If you have ever smelled a hoppy IPA, you have met humulene. It takes its name from Humulus lupulus, the hops plant, which happens to be a close botanical cousin of cannabis. Humulene is the earthy, woody note that ties the two plants together, and it is one of the compounds responsible for that unmistakable hop-and-herb character.

Where you find it in nature

Hops, cloves, basil, sage, ginseng, and coriander. Its strong presence in hops is why humulene is a defining scent of craft beer, and why beer lovers often find cannabis aromas oddly familiar.

Aroma and flavor

Earthy, woody, and herbal, with a faintly bitter, hop-like edge. It grounds a profile and adds a savory, mature depth, the kind of note that makes a flavor feel complex and full rather than simply sweet.

What the research says

• Humulene is a sesquiterpene, and chemically it is a close relative of caryophyllene, so the two often appear together. Its most studied property is anti-inflammatory. Fernandes and colleagues in 2007, in the European Journal of Pharmacology, reported anti-inflammatory activity from an essential oil rich in humulene and caryophyllene.
• Rogerio and colleagues in 2009, in the British Journal of Pharmacology, studied alpha-humulene in a mouse model of airway inflammation and reported effects the authors compared to a common steroid.

These are animal and cell studies of the compound, at doses set by researchers, not claims about food. What they establish is that humulene is a well-studied, interesting molecule, not that a chew delivers a medical effect.

Strains rich in humulene

Humulene adds earthy depth to grounded and dessert strains. Read more about LA Confidential and Gelato #33, both carrying a humulene undertone.

Frequently asked questions

Does humulene get you high?

No. Humulene is the earthy aroma compound of hops and cannabis, not a cannabinoid, and it does not produce a high. See do terpenes get you high.

Is humulene related to caryophyllene?

Yes. They are chemically close sesquiterpenes and frequently occur together in the same plants, which is why earthy, peppery strains often feature both. Read about caryophyllene.

What does humulene smell like?

Earthy and woody with a bitter, hoppy, herbal edge.

Humulene in MONDAYS

Look for it in Raspberry Relief (LA Confidential) and Grapes Unleaded (Grape Gasoline).

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

References

1. Fernandes ES, et al. Anti-inflammatory effects of compounds alpha-humulene and (-)-trans-caryophyllene isolated from the essential oil of Cordia verbenacea. European Journal of Pharmacology. 2007;569(3):228-236.
2. Rogerio AP, et al. Preventive and therapeutic anti-inflammatory properties of the sesquiterpene alpha-humulene in experimental airways allergic inflammation. British Journal of Pharmacology. 2009;158(4):1074-1087.
3. Russo EB. Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects. British Journal of Pharmacology. 2011;163(7):1344-1364.