Linalool

Linalool is a terpene alcohol found in many flowers and spice plants, and it is best known as a major scent compound of lavender. Wikipedia notes that its two mirror-image forms smell different: one is woodier and more lavender-like, found in lavender, bay laurel and sweet basil, while the other is sweeter and occurs in coriander. Leafly describes it as a floral terpene commonly believed to promote relaxation. In cannabis it usually appears in small amounts; in Leafly's lab data it is a minor terpene in OG Kush, Granddaddy Purple, Hindu Kush, Bubba Kush and Headband, and CannaConnection names it as Purple Haze's main terpene.

Linalool has some of the more interesting animal research among terpenes. A 2018 study in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience found that simply smelling linalool reduced anxiety-like behavior in mice without impairing movement; the effect disappeared in mice without a sense of smell and was blocked by a benzodiazepine antagonist, pointing to GABA-A receptors. A 2021 review by Weston-Green and colleagues describes neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects in preclinical models and potential relevance to sleep and anxiety, while noting that clinical trials are lacking. A 2021 Scientific Reports study found linalool produced cannabinoid-like behaviors in mice.

PubChem lists linalool's boiling point at about 198 °C, with reported values from 194 to 200 °C.