Alpha-pinene is the terpene behind the smell of pine. Reference books describe its odor as "characteristic odor of pine" and "odor of turpentine", and it's one of two pinene isomers, alongside beta-pinene. It's also a research subject, though much of that work was done in cells and animals, and none of it tells you what you'll feel from a product.
At a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Formula and weight | C10H16, 136.23 g/mol (same as beta-pinene) |
| Aroma | Pine, turpentine (PubChem reference entries) |
| Boiling point | 156 °C at 760 mm Hg (Merck Index 2006) |
| Cultivar measured highest | Blue Dream, 4.2 ± 1.3 mg/g (19 samples) |
| Found in | At least 40 essential oils; conifer oils are mostly alpha-pinene |
| Clinical trials | Only a limited number, mostly on essential oils, per a 2019 review |
Sources: PubChem, Fischedick 2017 and Salehi et al. 2019.
Shop this guide
Northern Lights #2 is the one Entour™ blend that lists alpha-pinene first:
- Native® Northern Lights #2, 5 mL, $35: alpha-pinene (primary), then myrcene and beta-pinene, with a pinene-forward flavor line on the product page.
- Native® Blue Dream, 5 mL, $35: myrcene leads, with alpha-pinene listed second.
- Native® Grand Daddy Purple, 5 mL, $35: myrcene first, with caryophyllene and alpha-pinene behind it.
What is alpha-pinene?
Alpha-pinene is a monoterpene with the formula C10H16 and a molecular weight of 136.23, per PubChem. Its systematic name is 2,6,6-trimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-ene.
It isn't a cannabis-only compound. A 2019 review in Biomolecules by Salehi and colleagues reports that alpha-pinene "has been detected in at least 40 different EOs" (essential oils), that coniferous-plant oils are mostly composed of it, and that plants it lists as containing alpha-pinene, beta-pinene or both include pine species, rosemary and juniper.
For our own page on the compound, see the alpha-pinene terpene profile.
What does alpha-pinene smell like?
Pine. PubChem's odor records for alpha-pinene quote two reference books: "characteristic odor of pine" (Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, 1975) and "odor of turpentine" (Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials, 1999).
That's the aroma people mean by "pine terpene". In a cultivar profile it sits beside others, so the finished smell depends on the mix, not on pinene alone.
Alpha-pinene vs beta-pinene
The two share a formula and a weight but differ in structure, which shows up in the reference data. Beta-pinene boils slightly higher, and its odor entries add woody and resinous notes.
| Property | Alpha-pinene | Beta-pinene |
|---|---|---|
| Formula, weight | C10H16, 136.23 | C10H16, 136.23 |
| Systematic name | 2,6,6-trimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-ene | 6,6-dimethyl-2-methylidenebicyclo[3.1.1]heptane |
| Boiling point | 156 °C at 760 mm Hg | 165 to 166 °C at 760 mm Hg |
| Odor entries | "Characteristic odor of pine"; "odor of turpentine" | "Characteristic turpentine odor; dry, woody or resinous aroma"; "piney, turpentine-like odor" |
Source: PubChem records for alpha-pinene and beta-pinene. Boiling points are from the Merck Index (2006); odor entries from Fenaroli (1975), Sax (1999) and the CRC Handbook of Food Additives (1980).
We have a separate page on beta-pinene. In the lab data below the two appear together but not in a fixed ratio: beta-pinene is about half the alpha level in Blue Dream and higher than alpha in Gelato and Trainwreck.
Which cannabis cultivars have the most alpha-pinene?
Blue Dream measured highest in the published dataset we could verify, at 4.2 mg/g on average. Fischedick's team analyzed 233 flower samples across 30 named cultivars from one California dispensary in 2015 and 2016.
| Cultivar | Samples | Alpha-pinene (mg/g, mean ± SD) | Beta-pinene (mg/g, mean ± SD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Dream | 19 | 4.2 ± 1.3 | 2.0 ± 0.5 |
| Purple Urkle | 5 | 3.2 ± 0.6 | 0.9 ± 0.1 |
| Godfather | 7 | 2.9 ± 1.0 | 1.0 ± 0.3 |
| Purple Princess | 9 | 2.7 ± 0.6 | 0.7 ± 0.1 |
| Purple Cream | 9 | 2.1 ± 0.4 | 0.5 ± 0.2 |
| Grape Ape | 8 | 2.0 ± 1.0 | 0.5 ± 0.3 |
| Gelato | 5 | 1.0 ± 0.1 | 1.6 ± 0.2 |
| Trainwreck | 7 | 0.9 ± 0.2 | 1.5 ± 0.3 |
| Jack Herer | 9 | below 0.4 | 0.7 ± 0.3 |
Source: Fischedick 2017, Table 2. The limit of quantification was 0.4 mg/g.
Two things stand out. The author wrote that "Blue dream contained higher levels of α-pinene and β-pinene compared with all other cultivars in this study", and Jack Herer came in under the 0.4 mg/g reporting limit for alpha-pinene.
Treat the names as labels, not guarantees. The cultivar names were whatever the dispensary recorded, and the samples came from different batches and producers.
What does alpha-pinene do? What research has studied
The honest answer is that researchers have studied it, mostly in cells and rodents, and the findings don't translate into promises for a consumer. We don't claim any effect for alpha-pinene or for our blends.
Here is what we could verify, labeled by type.
- Review of the evidence. Salehi and colleagues (2019) wrote that "few studies have assessed the preclinical pharmacological effects of both compounds", and in their conclusions that further efforts "are needed to deepen knowledge in this field." They also noted "only a limited number of clinical trials are available up to date on EO".
- Cognition trials in that review. The cognition-related trials it lists used Salvia lavandulifolia essential oil, a mixture containing pinene among other compounds, so they can't isolate alpha-pinene.
- A rat study. In 2023, Hashemi and Ahmadi gave male Wistar rats alpha-pinene at 50 mg/kg per day by injection into the abdominal cavity for 21 days, around a brain injection of kainic acid used to impair memory. They measured two memory tasks and hippocampal proteins. The authors wrote that the results "may imply that the APN pre-and post-treatment did not completely prevent memory impairment induced by KA", and the protein measurements used 4 animals per group.
That last study is a rat model with injected doses, not a person using a product. It's the kind of result that justifies more research, not a purchase decision.
If you came here for "terpenes for memory", that is the full picture from the papers we opened.
When to bring in a formulator
If you're after an aroma with a clear pine lift, the work is in balance: how much pinene a blend can carry before it overwhelms the rest of the profile. That's a formulation question and it depends on your product type.
To build a pinene-forward profile for your own line, talk to the team about custom terpene blends.
FAQ
What does alpha-pinene do?
Researchers have studied it in cells and animals, and a 2019 review says few studies have assessed it and that further research is needed. We don't claim effects for it. As an ingredient, it's the compound responsible for a pine aroma.
What is alpha-pinene's aroma?
Reference books quoted in PubChem describe it as a "characteristic odor of pine" and an "odor of turpentine".
What is the difference between alpha-pinene and beta-pinene?
They share the formula C10H16 and a weight of 136.23, but have different structures. Alpha-pinene boils at about 156 °C and beta-pinene at 165 to 166 °C in the Merck Index figures cited by PubChem, and beta-pinene's odor entries add woody and resinous notes.
Which cannabis cultivars have the most alpha-pinene?
In the 2017 Fischedick dataset, Blue Dream averaged the most at 4.2 mg/g, followed by Purple Urkle at 3.2 and Godfather at 2.9. Individual jars vary, so look at the lab report for the batch.
Where else is alpha-pinene found?
Salehi and colleagues report it in at least 40 essential oils and say conifer oils are mostly composed of alpha-pinene. Their list of plants containing alpha-pinene, beta-pinene or both includes pine species, rosemary and juniper.
Is there a downside to alpha-pinene?
We haven't found a source on that in people to cite, and we don't give safety or health advice. If you have questions about how a compound affects you, ask a qualified professional.
Where to take this next
If you're building around pine-forward aroma, browse Native® blends and start with a sample.
About the author: The Entour™ team is a division of The Werc Shop®, the first commercial cannabis laboratory to test for terpenes back in 2011. The team formulates True To Plant® terpene profiles for licensed cannabis brands across the US, Canada, and tribal markets.
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