# Guaiol

> Guaiol is a sesquiterpene alcohol with a woody, piney, slightly rosy smell, named for guaiacum wood and present as a minor terpene in some cannabis cultivars.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/guaiol.html
- Also written: guaiac alcohol, champacol, guajol
- 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"

Guaiol is a bicyclic [sesquiterpene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/sesquiterpene.md) alcohol found in guaiacum wood oil and cypress pine, where it can crystallise out of the oil. Its smell is woody, piney and faintly rosy. In cannabis it is a minor [terpenoid](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/terpenoid.md), more common in some cultivar families, and often reported on larger panels alongside other sesquiterpene alcohols such as eudesmols.

## In practice

Typical flower readings run from [not detected](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/non-detect.md) to roughly 0.2% w/w. Guaiol is one of the terpenoids that, with eudesmols and bulnesol, has been associated with certain landrace-derived [chemotypes](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/chemotype.md) in some studies, but the pattern is not strong enough to use as a cultivar fingerprint. Low volatility means it holds up through drying and storage.

## Don't confuse with

- **Guaiacol**: a smoky phenol from wood smoke; a different compound.
- **Guaiacum**: the tree genus that gives the name.
- **Eudesmol**: a related sesquiterpene alcohol that often co-occurs.

## Related terms

[Sesquiterpene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/sesquiterpene.md), [Terpenoid](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/terpenoid.md), [Terpene profile](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/terpene-profile.md), [Nerolidol](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/nerolidol.md)

## Sources

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