Terpenes Provide Relief

It has been known for decades that terpenes, from the Cannabis plant and other sources provide important therapeutic benefits that are synergistic with cannabinoids. Unfortunately, finding information about terpenes in specific flower samples and in commercially viable products has been difficult at best, if it was considered at all.  Thankfully, the market is evolving in a positive way that is bringing terpenes into the spotlight.  

Terpenes represent the largest class of plant derived chemicals (phytochemicals) at over 20,000 different molecules occurring in nature. They are what gives plants their taste and smell.

When you take a walk in the forest and leave clear and refreshed, that is likely the work of the terpene pinene being released from pine needles. Peeling an orange, lemon or lime releases limonene which is uplifting to most and helps cleanse the air.  Another popular terpene is linalool from the lavender plant.  All of these terpenes can also occur in the cannabis plant.  The extracted molecules are popularly used and available in the form of essential oils. Just a whiff of them can provide a therapeutic benefit. Used in tandem with other terpenes and cannabinoids, they can synergistically increase the effectiveness of other phytochemicals.

In the 2019 paper, Cannabis Pharmacology: The Usual Suspects and a Few
Promising Leads, authors Russo and Marcu state that over 50 different terpenes commonly occur in North American grown cannabis.  They profile the 17 most common in the article.  We have barely scratched the surface of understanding the utility of these molecules for human, animal and environmental wellness. What we do know, however, warrants utilization and should inspire more research given terpenes are Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration and offer an incredible opportunity for therapeutic use. 

In the 2011 seminal paper Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects, author Ethan Russo, MD, renowned medical cannabis expert and neurologist writes, “Terpenoids are quite potent, and affect animal and even human behaviour when inhaled from ambient air at serum levels in the single digits ng·mL-1 . They display unique therapeutic effects that may contribute meaningfully to the entourage effects of cannabis-based medicinal extracts. Particular focus will be placed on phytocannabinoid-terpenoid interactions that could produce synergy with respect to treatment of pain, inflammation, depression, anxiety, addiction, epilepsy, cancer, fungal and bacterial infections (including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). Scientific evidence is presented for non-cannabinoid plant components as putative antidotes to intoxicating effects of THC that could increase its therapeutic index.”

Ten years after the publication of this journal article, we are finally starting to see terpenes get the attention they deserve. 

Here at MyChronicRelief.com, we get asked all the time to endorse or recommend brands. Until now, we have been hesitant to do so because so many products were devoid of terpenes and because of quality, safety and efficacy concerns; simply put, we did not have the time and energy to qualify brands sufficiently to be able to share them with our audience.

Finally, with the release of the terpene-forward hemp effects-based blends by Daygold formulated by Dr. Russo, we have a product we feel comfortable highlighting for our audience.  These products are not only some of the most terpene-forward products on the market, they also are unique in that they are rich in cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG).  CBG is likely the next big thing considering its effectiveness and versatility without mind altering effects.  (To learn more about CBG, read this journal article. The Daygold products are elegantly formulated highlighting what is possible when we use terpenes and minor cannabinoids together in a thoughtful way.

Below, Dr. Ethan Russo speaks with Daygold co-founder, Liz FitzGerald, about terpenes and how they work in the human body.  This incredibly informative video will help patients, physicians and caregivers better understand how terpenes are therapeutic and why.

Readers of this blog can use this code at checkout for a 20% discount: chronicrelief

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This blog post was written by Nishi Whiteley, author of the book Chronic Relief: A Guide to Cannabis for the Terminally & Chronically Ill. She is also the author of a variety of cannabis science publications and is the COO of CReDO Science LLC in partnership with Dr. Ethan Russo. In the spirit of full disclosure, CReDO Science does benefit in a small way from the sales of Daygold products.