Weed Strains With the Limonene Terpene (2024)

If you're here right after reading about pinene strains, you know how this goes. However, if this is your first, let me get you up to speed. Here, I talk about the many different aromatic compounds found in cannabis, and this time around, it's about limonene. The limonene terpene is found in citrus fruits and other plants like dill and caraway.

Limonene exists in abundance in some cannabis strains but most often in strains with a citrus flavor and aroma. Outside of giving a sour taste to the buds of some cultivars, limonene also has the potential to provide therapeutic relief.

Limonene in cannabis

It's important to know that there are two types of limonene: D-limonene and L-limonene. D-limonene imparts the flavor and fragrance of oranges, while L-limonene creates a piney scent. In the cannabis plant, the most abundant is D-limonene.

In the case of some cannabis cultivars, the dominant presence of D-limonene gives them a mouthwatering citrus taste when toked. Some examples that come to mind are Orange Bud and LA Kush Cake.

Limonene is only one of the hundreds of different cannabis terpenes. Many cannabis strains blend a variety of terpenes that mix with limonene's flavors and aroma to produce a blend unique to that strain.

Besides the taste and scent it gives cannabis, limonene may also have the potential to reduce stress and anxiety. A study regarding the interaction of limonene to the adenosine A2A receptor showed that it increased the production of enzymes tyrosine hydroxylase and GAD-67, which are responsible for making dopamine and GABA, respectively. We know dopamine as the feel-good hormone, but what about GABA? It is one of the most common inhibitors in the central nervous system. It provides a calming effect by lessening the ability of our nerves to send, receive, and create signals to other nerve cells(1).

Other plants that contain limonene

Outside of oranges, D-limonene packs a punch in other citrus fruits like lemons, grapefruit, and limes. This abundant terpene is not just in the juices of these citrus fruits; the rinds and peels also contain limonene. Additionally, the edible parts of caraway, dill, and bergamot oranges contain L-limonene. It's also present in some coniferous trees, like the common juniper, whose berries taste bitter and pine-like.

Orange Bud

Orange Bud is a well-known name in Holland and a staple in coffee shops because of its stimulating effects and mouth-watering flavors. It blends sweetness with orange citrus, making it a prime pick for those who love a fruity zest with every toke. The aroma is similar, offering a sweet fragrance and intense citrus flavors.

The dominant terpene in Orange Bud is limonene, which gives this sativa-hybrid its distinct tangy taste and smell. The abundance of it may also give Orange Bud therapeutic benefits such as reducing anxiety. Sure, this sativa-hybrid makes you feel energized and euphoric, but its limonene terpene effects may also provide relief against anxiety.

As much as consumers praise Orange Bud for the high it gives and the flavors of its smoke, this sativa-hybrid could have come out better on its first sprout. Its journey started when the Dutch Passion Team grew a phenotype of Skunk #1 with vibrant orange hairs and a rich orange citrus taste (or so the story goes). From there, they stabilized this phenotype and made it perfect, taking them a couple of years. Still, when growers released the strain in the 1980s, Orange Bud was an immediate hit among connoisseurs and enthusiasts, remaining a staple today.

Orange Bud cultivar profile

LSD

LSD is a hybrid cannabis strain with a high THC concentration ranging between 18% to 24%. It delivers a potent cerebral high that leaves consumers feeling euphoric and relaxed, yet the hybrid's psychedelic buzz helps it earn its name. Even if you wind up glued to your couch after a sesh, your trip will put the Bohemians’ Hippie Trail to shame.

You'll be stuck with the tangy taste of orange citrus in your mouth while your nostrils take in its musky and earthy fragrance. In addition to the sour flavors and earthy aromas of LSD, this hybrid's smoke also has notes of fruity sweetness that resemble apples and slight hints of spice in its taste and smell.

LSD’s terpene profile naturally contains limonene. This terpene gives LSD its sour and tangy notes, while myrcene (its dominant terpene) gives it the sweet flavors you taste with each toke. Finally, caryophyllene adds that signature hint of spice, also present in the autoflower version.

LSD cultivar profile

Jealousy

Jealousy is a rising star in the market. Made by Seed Junky Genetics, this indica-dominant strain has carved itself a place in the industry with its unique effects and flavors. Jealousy marked its journey to fame by placing 2nd in the hybrid category at the 2022 California High Times Cannabis Cup, giving it its envious name. Placing 2nd (a colossal achievement, especially for a new strain) solidified its name and started its underdog story against Pink Certz.

What flavors and effects did Jealousy have to attract enough attention to place second at the 2022 SoCal Cannabis Cup? Well, this particular strain blends sweet, sour, and peppery notes thanks to its rich terpene profile of caryophyllene, limonene, and myrcene. The aroma of Jealousy (also available in Autoflower) resembles that of one of its parent strains, Gelato, which has a rich, fruity scent of oranges and blueberries.

Jealousy’s effects are defined by a high that blends euphoria and energy. With THC levels of up to 18%, a sesh from this indica-hybrid leaves consumers feeling a wave of bliss that washes away stress and anxiety. But there could be more to it than the high it provides, as the presence of limonene could be the reason why Jealousy has stress and anxiety-relieving effects.

Jealousy cultivar profile

LA Kush Cake

Another quality strain from Seed Junky Genetics is LA Kush Cake. This indica-hybrid has limonene, caryophyllene, and myrcene, which crafts LA Kush Cake's distinct flavor, combining a sweet cookie dough taste with peppery and minty notes. The fragrance is much the same as the taste, but for those with a keen nose, you may pick up hints of decadent vanilla with each exhale.

When it comes to effects, LA Kush Cake is a reasonably potent indica-hybrid that has a high THC concentration of up to 23%, promising a relaxing body high that can leave most consumers feeling sleepy and uplifted.

So, if you've also been looking for an excellent end-of-day strain with relaxing effects and a flavor that will remind you of Girl Scout cookies, LA Kush Cake might become your new favorite, be it the photoperiod or the autoflower variant.

LA Kush Cake cultivar profile

Super Silver Haze

Super Silver Haze is a classic sativa-dominant strain from the 90s made famous by winning the High Times Cup in the Cannabis Cup Awards for three consecutive years. From 1997 to 1999, this sativa-hybrid's intense flavors and even more potent effects mesmerized judges.

Although Blueberry dethroned it in the 2000 Cannabis Cup, Super Silver Haze's ability to take on Blueberry, a legendary strain from the 1970s, and stop its streak speaks volumes about the quality of Super Silver Haze. Let’s examine the strain's quality, starting with its terpenes.

This sativa-hybrid mixes myrcene, limonene, and caryophyllene to craft its signature citrusy and spicy flavors. Some say the Super Silver Haze’s distinct spice resembles hashish. Its citrus fragrance is much stronger and smells of sweet lemons with notes of berries. The scent delivers some spice but far less than its flavor.

For its effects, Super Silver Haze has an uplifting buzz that helps calm your nerves and fill your mind with bliss. It also has a refreshing high that boosts consumers' energy without leaving them jittery or restless.

Super Silver Haze cultivar profile

Super Lemon Haze

Following Super Silver Haze is one of its offspring, Super Lemon Haze. As its name implies, this sativa-dominant strain boasts a citrus aroma and taste. That noticeable aroma is thanks to a terpene profile that includes limonene, terpinolene, and caryophyllene.

Like Super Silver Haze, Super Lemon Haze was a back-to-back High Times Cannabis Cup winner, taking the 2008 and 2009 Cup. It also won the 2014 Seattle Cannabis Cup in the medical sativa category, cementing its award-winning genetics and the quality of its therapeutic effects. Not just that, it exists in both the photoperiod and the autoflower version!

The limonene in its flowers provides therapeutic effects and is said to help reduce stress and anxiety. Combine that with its uplifting effects, and it’s no wonder that many still enjoy the buzz and flavor of Super Lemon Haze.

Super Lemon Haze cultivar profile

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Sources used in this article

• Song, Y. et al. (2021) Limonene has anti-anxiety activity via adenosine A2A receptor-mediated regulation of dopaminergic and GABAergic neuronal function in the striatum [ScienceDirect]⁽¹⁾
• Nikfar, S., & Behboudi, A. (2014). Limonene. In Elsevier eBooks (pp. 78–82). https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-386454-3.00628-x⁽²⁾