Our Top Terpenes for Wintertime

No matter where you live (or the temperature there), winter still has a certain vibe about it. We start craving savory foods and snuggly sweaters, and we replace the floral or fruity candles with more robust scents of evergreens, herbs, and spices to evoke that warm, holiday season aesthetic. If this sounds like you, and you’re a cannabis consumer, you may want to look at your marijuana’s terpene profile too. Winter is a great time to switch up your cannabis experience and embrace the season’s most familiar spices and aromas.

A Quick Lesson on Terpenes

Terpenes are the unique, aromatic compounds found in plants all over the globe, including cannabis. A plant’s terpene profile can give it sweet, spicy, savory, and citrusy scents—along with unique scents like diesel fuel!—and a variety of flavors that accompany those. When consuming cannabis, those aromas, and even the way the marijuana tastes, are due to these little compounds.

Depending on the scents you gravitate toward, we have three terpenes we love for the winter season. Each of them are unique, and each of them can be found in nature and some of our favorite cannabis strains.  

Check out our marijuana hot cocoa recipe and recommendations for winter cannabis strains.  

Imagine a carafe of hot apple cider with big slices of lemon floating on top. Add cinnamon sticks to the glasses, and you have the makings of a winter evening drink to cozy down with. And you can thank limonene, in part, for some of those flavors.

Limonene is most commonly found in citrus rinds, and it’s what gives lemons and other fruits, like grapefruits and oranges, their tang. Limonene is one of the most popular terpenes in the world and you may even have some of it in your house under the sink where you keep your citrus-scented cleaning supplies.

If you’re looking to give your favorite citrus fruits a seasonal treatment, combine them with thyme or sage for a delicious smelling potpourri.

Limonene-rich strains: Lemon OG, Jack Herer, OG Kush, Girl Scout Cookies (GSC), Wedding Cake, Lemon Diesel

Learn more about limonene  

This terpene is going to make you want to go for a hike on your favorite local trail. That’s because caryophyllene has a robust, woodsy aroma that is responsible for the scents in black pepper, cinnamon, lavender, oregano, and rosemary. All of these herbs and spices are also perfect additions to your seasonal menu. Consider your favorite recipe for pumpkin pie or, for those who prefer savory flavors, a lamb tenderloin delicately drizzled with rosemary sauce.

Caryophyllene-rich strains: Green Lantern, Stardawg 91, Wabanaki, White Widow, Bubba Kush, Chemdog

Learn more about caryophyllene  

Just like it probably was no surprise limonene gives lemons their unique scent, it will be no surprise that pinene gives pine trees their distinct aroma! And what better scent to represent winter than the terpene that gives your favorite evergreen arrangements their aroma. In addition to conifers, pinene is found in rosemary, dill, basil, and even limes. So for those of you interested in cooking with pinene, treat yourself to a salmon steak garnished in dill or a woodfire-grilled Margherita pizza decorated with basil that you can share with friends.

Pinene-rich strains: Grape Ape, Blue Dream, Trainwreck, Harlequin, Cotton Candy Kush, Big Smooth

Learn more about pinene

Using this guide and just a splash of creativity, your favorite seasonal scents can now come from the terpenes in cannabis too.