Alpha-bisabolol, also called levomenol, is a monocyclic sesquiterpene alcohol. It is the main aroma compound of German chamomile and a common ingredient in cosmetics because it is gentle on skin. In cannabis it is a minor terpene with a soft, sweet, floral smell, more noticeable in a few cultivar families than in most.
In practice
Readings from not detected to roughly 0.1-0.2% w/w are typicalbeing reviewed It isn't on every lab's terpene panel, so its absence on a COA may simply mean it wasn't tested. As a heavier sesquiterpenoid, it survives drying and storage better than the monoterpenes. GenetixBay makes no claims about its effects in cannabis.
Don't confuse with
- Bisabolene: the related hydrocarbon, spicier and less floral.
- Linalool: a monoterpene alcohol with a lavender note.
- Chamomile extract: a mix of many compounds, not bisabolol alone.
A sesquiterpene is a fifteen-carbon terpene made from farnesyl pyrophosphate, such as beta-caryophyllene, humulene and bisabolol; they are heavier and less volatile than monoterpenes.Terpenes are volatile hydrocarbon compounds built from five-carbon isoprene units; in cannabis they are made in the trichome heads and are a major part of aroma and flavour.ND (non-detect) on a COA means the compound was not found at or above the method's limit of detection; it does not mean the amount is zero.A terpene test measures the individual terpenes and total terpene content of a sample, usually by GC-FID or GC-MS, reported in % w/w or mg/g.A COA (certificate of analysis) is a lab's signed report of what it measured in a specific sample, such as cannabinoids, terpenes, moisture and contaminants, with methods and limits.A monoterpene is a ten-carbon terpene made from geranyl pyrophosphate, such as myrcene, limonene, pinene or terpinolene; they are the most volatile terpenes and the first lost in drying.Linalool is a floral, lavender-scented monoterpene alcohol found in lavender and some cannabis cultivars, usually at low levels below 0.3% w/w.A terpenoid is a terpene-derived compound that carries extra functional groups, usually oxygen (alcohols, oxides, ketones), such as linalool, bisabolol or caryophyllene oxide.A terpene profile is the measured mix of terpenes in a sample, reported as each compound's % w/w and the total, used to describe and compare cultivar aroma chemistry.Nerolidol is a woody, floral, slightly citrus sesquiterpene alcohol found in neroli, jasmine and tea, and as a minor terpene in some cannabis cultivars.
