Terpenes 101- Linalool
by Rachel Hantula, director of customer experience
Linalool & Terpene Profiles
Next up in our Terpenes 101 series-
Meet a crowd favorite known for its chill vibe and delightfully aromatic, floral essence– Linalool!
Linalool is commonly found in many botanicals due to its calming and soothing nature. Linalool is the main compound making up lavender and is also found in rosewood, birch trees, laurel, mint and cinnamon.
Linalool, when found in significant concentrations in cannabis, can produce a restful, relaxing and stress reducing experience. Many report strains high in linalool elevating mindfulness and supporting meditative practices. Depending on the presence of other terpenes and cannabinoids, effects and experiences will differ.
Source: Cresco Labs
If you’re a regular reader of our Terpenes 101 series, then you already know one singular component of a plant’s chemical makeup doesn’t get the job done alone when it comes to driving effects. We need to look at the entire picture and makeup of organic compounds present.
To briefly recap, we know that while cannabinoids like THC and CBD are often discussed as the most important factors in cannabis’s effects, terpenes have been found to play just as critical a role.
Not only are they responsible for much of the smell and taste we perceive in cannabis, but terpenes can also be the biggest factor in the experiential differences between different cannabis strains.
Like cannabinoids, terpenes are also subject to the entourage effect. This means that they work synergistically together and may cause different effects depending on the other cannabinoids and terpenes present. In understanding terpenes, it’s important to notice how they work together to create so many different potential effects.
Similar to essential oils, there are hundreds of terpenes all with different scents and flavors which they elicit, and they all have differing effects and feelings associated with them. Such as a more or less energetic or motivating high depending on the terpene, for example.
Source: Leafly
Believe it or not, the reason that your favorite strain is your favorite strain may be due to the specific blend of terpenes in it! Most of the time strains have roughly 3 main terpenes which contribute to the aroma, flavor, and effects.
Sweetwater Farms always provides the prominent terpene profile for any strain they produce and interpret what that means for effects, flavor & aroma. Notice Linalool is the second most prominent terpene present in this strain’s terp profile.
The process of selecting the “right” strain can oftentimes be less-than-satisfying and involve a lot of guesswork until you find exactly what you’re looking for.
There is much confusion among consumers with already complicated, overly broad and generalized, outdated Sativa/Hybrid/Indica terminology, whimsical and silly strain names, THC & CBD percentages and other ambiguous factors.
Recently, Emerald Cup (a cannabis cup award competition out of California) co-Producers Tim and Taylor Blake thoughtfully assembled an advisory committee consisting of testing partners, leading experts, scientists, and previous judges to implement a new terpene-forward system to serve as the base for competition judging.The event organizers and their testing partners at SC Labs decided to break the flower categories down further based on the chemometrics of each cultivar.
Sundae Driver PhytoFacts Analysis Example (Linalool is third most dominant terpene in this sample) Source: SC Labs
This game-changing realization led to months of further research, deeper discussion, and ultimately to the implementation of the Emerald Cup Cannabis Classification System based on PhytoFacts® powered by SC Labs. Everyone has differing tastes and preferences, so naturally, not everyone would agree on a defined “best” terpene profile.
In cannabis competitions, personal preferences can cause bias in judging. Not only is this new classification system helpful for fair competitions- but it allows for the public to better understand how differing cannabis cultivars can affect us, based on their unique terpene makeup.
Source: The Emerald Cup
PhytoFacts utilizes the chemical profiles of individual strains to categorize them based on terpenes, determining their flavor, aroma and associated effects. PhytoFacts has defined six distinct categories for any given cultivar to fall into:
Jacks & Hazes
Tropical & Floral
OGs & Gas
Sweets & Dreams
Dessert
Keep in mind SC Labs only lists the most prominently found terpenes within cannabis. The following are found in the greatest concentrations: Myrcene (~43%), Caryophyllene (~23%), Limonene (~16%), Terpinolene (~10%), Pinene (~6.5%), and ocimene (<1%).
Linalool is not included in this list as it is typically found in lower concentrations overall. However, that does not take away from the special effects associated with any strain lucky enough to produce a significant amount naturally.
Where does Linalool come in when considering the PhytoFacts classification system? Linalool is found in high concentrations in strains such as: Granddaddy Purple, Do Si Dos, Lavender, and Kosher Kush. Any of these strains have terpene profiles that would best align with one of two or three classifications: Sweets & Dreams, OGs & Gas, and potentially Tropical & Florals.
Granddaddy Purple, for example, has a terpene profile often dominated by Linalool, along with Myrcene, Pinene and Caryophyllene: which would designate it into the Sweets & Dreams class- which causes relaxing, sometimes even sedating effects.
Granddaddy Purple fits in perfectly to this classification category. This terpene profile allows for Granddaddy Purple to create an extremely relaxing body buzz that leaves the mind in a euphoric state. It’s best to consume this strain at night, being an excellent choice to help aid sleep and tension in the body.
Granddaddy Purple Flower- Source: Leafly
Another strain that's known to have relatively generous amounts of linalool would be Amnesia Haze. Amnesia Haze is quite different from some of the other strains listed to be high in linalool. Amnesia Haze falls into the Jacks & Hazes classification. It is a fun and floaty strain for the daytime smokers that will lift your spirits but keep you even keeled.
Linalool does a great job in conjunction with the rest of the commonly found terpenes in Jacks and Haze strains. While still allowing for mood elevation, the presence of linalool keeps the experience calm and relaxing.
Find Granddaddy Purple or Amnesia Haze at Hashtag today to see how you enjoy varying levels of linalool in your cannabis’ chemical makeup!