What are terpenes? And why 2 CBD oils can feel completely different

It's a story I hear all the time when I talk CBD with clients.

They've tried CBD oil before, and it just didn't do anything for them. No calm, no shift, nothing. Then they try Provacan, and almost overnight, something clicks. They feel it. They notice a difference they couldn't quite put into words with the last product.

So what changed?

The answer may not always be the CBD itself, but instead may come down to the plant compounds known as “terpenes”.

Most people shopping for a CBD product zero in on one number: the CBD milligram (mg) strength. It feels like the obvious thing to compare, so it's easy to assume it's the whole story. But sitting quietly alongside the CBD is another group of compounds doing far more heavy lifting than most people realise, shaping how a product smells, tastes, and ultimately feels once it's in your system. And almost nobody thinks to look for them.

Even if the word is new to you, you have certainly already experienced the effects of terpenes. That unmistakable scent of fresh lavender drifting through a garden. The sharp little zing of orange peel as you cut into it at the kitchen counter. The deep, resinous smell that hits you the moment you step into a pine forest. All of that is terpenes at work. And yes, they're in your CBD oil too, quietly influencing the experience you're having.

In this article, we'll unpack what terpenes really are and why they're not some cannabis-exclusive chemistry. We'll look at whether they genuinely change how CBD feels and tackle the question we get asked more than almost any other: can they get you high (spoiler: they can't). Then we'll walk through the most common terpenes you'll come across and show you how to tell whether a product's terpene profile is the real deal, or just marketing spiel.

What are terpenes, exactly?

Terpenes are naturally occurring aromatic compounds produced by plants. They're what give plants their smell, their character, that instantly recognisable something you pick up on before you've even thought about why. Chemically, they're built from small, repeating molecular units, which is why so many different plants across completely unrelated species can produce terpenes that smell strikingly similar to one another.

Cannabis happens to produce a particularly rich and varied mix of them, which is one of the reasons different cannabis strains (and, by extension, different CBD products) can smell and feel so distinct from one another. But terpenes themselves are everywhere in the plant kingdom, not confined to cannabis at all. Myrcene, one of the most common cannabis terpenes, also turns up in mangoes and lemongrass. It's a useful reminder that these compounds are ordinary, everyday chemistry, not some exotic quirk of one plant.

So, when a CBD label mentions terpenes, it isn't referring to obscure or cannabis-exclusive science. It's referring to the same broad family of compounds already sitting in your fruit bowl, your garden, and your kitchen spice rack - you just hadn't put a name to them yet.

What do terpenes do?

1. Protect the plant

   In nature, terpenes exist to help the plant survive. Some attract pollinators with a pleasant scent. Others act as a natural defence mechanism, deterring pests and grazing animals, or protecting the plant from UV damage and environmental stress. In other words, terpenes aren't decorative - they're functional, and they've been shaped by evolutionary pressure over millions of years.

   
2. Create aroma and flavour

   Closer to home, terpenes are also the reason cannabis, and CBD products have such varied aromas and flavours. A product described as "earthy" or "musky" is usually rich in myrcene. One described as "citrusy" or "zesty" likely contains higher levels of limonene. This is context worth knowing, but it's really just the tip of the iceberg - the more interesting question is whether these compounds do anything beyond smell.

   

Do terpenes affect how CBD feels?

This is the part most labels don't tell you, and it's the reason two CBD oils with identical milligram strengths can feel completely different.

The theory is known as the entourage effect: the idea that cannabinoids like CBD don't act in isolation, but in combination with terpenes and other plant compounds, producing an effect that's different from - and, some researchers argue, potentially greater than - any single compound acting alone (1).

Under this theory, a CBD oil rich in linalool and myrcene (both associated with relaxation) may feel noticeably more calming than one dominated by limonene or pinene, which are more commonly associated with alertness and uplift. This isn't about the CBD changing chemically - it's about the surrounding terpene profile nudging the overall experience in a particular direction.

It's worth noting: that much of the entourage effect research is still preliminary, based largely on preclinical and observational studies rather than large-scale human trials (1,2). But it's a compelling and increasingly mainstream explanation for something many CBD users have long reported anecdotally - that "not all CBD oils are created equal", even at the same strength.

Do terpenes get you high?

No – not at all.

This question comes up a lot, mostly because terpenes are sometimes described as "psychoactive", and that word tends to set off alarm bells. It's a fair question to ask, but the answer is straightforward.

"Psychoactive" simply means a substance affects the brain or mental state in some way. Caffeine is psychoactive. So is the smell of lavender, which measurably shifts mood and relaxation in some studies. Terpenes can be psychoactive in this broad sense - they may influence mood, alertness, or relaxation - without being intoxicating. They don't produce a high, they don't impair you, and they're not responsible for the effects associated with THC.

The confusion tends to come from cannabis culture more broadly, where "psychoactive" is often used loosely to mean "gets you high". In reality, plenty of everyday psychoactive substances - a strong coffee, a cup of chamomile tea, a walk through a pine forest - shift how you feel without altering your state of mind in any intoxicating way. Terpenes sit firmly in that camp.

A quick guide to the most common terpenes

Note: these are commonly reported associations rather than clinically proven effects, most of the research behind them is still early stage.

How to check the terpene profile of a CBD product

Now that you know what to look for, the real question becomes: how do you know a product contains the terpene profile it claims?

1. Check the spectrum

   This determines whether terpenes are present - at all.

   Here are the three types of CBD available and should be described on the bottle or product description.

   • CBD isolate: pure CBD, with everything else, including terpenes, stripped out during processing – completely terpene-free.
   • Broad-spectrum: retains a range of cannabinoids and typically some terpenes, but with THC removed.
   • Full-spectrum: retains the widest range of the plant's natural compounds, including its original terpene profile, alongside legal trace levels of THC.

   If the entourage effect and terpene profile matter to you, isolate products simply won't deliver it - there's nothing left in the oil to work alongside the CBD.

2. Check the paperwork - Certificate of Analysis (COA)

   Reputable brands should provide a Certificate of Analysis (COA) from independent, third-party lab testing.

   This may contain:

   • Cannabinoid breakdown: confirming that the CBD content matches the label, and the major and minor cannabinoids, plus the amount
   • Terpene panel: showing which ones are present and in what concentration.
   • Contaminant testing: ensuring the product is free of contaminants, including pesticides, heavy metals and solvents.

Final thoughts: it’s never just the CBD

CBD tends to get all the credit, but it's rarely working alone. The terpenes sitting quietly alongside it - the ones giving your oil its scent, its taste, its subtle character - are shaping more of the experience than most labels let on.

Once you know to look for them, you'll never read a CBD product the same way again.

Ready to explore a product where the full terpene profile is kept intact? Browse our full-spectrum oils.

Sources

1. Russo, E.B., 2011. Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects. British Journal of Pharmacology, 163(7), pp.1344–1364. https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01238.x
2. Santiago, M., Sachdev, S., Arnold, J.C., McGregor, I.S. and Connor, M., 2019. Absence of entourage: terpenoids commonly found in Cannabis sativa do not modulate the functional activity of Δ9-THC at human CB1 and CB2 receptors. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 4(3), pp.165–176. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/can.2019.0016
3. Gonzalez-Cuevas, G. et al., 2018. Unique treatment potential of cannabidiol for the prevention of relapse to drug use: preclinical proof of principle. Neuropsychopharmacology, 43, pp.2036–2045. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-018-0050-8
4. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), 2023. Cannabis (Marijuana) and Cannabinoids: What You Need To Know. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/cannabis-marijuana-and-cannabinoids-what-you-need-to-know