Oh Limonene, You Beautiful Little Terpene

What is Limonene?

Limonene I find is a misunderstood terpene. I say this because I misunderstood it, yep, I misunderstood it. Let’s unpack that, lol.

I have severe anxiety and PTSD and what I found initially is that many strains that were heavy in Limonene were anxiety provoking, not dampening like most consumers would tell you. And limonene is specifically known for being anxiety relieving and stress reducing. SOOO what the hell?

For me, Limonene is F-AHHHHHH-bulous, when its not mixed with Pinene. Its one of those things that my body just does not like. We are each very individual and our chemical make-ups are all different and we must treat our consumption as such. I like to consume my Limonene with a nice side of Myrcene, Caryophyllene, and/or Linalool. All of those terpenes are calming in one manner or another but aren’t mood lifters. Pinene, which I will write its own article about, is also an anti-anxiety terpene but it is also a mood lifter. For me, the two mood lifters are enough to give me tons of energy shooting my squirrely ass through the roof. Maybe one day a scientist will tell me why the two terps together make me shake like a leaf and cause tachycardia instead of just making me a happy and chill like I would expect.

Limonene is an aromatic compound found in the resin glands of certain cannabis plant strains, as well as in fruit rinds. And it’s used in a variety of products from make-up to perfumes, to cleaners. But why is this aromatic compound so versatile?

Because its badass… Duhh

Lemons are super heroes and have tons of therapeutic effects. We aren’t 100% sure on how all of it works, or what therapeutic doses are for everyone. But we do know certain things it helps with. Limonene is believed to elevate mood, relieve stress, reduce anxiety related to stress, it has antifungal and antibacterial properties, improves absorption of other compounds via the skin, and increases serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain.

There is also a lot of promise that Limonene can help reduce or prevent the growth of tumors! A study on lab rats showed that Limonene actually inhibited tumor growth in skin and mammary glands. A study in humans showed that daily doses of limonene was effective in reducing breast cancer growth and spread! (Human breast tissue disposition and bioactivity of limonene in women with early-stage breast cancer – PubMed (nih.gov))

So, we do know that limonene is amazing, and we are still studying its grand effects. We also need to study how these individual terpenes interact with each other. It truly is my hope to one day know that the blends I create with my varying strains have full scientific backing. For now I will continue to make my weed salads that help make me society tolerant and simultaneously reduce my spinal pain.

Much Love

Riana

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