Terpenology Terpenes · Conditions
Monograph No. 10Pennsylvania Medical Cannabis

Monoterpene · C₁₀H₁₆

Limonene

pronounced LIM-uh-neen · found in lemon

Vintage botanical plate of lemon (Citrus limon), a plant rich in limonene
Plate · Citrus limon
The Limonene molecule · drag to rotate
Source plant
Lemon (Citrus limon)
Family
Rutaceae
Class
Monoterpene
Formula
C₁₀H₁₆
Molar mass
136.23 g/mol
Aroma
Lemon peel, sweet orange, grapefruit, juniper

Bright, citrus, mood-lifting. The reason daytime strains work in the daytime.

Worth knowing

One of the most abundant terpenes in cannabis, and the one most tied to mood-lift in user reports.

Did you know?

A 2024 human trial found vaporized limonene blunted the anxious edge of a high-THC dose, more so at higher amounts, without dulling its other effects. The pathways are still being mapped.

How it tends to land

Commonly reported as bright and uplifting. Tendencies, not promises. Your body writes the last word.

Where the evidence stands

Ranked by how much each finding can actually tell you, strongest first. A trial in people outranks a study in cells, including when the answer is no.

Human trial

Blunted the anxious edge of a high-THC dose

Vaporized alongside 30 mg THC, limonene significantly lowered anxious and paranoid ratings without dulling the other effects. Worth knowing: the significant result came at the highest limonene dose in a 12-person subset. Lower doses only trended. Spindle TR, Zamarripa CA, Russo E, et al. (2024). Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 258:111267. PubMed 38498958

Chemical identity, formula and molar mass: PubChem CID 22311, National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Terpenology is educational, not medical advice. Terpene effects are tendencies commonly reported by patients and early research, never guaranteed outcomes. Work with your certifying physician and pharmacist.

Terpenology
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