# Limonene

> Limonene is a monoterpene with a citrus aroma, found in citrus peel and many cannabis cultivars, where it is often among the top three terpenes.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/limonene.html
- Also written: d-limonene, (+)-limonene, limonine, lemonene
- 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"

Limonene is a cyclic [monoterpene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/monoterpene.md). The (+)-form, d-limonene, dominates citrus peel oil and smells of orange and lemon; cannabis produces mainly the (-)-form, which smells more pine-lemon. It is one of the most frequent [dominant](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/dominant.md) [terpenes](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/terpene.md) in commercial flower, often paired with [beta-caryophyllene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/beta-caryophyllene.md) in the "sweet, gassy, citrus" profile that dominates many markets.

## In practice

Typical flower readings run 0.1-0.8% w/w. Limonene is volatile and oxidises in air; oxidation products are part of the stale smell of old buds. Note that a lemony aroma isn't proof of limonene: some citrus-like notes come from other compounds such as [terpinolene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/terpinolene.md), [valencene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/valencene.md) or esters. Only a [terpene test](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/terpene-test.md) tells you.

## Don't confuse with

- **Valencene**: a citrus-smelling [sesquiterpene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/sesquiterpene.md), much less volatile.
- **Linalool**: floral, not citrus.
- **Citral/lemon aldehydes**: other citrus compounds, minor in cannabis.

## Myth check

Claims that limonene makes a cultivar "uplifting" are not established by controlled human data; effects are only reported. See [Mythbusters](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/mythbusters.md).

## Related terms

[Terpene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/terpene.md), [Monoterpene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/monoterpene.md), [Terpene profile](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/terpene-profile.md), [Myrcene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/myrcene.md), [Beta-caryophyllene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/beta-caryophyllene.md), [Valencene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/valencene.md)

## Read more

- [Why everything tastes the same: the evidence that commercial cannabis is converging](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/genetics-history/why-everything-tastes-the-same.md)

## Sources

1. Smith CJ, Vergara D, Keegan B, Jikomes N. 2022. The phytochemical diversity of commercial Cannabis in the United States. PLOS ONE 17(5):e0267498. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0267498
2. Booth JK, Bohlmann J. 2019. Terpenes in Cannabis sativa: from plant genome to humans. Plant Science 284:67-72.