Terpene

Terpenes are a structurally diverse class of volatile hydrocarbons built from isoprene (C₅H₈) units, classified by unit count as monoterpenes (C10, e.g., myrcene, limonene), sesquiterpenes (C15, e.g., β-caryophyllene), diterpenes (C20), and so on. They are the principal contributors to the aroma of cannabis and to the chemical signatures that distinguish cultivars. In the plant, terpenes are synthesized in glandular trichomes by terpene synthases acting on geranyl- and farnesyl-pyrophosphate. Total terpene content in dried cannabis flower typically ranges from 0.5 to 3.5% by weight. Many terpenes show measurable pharmacological activity in vitro (GABAergic, serotonergic, TRP-channel modulation), but most human therapeutic claims remain unsupported by controlled trials. → See also: Terpenoid, Myrcene, Limonene, Entourage effect.