect is a term used to describe how various cannabis compounds and cannabinoids and terpenes work together to create the effects we have outlined above. This effect is something you cannot find when you break apart the various parts of cannabis like THC, CBD, and terpenes alone. You also need specific ratios of terpenes to enhance these compounds.
Limonene, for example, provides a citrus scent that can enhance the effect of cannabis on your mood. It also harmonizes with multiple neurotransmitter systems in your body, such as your serotonin and GABA systems. As this happens, it improves your thinking, alertness, and mood.
By choosing lemon cannabis strains like lemon berry cannabis, you can enjoy the entourage effect with your next cannabis session.
Should You Expect to Get High from Limonene?
You should not expect to get high from limonene by itself, as we’ve already discussed. THC potency, too, is not an indicator of how high you’ll get from a particular strain.
Terpenes are important in improving THC’s euphoric effects, but they don’t contain psychoactive compounds by themselves. Terpenes do contribute to how you feel when you take in cannabis, though. There have been multiple studies that show the way various terpenes and cannabinoids work with each other, and how they are co-dependent.
For example, with limonene, some of the anxiety effects caused by THC are mitigated. This is a huge benefit for individuals who are sensitive to THC in high concentrations. This helps with issues associated with full-spectrum products.
Ultimately, you should not expect to get higher from limonene, but you can expect various watered-down and more relaxing effects from limonene terpenes in your cannabis strain.
Where Else Do You Find Limonene in Your Life?
Now that you have a clearer understanding of what limonene is, how it interacts with other compounds in the cannabis plants, and what effects you can expect when you use it, let’s check out a few common everyday places you can find limonene terpenes.
Citrus Fruits
That’s right, you guessed it, citrus fruits have some of the highest concentrations of limonene terpenes in nature. This includes limes, lemons, and organs. Orange peels, in particular, have the most abundant concentrations of it, with 97% of its rinds being high in this compound.
Foods & Drinks
Lemony-flavored drinks and foods, such as sodas, candies, and desserts are also high in limonene terpenes. They provide both the scent and the flavor that you would expect from foods advertised with citrus flavors.
Cleaning Supplies
As we’ve previously outlined, limonene is also very popular with cleaning supplies and cosmetics that contain the fresh scent we’ve come to expect from them. If you’re using a cleaning supply that has a lemon scent, chances are high that it has limonene terpenes.
Insecticides
Thanks to its powerful aroma, limonene is widely used as a botanical in pesticide products including eco-friendly insect repellants.
Dietary Supplements
Many people use limonene in dietary supplements thanks to all of the health benefits we listed earlier.
Essential Oils
Perhaps most commonly, this deliciously fresh terpene is highly popular in essential oils. Its uplifting therapeutic properties also make it a primary choice for anyone who wishes to improve their mood.
In Nature
You can of course find the limonene terpene in nature including in pine, mint, and the peels of all citrus fruits. Countless plants contain this terpene.
Cannabis Strains that Contain Limonene
Limonene is found in several cannabis strains, but compared to THC it is found in much lower concentrations. Limonene shows up in trace amounts, anywhere from zero to 2% of the plant’s biomass. Sativa-dominant strains have it in higher levels than others, but in most cases, the strains you’ll find it in high concentrations include:
Super Lemon Haze. Like its namesake, this Sativa hybrid has a highly zesty, slightly sweet, lemon flavor that easily boosts your mood.
Jack Herer. This is an alpha-pinene strain that has high levels of limonene that can boost your appetite, mood, and focus.
Berry White. It is one of only a few Indica strains with high levels of limonene terpenes. You’ll be feeling happy and stress-free after one session of this strain.
Blue Dream. Blue Dream is an excellent strain if you’re looking to relax and unwind from a hard day or just to catch your breath. You can find it in our store here.
Chernobyl. Widely loved for its lime-sherbet scent, this strain is a lovely uplifting Sativa that will improve any mood.
Lemon cannabis strains have always been popular, but if you want to buy limonene terpene-based cannabis, those are the best strains to check out.
When you buy high-limonene strains or add limonene to your flower, you get to enjoy an added effect that benefits your overall health. The anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects of limonene terpenes are excellent at boosting similar CBD properties.
While the research is still out on how cannabis components work together in the body, this is a terpene with lots of promise.
Summary
Cannabis is one of the world’s most unique crops, and with countless terpenes available to try out, it makes sense that you’d try a few strains with limonene terpenes. Whether you’re looking to reduce bacteria, improve your skin health, or boost your mood, this is a great terpene to look for in your cannabis products.
Try our Limonene dominant products:
This article is for informational and educational purposes only, and should not be substituted for professional medical advice.