# Beta-pinene

> Beta-pinene is a bicyclic monoterpene and isomer of alpha-pinene with a green, woody, herbal aroma, common in cannabis at low levels.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/beta-pinene.html
- Also written: β-pinene, b-pinene, beta pinene, nopinene
- Glossary category: Cannabinoids and terpenes · Evidence: Established
- Status: Draft: awaiting expert review · Updated: 2026-10-31
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), attribute "GenetixBay cannabis glossary"

Beta-pinene is a bicyclic [monoterpene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/monoterpene.md) with the same formula as [alpha-pinene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/alpha-pinene.md) but an exocyclic double bond. It smells woody and green, more like fresh-cut herbs, rosemary or dill than like pine needles. It is found in hops, rosemary, parsley, basil and many cannabis cultivars, where it usually sits below alpha-pinene.

## In practice

Lab [terpene panels](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/terpene-test.md) often report it separately at roughly 0.02-0.2% w/w in flower. Because both pinenes come from related synthase enzymes, they tend to rise and fall together across cultivars, and a "pine" [chemotype](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/chemotype.md) usually shows both. As a monoterpene it's volatile and sensitive to drying conditions.

## Don't confuse with

- **Alpha-pinene**: the more abundant isomer, with a sharper pine smell.
- **Camphene**: another bicyclic monoterpene with a camphor-pine smell, often listed nearby on panels.
- **Pinene (unspecified)**: some labels sum both isomers; check the method.

## Related terms

[Alpha-pinene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/alpha-pinene.md), [Monoterpene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/monoterpene.md), [Terpene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/terpene.md), [Terpene profile](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/terpene-profile.md)

## Sources

1. Booth JK, Bohlmann J. 2019. Terpenes in Cannabis sativa: from plant genome to humans. Plant Science 284:67-72.