The Best Terpenes for Anxiety and Stress
Plus 15 Weed Strains Loaded With ’Em
In case the world’s felt a little overwhelming lately. Or work sucked today. Or both.
Hell, maybe you’re just trying to relax after a traffic-jammed commute. Regardless of why you may be feeling anxious or stressed, the feeling itself sucks. It’s uncomfortable, distracting, and annoyingly capable of compounding.
Terpenes are a natural way to confront that feeling. They help provide all plants their taste and smell, attract their pollinators, and deter their pests. They do even more for humans; medicine has leveraged them for thousands of years. You may already be using them too, if you’ve ever diffused lavender oil to relax or drank lemon tea to calm your nerves.
Over 20,000 terpenes have been discovered, and so far, more than 200 of them have been found in cannabis.[1] Together with cannabinoids and flavonoids, they create the Entourage Effect, acting as a team to bring your body and mind closer to equilibrium.
What Do Terpenes Do?
Research is still needed to definitively say what most terpenes can do and how they do it. Lately, those found in cannabis have been the topic of choice for scientific studies because of their interaction and relationship with cannabinoids and flavonoids. These three groups of botanical compounds impart the high you experience when you consume weed.
THC is responsible for the actual high, but a large part of what determines if that high is energy-boosting, couch-locking, happy, paranoid, good for social outings, bad for dinner with your in-laws, etc. is what the rest of the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids are doing. This is why a high-THC strain with a minimal cannabinoid and terpene profile might induce paranoia, but a strain with the same THC content and a robust cannabinoid and terpene profile may have you feeling energized and motivated to clean your house.
Terpenes themselves have shown the ability to stimulate or bind to certain receptors in the body, reduce inflammation, act as antioxidants, and impart a range of therapeutic benefits, including helping to reduce anxiety and stress. Cannabis, in particular, has a few with mega medicinal power.
5 Best Terpenes for Anxiety and Stress
When [you’re talking to your budtender] about the best weed strains to help you relax, ask them to recommend strains with high contents of one or more of these five terpenes.
1. Alpha-Pinene
Alpha-Pinene is the most common terpene in all of nature. It’s what gives pine trees their classic scent, but you can also find it in rosemary, nutmeg, clove, and other herbs and plants.[2] You’ll find it in many cannabis strains, including popular ones like Blue Dream and OG Kush.
Evidence suggests alpha-pinene has anti-depressant and anti-anxiety properties because of its interaction with GABA and serotonin receptors, making it one of the best terpenes for anxiety and stress.[3]
2. Beta-Caryophyllene
Beta-caryophyllene is another common terpene in the plant world, found in plants like hops, black pepper, and clove.[4] Cannabis strains like Girl Scout Cookies (GSC) and Bubba Kush are full of this terpene.
Beta-caryophyllene is a unique terpene because it behaves like a cannabinoid by interacting with your Endocannabinoid System (ECS). This terpene can bind to your CB2 receptor, much like THC does, helping to stimulate your ECS. Animal studies have shown this action may reduce feelings of anxiety and depression.[5]
3. Linalool
Linalool has been known as one of the best terpenes for anxiety and stress for hundreds of years. It’s responsible for the floral scent of lavender, and you can also find it in plants like basil, rose, and mint.[6]
This terpene is why lavender essential oil is known to help people relax. It interacts with GABA receptors and restores dopamine levels in the body, helping to reduce feelings of anxiety and stress.[7] Try weed strains like Durban, Zkittlez, and Amnesia Haze to enjoy this happy terp.
4. Limonene
Limonene is the second-most common terpene in plants. It’s found in citrus and is why fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruit share that bright, sour-sweet, zesty aroma. It’s also responsible for cleaning products smelling like lemon.
Like other anxiety-reducing terpenes, limonene has shown the ability to interact with GABA receptors and increase dopamine levels in the brain.[8]
Because limonene has been used in other things like perfume and cleaning products for years, it has a decent amount of research to back up its reputation as one of the best terpenes for anxiety and stress. Learn more about its medicinal power here.
5. Myrcene
Myrcene is the most common terpene found in commercial cannabis. You’ll find it in strains like ACDC, Grape Ape, and Mango Kush. You can also find it in thyme, mangos, and lemongrass, among other plants.
Animal and human studies have demonstrated this terpene’s ability to reduce anxiety and stress through improved nerve activity and increased theta and alpha brainwave activity.[9]
[Get To Know 5 Other Common Cannabis Terpenes]
15 Weed Strains High in Anxiety-Reducing Terpenes
Ask your budtender about these strains the next time you need something to help take the edge off. They feature some of the best terpenes for anxiety and stress that you can find!
- Blue Dream
- Blueberry Cheesecake
- Bubba Kush
- Cannatonic
- Durban Poison
- Girl Scout Cookies (GSC)
- Grandaddy Purple
- Harlequin
- Jack Herer
- Kosher Kush
- Northern Lights
- OG Kush
- Remedy
- Super Sour Diesel
- White Widow
Get Your Medical Card and Harness the Power of Natural Medicine
You can access all of the terpenes we’ve mentioned in other plants and herbs, but if you want to experience them as a part of weed’s Entourage Effect, get your medical card first. Even if you live in a state with rec weed, like Missouri, having an MMJ card reduces the amount of taxes you have to pay on your purchase and also increases the amount of weed you can buy at one time.