St. Patrick’s Day is one of our favorite green holidays, and to celebrate, we’ve selected March’s terpene of the month: Humulene. As Spring draws near, let’s celebrate this particular floral terpene.
Humulene is a terpene found in hops, wood, ginseng, and black pepper. Having been used in holistic medicine for centuries, Humulene may have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.
When it comes to cannabis, Humulene is abundant, and like other terpenes, such as Myrcene and Pinene, Humulene is responsible for the scent of the flower.
Humulene is actually very similar to the terpene beta-Caryophyllene. For a long time, Humulene was actually named alpha-Caryophyllene because they share the same chemical formula. Humulene is an isomer of Caryophyllene. They share the same atoms, but these atoms have different bonds, meaning that their atomic structures are different.
Different studies have been performed on Humulene, and one 2016 study showed that Humulene may terminate cancer cells when mixed with phytocannabinoids and other terpenes. Humulene also plays a part in the growth of the plant, by aiding in the plant’s defense mechanisms to deter predators.
Humulene can be found in the cannabis strain, Wedding Cake. Click here to check out our Bask-grown Wedding Cake strain.
Sources:
Bennett, Patrick. “What Is Humulene and What Does This Cannabis Terpene Do?” Leafly, 28 Nov. 2018, https://www.leafly.com/news/science-tech/humulene-terpene.
Fidyt, Klaudyna, et al. “β -Caryophyllene and β -Caryophyllene Oxide-Natural Compounds of Anticancer and Analgesic Properties.” Cancer Medicine, vol. 5, no. 10, Oct. 2016, pp. 3007–17. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.816.
Robertson, Kate. “Cannabis Terpenes: What They Are and How They Work.” Healthline, 20 May 2021, https://www.healthline.com/health/cannabis-terpenes.