EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE TERPENE LINALOOL:
What is Linalool, What are the Benefits of Linalool. Effects, Research, Science & More:
Heard of Linalool? But, don’t know where to start, or know what the health benefits are for you?
We take you through the benefits, options, important criteria you should consider when looking at products containing the terpene Linalool.
Introduction into the Terpene Linalool
Scientifically reviewed by: Dr. Vance Green, PharmD.
Updated on July 31, 2021
Linalool is a terpene found in hemp and cannabis, and though it’s name sounds a bit strange you’ve probably already encountered the smell: linalool is a major ingredient in the soothing scent of lavender.
The reason you can find linalool both in lavender and hemp and cannabis is that terpenes occur all through nature. These scented compounds help plants in all kinds of ways and, more recently, we’re beginning to discover the ways they might benefit people too.
Of course, all of this research is preliminary, but there’s some interesting science coming out. It’s possible linalool could even help some people ease symptoms of anxiety, which is interesting if you consider that the herb lavender has been used for centuries for its calming effects. It’s placed in teas, sachets, massage oils, even eye masks that help you drift off to sleep.
In this article, we’ll look a little more at what makes linalool special: what are some possible effects of linalool and where can we find it in nature. We’ll look at the possible benefits of linalool, and we’ll also mention a few hemp and cannabis strains where this terpene makes an appearance.
Linalool is a colorless terpene oil. It is classified as an acyclic monoterpenoid. licareol and (S)-(+)-linalool is also known as coriandrol.
What is the terpene linalool, and where is it found in nature?
In addition to lavender, we can also find linalool in birch bark, and a number of herbs and spices used traditionally in both cooking and natural health preparations. These include basil, bay leaves, coriander hops, goldenrod and mugwort … in addition to hemp and cannabis. Hops are a close relative of both hemp and cannabis, too, and a key ingredient in brewing.
The scent of lavender is best described as both floral and spicy, with different notes coming out depending on how the compound mixes with the other natural chemicals found in a particular plant. In all, linalool can be found in hundreds of different plants.
Beyond the places linalool already appears in nature, humans just seem to love its scent (and maybe its effects too). As a result, linalool is incredibly commonplace in products you might find around your home. Ullmann’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry estimates that linalool can be found in between 60% and 80% of scented hygiene and cleaning products, from skin care products to detergents.
Linalool is also extremely bioavailable, which means that it’s easily absorbed by the human body. That means we could easily be feeling its effects when we smell it and inhale it into our lungs, taste it, or wear it on our skin.
Scientists think terpenes play a key role in the “entourage effect.” In brief, the entourage effect is the idea that all the compounds hemp or cannabis are more effective working together in harmony rather than isolated into their individual parts.
All of this is why so many consumers report better effects from full-spectrum hemp supplements, versus those made with just CBD isolate. While the additional cannabinoids like THC, CBG and CBN play a role, so do the terpenes.
Reported Benefits of Linalool
- Anti-anxiety
- Amplifies action of serotonin receptors (could alleviate depression)
- Possible sedative
- Local (topical) pain reliever
- Analgesic (internal pain reliever)
- Anticonvulsant (could ease seizures)
For example, researchers think Ocimene, a terpene in hemp flower, may contribute to its anti-inflammatory effects.
Multiple studies suggest linalool could act as an anticonvulsant, one of the most interesting and promising effects, especially when combined with cannabis.
What are some possible benefits of Linalool?
We still have so much to learn about the possible benefits of linalool and other terpenes like it. At the same time, the abundance of linalool in nature, especially in plants that are already purported to have beneficial effects, has led to relatively extensive study of this particular terpene.
Cannabis expert Dr. Ethan Russo laid out an impressive list of possible benefits of linalool in his treatise on terpenes, “Taming THC,” published in 2011 in the British Journal of Pharmacology. Here are some of the possible effects of linalool which he outlines: (source)
- Anti-anxiety
- Amplifies action of serotonin receptors (could alleviate depression)
- Possible sedative
- Local (topical) pain reliever
- Analgesic (internal pain reliever)
- Anticonvulsant (could ease seizures)
Multiple studies suggest linalool could act as an anticonvulsant, one of the most interesting and promising effects, especially when combined with cannabis. When it comes to sedation, benefiting mental health and reducing symptoms of seizure disorders, linalool seems to act by modifying the action of the GABA and glutamate neurotransmitter systems. These are key to numerous processes in the body and mind.
Compounds like CBD are already in use or under study for their potential benefits to people with epilepsy and other seizure disorders. The presence of linalool may be one reason that an analysis of multiple studies of hemp as a treatment for epilepsy found that full-spectrum formulations of hemp worked better than just CBD alone, as much as four times better! (source)
Russo outlines a number of other interesting studies which could provide promising areas for future research. Lavender was long purported by practitioners of herbal medicine to help heal burns without scarring, and linalool seems a likely contributor to this possible effect. In related research, a study in rats in 2000 in Pharmacological Research found linalool could be as effective as topical painkillers like procaine or menthol.
In other effects, one study suggested linalool seemed to counteract the parasitic disease Leishmaniasis. Another study, using lavender essential oil, found inhalation seemed to reduce use of opioids in patients that received gastric band weight-loss surgery.
Of course, much of this is based on preliminary research, in animals, or with smaller sample sizes. We’ll still need more research before we can say with any certainty how hemp and cannabis work with linalool.
Feel free to contact us if you find an interesting scientific study involving terpenes or any other compounds found in hemp!
Linalool Terpene Benefits Video
What strains of hemp and cannabis contain linalool?
Linalool doesn’t dominate the terpene profile, when it comes to hemp and cannabis. Instead, this terpene plays a supporting role. Even so, it seems that it could be a vital role indeed, especially if you consider some of the research into cannabis and epilepsy, and the role that linalool might play as an anticonvulsant.
The idea that each of the hundreds of compounds in cannabis or hemp plays a special role when combined together is called the “entourage effect.” And since linalool is so potent, even small amounts could contribute in a big way. While we can’t say for certain yet, scientifically, what effects linalool has, you can experience it for yourself in the scent and taste of certain strains.
To use one example, linalool is only the fifth most common terpene in Absolute Nature’s White Dragon CBG hemp flower, and yet it still contributes significantly to the scent, which is spicy, a bit floral, and reminiscent of hops.
In high-THC cannabis strains, online databases suggest you can find a lot of linalool in popular strains like Do-Si-Dos, Scooby Snacks, and Zkittlez.
Meanwhile, in CBD-rich hemp, you’ll find relatively high amounts of linalool in strains such as Bubba Kush CBD, where linalool comes in at the fourth most common terpene.
As we’ve noted in each of our articles on terpenes, the only way to ensure that a given compound is present is to check for third-party lab tests which verify the potency and purity of a given strain. That’s why you should only buy from brands like Absolute Nature CBD, which always offer lab test results for every product.
Linalool is also extremely bioavailable, which means that it’s easily absorbed by the human body.
Get to know our favorite ‘terps’
Thanks to the years of prohibition and the stigma that grew up around hemp and cannabis, we’re only just beginning to learn about how compounds like terpenes work and could help us.
