Structural formula of 1,8-cineole · C₁₀H₁₈O.
1,8-Cineole
fresh, eucalyptus, camphor-cool
1,8-Cineole (Eucalyptol) is the signature scent of eucalyptus, rosemary and sage. In cannabis it is rarely dominant, but it is measurable in a few rosemary- and sage-leaning chemovars. In the effect inventory.1 it carries the highest focus score and one of the strongest inflammation scores, backed by a human study on cognition and clinically documented airway effects.
Effect profile
Cineole in the cannabis context
1,8-Cineole (Eucalyptol) is the canonical focus terpene in the set, better documented than α-pinene. Moss & Oliver 2012 provide a human study with plasma correlation: higher cineole blood levels after rosemary aroma exposure go directly with better serial-subtraction performance and faster visual information processing. An 2022 adds the mechanism via acetylcholinesterase inhibition. Cineole is found in eucalyptus, rosemary and sage, and measurable in a few cannabis chemovars.
Inflammation control is the second canonical effect (score 3.0): Juergens 2003, 2014 and 2020 show clinical efficacy in asthma and COPD via inhaled use. That is especially relevant for cannabis, where inhalation is the primary route of administration. Cineole eases anxiety at a score of 2.0: Kim 2014 (human study, preoperative anxiety) and Dougnon 2020 (animal model) converge. On mood, cineole shows a solid single-model signal at a score of 1.8. Sleep and pain are not part of the profile; cineole is a clearly alert terpene.
In cannabis, 1,8-cineole is rarely dominant, and more often measurable in sage- and rosemary-leaning chemovars, frequently alongside α-pinene and camphene. You recognize it by the camphor-fresh, eucalyptus aroma. High cineole levels signal a profile centered on alertness, mental clarity and an anti-inflammatory effect, without sedative side effects.
Pharmacological notes: Acetylcholinesterase inhibition as the focus mechanism (An 2022). Secretolytic and bronchospasmolytic via NF-κB modulation (Juergens 2003/2014/2020). Anxiolytic via GABAA binding (Kim 2014 human study, Dougnon 2020 animal model). Irritating to the mucous membranes at high doses, but the inhalation doses used clinically are well tolerated.