Welcome to homework assignment CCC 1.27 of the Core Cannabis Course from Higher Learning LV. In this assignment, students learn about alpha-pinene, the most common terpene on earth. Alpha-pinene is one of the eight super class terpenes identified by a 2022 peer-reviewed research study as being the most common in North American cannabis cultivars.
In the assignment that follows, students are exposed to in-depth analysis of alpha-pinene, including its aroma profile and the potential medicinal benefits bestowed by this phytomolecule produced by hemp, cannabis, and many other plant species.
What is Alpha-pinene?
Alpha-pinene, also known as α-pinene, holds the distinction of being the most common terpene on earth (number two is limonene, a super class terpene covered later in this course). This simple monoterpene is produced by hundreds of botanical species beyond cannabis (more than 400, actually). These include basil, big sagebrush, camphorweed, conifer, dill, eucalyptus, frankincense, juniper, orange peel, parsley, pine nuts, rosemary, sage, and spruce.
