Limonene: A Terpene that Gives Marijuana a Bright and Cheerful Mood Boost
Have you ever detected a pleasing lemony scent in marijuana and wondered what was behind it? You were smelling limonene, a terpene—or aromatic oil—that’s found in certain strains of marijuana along with many other sources, including citrus fruits. Limonene is one of the major contributors to the sparkly citrus aroma of such strains as Purple Punch, White Fire OG, and Dos-Si-Dos, among many others.
But limonene lends a lot more than just an enticing aroma: It imparts real mood-boosting and digestion-aiding qualities, too. What’s more, a Fitchburg marijuana dispensary is focusing on stocking more products that contain this powerful and beloved essential oil. Here’s a little of limonene’s backstory, including some of the ways it might help you tame depression, improve your gut function, even fight off stubborn fungal infections. There’s a lot to love about this lemon-scented miracle worker!
The Story of Limonene, an All-Natural Mood Booster
As you might guess from its name, limonene is a vital component of many citrus fruits, along with pine trees and aromatic woods such as palo santo. It’s naturally cheery scent makes it a valued addition to medicines, foods, even all-natural cleaning products. No mystery as to why: Limonene has a unique mood-boosting effect. In fact, many people turn to this terpene as an all-natural antidepressant.
As the staff at a leading Fitchburg marijuana dispensary can attest, anxiety is one of the principal reasons people turn to marijuana for support. And a number of studies back up what our noses are already telling us: That limonene’s delightful citrus aroma has the power to help chase stress away. Elsewhere, clinical studies demonstrate that limonene helps increase our production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, both of which play crucial roles in supporting our mental health.
The benefits of limonene don’t end there. A promising line of research indicates that limonene helps maintain healthy gut function and digestion. Believe it or not, this may tie in with the terpene’s known mood-brightening qualities. Many scientists are coming to the conclusion that the gut functions something like a “second brain,” playing an outsize role in how we regulate our emotions. By helping support proper digestion, limonene may actually be brightening our moods at the same time.
Other Medical Uses for Limonene
Many terpenes have demonstrated unusual antibacterial and antifungal properties, and limonene is no exception. Studies have demonstrated its efficacy at helping fight stubborn fungal infections like thrush and athlete’s foot. What’s more, limonene’s chemical structure lends it a unique ability to be readily absorbed through the skin. This quality may help become an important first line of defense against these and other nasty infections.
Believe it or not, there’s even more. While we want to be extremely explicit in terms of overpromising in this department, a pair of studies published by the University of Arizona indicated that limonene not only lends our immune systems a boost, but may play a role in controlling the spread of certain cancer cells, including those associated with breast cancer and lung cancer. While it’s far too early to posit that marijuana may “cure” cancer, a number of such studies show that certain cannabinoids and terpenes—in other words, the major “active ingredients” in marijuana—have demonstrated the ability to fight certain cancer cells in laboratory conditions.
Do you have other questions about this remarkable terpene? The staff at a leading Fitchburg marijuana dispensary are always on hand to explain the mechanics of how marijuana works with the body, or to help guide your choices in terms of which products might best suit your needs.
Interested in learning more about cannabis? Check out these other important marijuana studies.