What you should know and why you should care!

This month, we are happy to feature an informative article from a guest author-contributor, Frances Fitzgerald Cleveland, a respected and accomplished herbalist and aromatherapist with extensive experience in health and behavior in both animals and humans.

In this article, Frances explores the often-asked questions regarding terpenes:

What exactly are terpenes?

What about the "Entourage Effect"?

Do CBD products need cannabis terpenes in order to be effective?

Can essential oils (terpenes) of other plants prove to add therapeutic value to CBD products, thereby achieving the Entourage Effect?

What exactly are terpenes?

Terpenes are one of the most important compounds found in plants. They are the most commonly occurring compounds in essential oils. In the Cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa), terpenes were initially identified and used to train canines for illicit drug detection. 

Now research is discovering that cannabidiol (or CBD), from the Cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa), contains terpenes that are of value and essential to the oil's distinctive smell, taste, and medicinal qualities. Recently, commercial CBD products have proliferated, and there are three types of CBD products on the market:

Full-spectrum which contains cannabinoids, terpenes and trace amounts of THC;

Broad-spectrum which includes a combination of cannabinoids and terpenes with all traces of THC removed; and

CBD Isolate in which the terpenes and other cannabinoids are entirely extracted, leaving you with a clean, scent-free, and pure CBD.

What about the "Entourage Effect"

The entourage effect is the theory that all compounds (cannabinoids and terpenes) in the cannabis sativa plant work together, and when taken in combination, they produce a more comprehensive effect than when taken alone.  Proponents of this concept argue that the entourage effect may be reduced because some CBD products have certain cannabinoids (e.g., THC) and some of the unpleasant smelling or tasting terpenes removed.  However, studies and experiential evidence continue to demonstrate that CBD alone offers diverse and profound wellness benefits and systems support.  And there are many reasons, including employer/governing body testing, that you may want to choose a product that is free of THC and other unwanted cannabinoids.  And who doesn't want a product that smells and tastes great so that dosage compliance is never an issue?

Do CBD products need cannabis terpenes in order to be effective?

CBD Isolate is growing in popularity. People are finding that products free of cannabis terpenes are also free of the unpleasant "weedy" taste and smell, and therefore are more palatable and "user friendly". Since research is discovering that terpenes may indeed be of value to enhance the potentially therapeutic effects of CBD, is it possible to replace the missing cannabis terpenes with more pleasing terpenes?  One way to do this is to add essential oils that offer similar properties. Two popular essential oils used to flavor and add aroma -- and potentially therapeutic benefits -- to CBD products are Lemon and Peppermint.

The essential oil of Lemon (Citrus limon) not only smells divine, it also has some beneficial properties such as anti-rheumatic, anti-spasmodic, anti-septic, anti-viral and calming. Some of the chemical constituents that give this essential oil these properties are limonene, terpinene, pinene (alpha and beta), sabinene, beta-mycrene, citral, linalol, geraniol, citronella, and bergamotene.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita) essential oil offers a warm minty and camphoraceous aroma. Its beneficial properties include analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, anti-viral, and nervine. Some of the chemical constituents that give this essential its properties are menthol, menthone, menthyl acetate, limonene, beta-pinene and beta-caryophyllene.

Regarding full-spectrum cannabidiol or CBD, the six most common terpenes are alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, limonene, terpinolene, beta-myrcene and beta-caryophyllene. How do the terpenes of cannabis sativa compare with the terprenes found in essential oils of lemon and peppermint?  The chart below compares the common terpenes of these two essential oils with the terpenes found in full-spectrum CBD products. 

Can essential oils (terpenes) of other plants prove to add therapeutic value to CBD products, thereby achieving the Entourage Effect?

By accurately adding these two essential oils to CBD Isolate, we add their powerful terpenes and other chemical constituents. As a result, we may experience the added therapeutic properties of Lemon and Peppermint. The only things now missing from the CBD Isolate are the unwanted cannabinoids and terpenes from the cannabis sativa plant.

A study in 2014 discovered beta-caryophyllene (BCP) effective in helping ease inflammatory and neuropathic pain in mice. The study implied an interaction of beta-caryophyllene (BCP) at the CB2 cannabinoid receptors. Therefore, essential oils with beta-caryophyllene (BCP), as in peppermint oil, could be a possibility if these oils are used safely and appropriately. The study found that:

"The widespread plant volatile beta-caryophyllene (BCP) was recently identified as a natural selective agonist of the peripherally expressed cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2). It is found in relatively high concentrations in many spices and food plants. A number of studies have shown that CB2 is critically involved in the modulation of inflammatory and neuropathic pain responses. In this study, we have investigated the analgesic effects of BCP in animal models of inflammatory and neuropathic pain." (1) [Klauke et al 2014]

Studies such as these are in their early phases. However, we may conclude that adding Lemon and Peppermint essential oils to CBD Isolate may add some degree of therapeutic benefit.  However, we can be confident that adding these specifically chosen essential oils provides a lovely smell and pleasant flavor.

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About the Contributor:

Frances Fitzgerald Cleveland is a respected and accomplished herbalist and aromatherapist with extensive experience in health and behavior in both animals and humans. She obtained certification from The School for Aromatic Studies, formally known as the Institute of Dynamic Aromatherapy, and the International School of Animal Aromatics. Frances is an apprentice of Rosemary Gladstar, a world-renowned author, herbalist and teacher, and has completed the intensive Apprenticeship Program and the Science and Art of Herbalism Program in the didactic, therapeutic, laboratory and fieldwork in herbalism. She is also a graduate from the University of Connecticut, receiving a BA in Journalism and Environmental Science.

Among Frances' resumé highlights is her training zookeepers in essential oils with animals. The Denver Post and Los Angeles Times covered her groundbreaking Animal Aromatherapy work at The Denver Zoo with the Orangutans, Gorillas and Black Crested Macaque. Frances' work has also been covered by The Rocky Mountain News, Associated Press and international media. In addition, she has been a featured guest on Animal Radio. Her work has shown excellent results, confirming essential oils' effectiveness and wellness benefits.

Frances lives in Colorado, where she teaches and practices the art of working with essential oils and plants. Since 1996, she has operated FrogWorks, a boutique firm offering quality products, individual consultations and custom blended herbal and essential oil blends for people and animals worldwide. You can contact her at www.frogworks.us, info@frogworks.us, or 303.973.8848.

(1) A.-L. Klauke, I. Racz, B. Pradier, A. Markert, A.M. Zimmer, J. Gertsch, A. Zimmer, The cannabinoid CB2 receptor-selective phytocannabinoid beta-caryophyllene exerts analgesic effects in mouse models of inflammatory and neuropathic pain. European Neuropsychopharmacology, Volume 24, Issue 4, 2014, Pages 608-620, ISSN 0924-977X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2013.10.008.

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