Humulene, which is sometimes known to vape users as α-humulene, is another terpene (in addition to myrcene) that is found in both beer and cannabis. It is a key component of the essential oil of the hops plant. Humulene has subtle earthy, woody, and spicy notes that give hoppy beers their unique taste and also drive the spicy and herbal scent of some cannabis strains. It can also be found in sage, ginseng, and cilantro.
Plants rich in humulene, like sage and ginseng, have a long history in traditional medicine. The modern research is still early, mostly animal and lab work, and the strongest thread so far is inflammation. Humulene usually shows up alongside caryophyllene, a closely related spicy terpene, and the two are often studied together. Researchers are also looking at whether humulene can calm allergic inflammation in the airways.
Terpenes are fragrant oils found in many plants throughout nature, and in cannabis they are secreted by the frosty-looking trichomes alongside cannabinoids like THC and CBD. Terpenes not only determine the smell of a cannabis strain, they may also modify its effects either through aromatherapy, directly interacting with our endocannabinoid system, or both.
Humulene is one of the more common terpenes in cannabis, so you’ll see it on plenty of strain profiles in countries and states that consider cannabis legal.
Sage is one of the richest everyday sources of humulene, and lab studies of sage essential oil have looked at its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity. Ginseng, which also contains humulene, is traditionally used as an energy booster.
Strains With Humulene
Here are two TribeTokes vape strains that contain humulene. Start here if you like a spicy, earthy profile.
Benefits of Humulene
Early research, mostly in rodents, points to humulene as an anti-inflammatory.
Many terpenes in cannabis have shown promise in treating inflammation, and humulene is one of them! A 2007 study in the European Journal of Pharmacology found humulene and caryophyllene reduced inflammation in rats and mice, with effects comparable to the steroid dexamethasone, and concluded they might represent important tools for managing inflammatory diseases.
What is unique about humulene is its potential to fight certain allergies as well (which are tightly linked to inflammatory responses). In 2009 the British Journal of Pharmacology published an animal study in which humulene reduced allergic airway inflammation in mice, whether given orally or inhaled as an aerosol.
Almost all of this work is in animals and cells, so human studies are the next step before anyone can say what humulene does for people.
If inflammation is bothering you, check out our CBD pain cream in addition to our vapes containing humulene.
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