Terpene Atlas · Sesquiterpene

/HYOO-myoo-leen/ · α-Humulene (α-caryophyllene)

Alpha-Humulene

The hoppy sesquiterpene twin of caryophyllene · one big floppy ring, best known for an appetite-suppression story that good human evidence does not support.

HopsDry woodEarthySageBitter herbs

Formula

C₁₅H₂₄

Weight

204.35 g/mol

Class

C15 · monocyclic (one 11-membered ring)

Form

Clear to pale yellow

Meet the molecule

One open chain, not a cage

Molecular class

Sesquiterpene · C15 · monocyclic (one 11-membered ring)

Formula · weight

C₁₅H₂₄ · 204.35 g/mol

Biosynthetic origin

A monocyclic C15 sesquiterpene derived from farnesyl diphosphate (FPP).

Structural trait

A single large eleven-membered macrocycle · a floppy ring, unlike its sibling caryophyllene's rigid fused cyclobutane.

Historically also called α-caryophyllene; it shares a synthase and often a sample with β-caryophyllene, so the two usually appear together.

Aroma spectrum

A qualitative sensory map

Relative prominence is illustrative, not a measured profile. Aroma is never produced by one molecule alone.

Hops

Dry wood

Earthy

Sage

Bitter herbs

herbal woody earthy

Physical identity

The isolated compound

Appearance

Clear to pale yellow.

Texture

Oily liquid.

Volatility

A heavier, less volatile sesquiterpene · it lingers well after the light monoterpenes have evaporated.

This describes the isolated chemical. It does not predict whether flower will be dense, sticky, purple, or frosty.

Extreme close-up of the Alpha-Humulene resin, its glassy interior in detail

The resin, up close

Where it appears in nature

Beyond cannabis

Botanical sources of Alpha-Humulene: Hops, Sage, Basil, Ginger, Clove, Balsam fir

Hops Its namesake, Humulus lupulus. Sage Basil Ginger Clove Balsam fir

membered carbon ring

Humulene is a single floppy eleven-membered macrocycle · the mirror-image design to its rigid sibling caryophyllene, which folds a four-membered ring instead. PubChem

Evidence ladder

What's known · and how well

Research is ranked by strength, not promised as effects. Isolated-compound findings are separated from whole-cannabis evidence throughout.

Established mechanism1 claim

Humulene is a monocyclic C15 sesquiterpene (an eleven-membered ring) from farnesyl diphosphate; caryophyllene synthases can make both it and caryophyllene.

established isolated terpene PubChem PMC

Brain research1 claim

No reliable intoxicating, stimulating, or sedating effect has been established for humulene.

unproven isolated terpene reference

Body research1 claim

Isolated humulene has shown preclinical anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and analgesic activity.

animal isolated terpene reference

Preclinical only; not demonstrated for a cannabis product in humans.

Recognized non-cannabis use1 claim

Prized for beer aroma, and used in fragrance, essential oils, and botanical pest-defense research.

approved use non-cannabis product reference

Unproven / insufficient1 claim

No established medical use exists. Humulene is being investigated for inflammatory disorders and pain.

unproven isolated terpene reference

Myth vs evidence

The “humulene curbs appetite” myth

The claim

A widespread claim treats humulene as an appetite suppressant that offsets the cannabis ‘munchies.’ It is a tidy story with thin support.

The evidence

Claims that humulene reliably suppresses appetite in cannabis users are not supported by good human evidence. A panel value does not predict how hungry a product will make a given person.

unprovenwhole cannabisreference

Where it sits

Alpha-Humulene against the field

Objective chemistry and how often it shows up · not effects. Every authored terpene is plotted on each track; Alpha-Humulene is lit, the rest stay faint. The picture fills in as the Atlas grows (10 plotted so far).

Dominant aroma family

Its strongest sensory class, brightest to deepest.

citrus earthy

Alpha-Humulene

Prevalence in cannabis

How often it leads a profile. Qualitative, not measured.

rare common

Alpha-Humulene

Volatility · boiling point

Lower boils off sooner, reading as an earlier top note.

more volatile less volatile

Alpha-Humulene

Molecular weight

C10 monoterpenes are lighter than the C15 sesquiterpenes.

lighter heavier

Alpha-Humulene

Read as a table

Terpene	Dominant aroma family	Prevalence in cannabis	Volatility · boiling point	Molecular weight
Myrcene	Earthy	very common	167 °C	136 g/mol
Limonene	Citrus	very common	176 °C	136 g/mol
Pinene	Pine	common	155 °C	136 g/mol
Linalool	Floral	common	198 °C	154 g/mol
Beta-Caryophyllene	Spice	very common	262 °C	204 g/mol
Alpha-Humulene this page	Herbal	moderate	270 °C	204 g/mol
Terpinolene	Fresh	moderate	186 °C	136 g/mol
Ocimene	Fruity	uncommon	177 °C	136 g/mol
Alpha-Bisabolol	Floral	uncommon	314 °C	222 g/mol
Nerolidol	Woody	uncommon	276 °C	222 g/mol

Prevalence is a qualitative ordinal, not a measured concentration. Boiling points are approximate atmospheric-pressure values; the heavier sesquiterpenes are usually distilled under vacuum, so those figures are extrapolated.

Terpene neighborhood

Sensory & structural relatives

Beta-caryophyllene Its structural sibling; the same synthase makes both. Caryophyllene oxide A shared oxidation companion. Humulene epoxide Its own oxidation product.

On a certificate of analysis

How it shows up on a COA

Name variants a lab may print

Humulene · α-Humulene · alpha-Humulene · α-Caryophyllene

Isomer note

Panels list ‘humulene’; it almost always rides alongside caryophyllene.

Reading it

Reported as a percentage of product mass; absence from a panel can reflect the lab’s method or detection limit, not true absence. Batch values swing widely.

A terpene’s absence from a panel can reflect the panel’s method or detection limit · not true absence. Values swing batch to batch.

In products

Commonly reported · never guaranteed

Hoppy, herbal-woody chemovars

strainCommonly reported with humulene beside caryophyllene · but a strain name does not guarantee the profile across growers, harvests, or batches.

Find products rich in Alpha-Humulene Search live TerpAlerts menus for this terpene Compare terpene profilesPut two products side by side

Safety & handling

Read this before you trust a label

Pure terpene isolates are concentrated industrial chemicals · not the trace amounts in flower. Do not ingest undiluted isolates or apply them to skin without an appropriate dilution.

safety non-cannabis product reference

A product’s terpene panel cannot reliably predict an individual’s appetite, response, or sedation. Cannabinoid dose, route, tolerance, other medications, and personal biology usually matter more.

safety whole cannabis reference

As a sesquiterpene, humulene is less volatile than monoterpenes but is still altered by heat and air, and can oxidize to humulene epoxides.

established isolated terpene reference

◆THC and other cannabinoids usually influence intoxication more than any single terpene.

◆A terpene panel cannot reliably predict an individual patient’s response.

◆Pure isolates are concentrated industrial chemicals · not the trace amounts in flower.

◆Oxidation, heat, storage, and processing alter terpene chemistry.

◆Strain names do not guarantee a stable terpene profile across growers, harvests, or batches.

◆Discuss any cannabis decision, and other medications, with a qualified clinician.

Explore

Alpha-Humulene, three ways

Same molecule, three lenses. The information is identical in every mode.

Keep exploring

Where to next

← Terpene Atlas indexAll terpenes Find productsLive menus rich in Alpha-Humulene Compare profilesTwo products, side by side

Previous
← Beta-Caryophyllene Next
Terpinolene →

Sources (3)

TerpAlerts Cannabis Terpene Reference Guide reference
PubChem CID 5281520 · α-Humulene PubChem
Terpene synthases from Cannabis sativa (PMC5371325) PMC

Last reviewed 2026-07-22 · TerpAlerts editorial

Educational information only · not medical advice, and not a claim that any cannabis product treats, cures, or prevents any condition. Evidence labels describe the strength and scope of research on the isolated compound. See the full site disclaimer and Privacy Policy.