Beta-Caryophyllene

Beta-caryophyllene (BCP) is the spicy, peppery terpene that contributes to the aroma of black pepper and is a notable component of clove oil. It is also common in hops, rosemary and copaiba, and it is one of the main sesquiterpenes in cannabis. In Leafly's lab data it leads Sour Diesel, Chemdawg, Headband, Bubba Kush and Acapulco Gold, and it sits near the top of most other profiles in this guide.

What makes BCP unusual is its pharmacology. A 2008 study in PNAS by Gertsch and colleagues showed that it binds selectively to the CB2 cannabinoid receptor and acts as a functional agonist there, earning it the label "dietary cannabinoid". In that study, oral BCP reduced inflammation in mice but not in mice lacking CB2 receptors. Because CB2 is not the receptor behind THC's psychoactive effects, BCP does not produce a high. These are cell and animal findings, not proven benefits in people.

Wikipedia notes a related compound, caryophyllene oxide, is what drug-detection dogs are trained to recognize. PubChem gives BCP's boiling point as about 256–259 °C at normal pressure, much higher than monoterpenes such as myrcene; it also lists 264–266 °F (about 129–130 °C) at a reduced pressure of 14 mmHg, so lower figures should be checked for the pressure they refer to.