Terpene Atlas · Monoterpene

/ter-PIN-oh-leen/ · Terpinolene

Terpinolene

The shape-shifting monoterpene · floral when faint, sharp and solvent-like when strong, and the rare lead terpene that lore wrongly files under ‘sedating.’

Tea treeFresh herbsPineCitrus peelFlowersSweet wood

Formula

C₁₀H₁₆

Weight

136.23 g/mol

Class

C10 · monocyclic (ring with an exocyclic double bond)

Form

Clear to pale yellow

Meet the molecule

One open chain, not a cage

Molecular class

Monoterpene · C10 · monocyclic (ring with an exocyclic double bond)

Formula · weight

C₁₀H₁₆ · 136.23 g/mol

Biosynthetic origin

A cyclic C10 monoterpene from geranyl diphosphate, related to the terpinenes and p-cymene.

Structural trait

A six-membered ring carrying an exocyclic isopropylidene double bond · the twist that gives it an unusually complex, concentration-dependent aroma.

Reported simply as terpinolene; it sits in a family with the terpinenes and p-cymene, which panels usually list separately.

Aroma spectrum

A qualitative sensory map

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

Tea tree

Fresh herbs

Pine

Citrus peel

Flowers

Sweet wood

fresh herbal pine citrus floral woody

Physical identity

The isolated compound

Appearance

Clear to pale yellow.

Texture

Thin oily liquid.

Volatility

A volatile monoterpene, though it boils a little higher than Myrcene or Limonene · still an early, lifting aroma contributor.

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

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

The resin, up close

Where it appears in nature

Beyond cannabis

Botanical sources of Terpinolene: Tea tree, Nutmeg, Cumin, Lilac, Apples, Conifers

Tea tree A defining fresh, medicinal note. Nutmeg Cumin Lilac Apples Conifers

aroma notes in one molecule

Terpinolene reads as pine, herbs, citrus, flowers, sweet wood, and tea-tree all at once · and it shifts character from floral to sharp as its concentration climbs. reference

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

Terpinolene is a cyclic C10 monoterpene from geranyl diphosphate, related to the terpinenes and p-cymene.

established isolated terpene PubChem PMC

Brain research1 claim

Sedative and anxiety-modulating behavior has been reported in animal studies of isolated terpinolene.

animal isolated terpene reference

Preclinical, isolated-compound findings; they do not transfer directly to a cannabis product.

Body research1 claim

Isolated terpinolene has shown antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, and insect-repellent activity in laboratory studies.

in-vitro isolated terpene reference

Laboratory findings; not demonstrated for a cannabis product in humans.

Recognized non-cannabis use1 claim

Used in perfume, soap, cleaners, flavoring, and insect-management goods.

approved use non-cannabis product reference

Unproven / insufficient1 claim

No established medical use exists. Terpinolene is investigated mainly for antimicrobial, antioxidant, and sedative potential.

unproven isolated terpene reference

Myth vs evidence

The “terpinolene means sedating” myth

The claim

Because isolated terpinolene sedates animals, lore files terpinolene-forward products under ‘sleepy.’ In practice those products are not universally sedating.

The evidence

Sedative behavior shows up in animal studies of isolated terpinolene, but cannabis products high in terpinolene are not universally sedating · many are reported as bright or uplifting. A panel does not predict how a product feels.

unprovenwhole cannabisreference

Where it sits

Terpinolene against the field

Objective chemistry and how often it shows up · not effects. Every authored terpene is plotted on each track; Terpinolene 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

Terpinolene

Prevalence in cannabis

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

rare common

Terpinolene

Volatility · boiling point

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

more volatile less volatile

Terpinolene

Molecular weight

C10 monoterpenes are lighter than the C15 sesquiterpenes.

lighter heavier

Terpinolene

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	Herbal	moderate	270 °C	204 g/mol
Terpinolene this page	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

Limonene A fellow cyclic monoterpene in the same sensory neighborhood. α-Terpinene Close cyclic monoterpene relative. γ-Terpinene Close cyclic monoterpene relative. p-Cymene Aromatic relative and oxidation companion.

On a certificate of analysis

How it shows up on a COA

Name variants a lab may print

Terpinolene · δ-Terpinene · Isoterpinene

Isomer note

Panels list ‘terpinolene’; the terpinenes and p-cymene are separate rows.

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

Bright, complex terpinolene-led chemovars

strainCommonly reported as terpinolene-dominant · but a strain name does not guarantee the profile across growers, harvests, or batches.

Find products rich in Terpinolene 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 response or sedation. Cannabinoid dose, route, tolerance, other medications, and personal biology usually matter more.

safety whole cannabis reference

As a volatile monoterpene, terpinolene is lost and altered by heat, air, and prolonged storage; heating creates products a label never shows.

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

Terpinolene, 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 Terpinolene Compare profilesTwo products, side by side

Previous
← Alpha-Humulene Next
Ocimene →

Sources (3)

TerpAlerts Cannabis Terpene Reference Guide reference
PubChem CID 11463 · Terpinolene 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.