Terpinolene

Where it occurs naturally

Headspace volatile profiling using GC–MS detected terpinolene in leaves of studied Pinus species. A separate terpene-synthase study reports terpinolene among compounds produced by Cannabis sativa. Sources: Comparative Analysis of Volatile Terpenes and Terpenoids in the Leaves of Pinus Species (2021); Terpene synthases from Cannabis sativa (2017)

Aroma & flavour

A specific human-perceived aroma profile for terpinolene is not established by the available evidence.

What has research actually studied?

A plant-profiling study compared volatile terpenes in leaves from six Pinus species using headspace solid-phase microextraction and GC–MS; it detected terpinolene among the measured compounds and reported that volatile profiles varied by species. This is plant-chemistry evidence, not an effect experiment. Sources: Comparative Analysis of Volatile Terpenes and Terpenoids in the Leaves of Pinus Species (2021)

What the evidence does not show

The pine-leaf profiling study measured chemical composition, not perceived aroma or biological effects. Direct human cannabis-product evidence for a terpinolene-attributable effect is lacking.

What does its presence in cannabis mean?

Terpinolene on a product label does not establish a particular aroma or predict how the product will feel.