Alpha-Pinene (Pine Needles)

There are over 30,000 terpenes, so why is Alpha-Pinene so special? 

Have you ever been to an evergreen forest and let your five senses take over? The overwhelming scent of pine needles filling your lungs is refreshingly remarkable.  Did you know that alpha-pinene is a bronchodilator? Thus, widening the airways and relaxing the bronchi muscles. There was a study conducted in the forests of Japan with several asthma patients thus proving the beneficial effects of alpha-pinene. Citrus fruits, basil, dill, parsley, pine needles, cannabis are prime sources of alpha-pinene. 

The essential oil manufacturing process is as simple as obtaining fresh plant material and heating it to the boiling point. The boiling point of alpha-pinene is 313.2˚F (or 156˚C). This is when the alpha-pinene vapors pass through the condenser of the distiller and becomes essential oil. The terpenes (alpha-pinene and beta-pinene isomers) and the water-based by-product (hydrosol) comes out of the distillation column and separates into two distinct layers because oil and water do not mix. Overall, these properties add up to make alpha-pinene the most powerful anti-inflammatory source for the lungs. 

As consumers of cannabis, we encounter fresh plant material on a daily basis. I simply transferred my knowledge to pine tree needles, and distilled the oil to counteract the effects of prolonged smoking. Pine needles are a deterrent to inflammation. Inflammation is the main cause disease, and the anti-inflammatory properties of the pine tree can truly revitalize human health. Inflammation is just another way to say in flames, and that is what we do when we smoke anything. Our throats become inflamed, and the effects become much more apparent in long-term heavy smokers. So, I decided to take action for myself and start to reverse the damage done to my lungs and throat, one pine needle at a time.

Living in the Pacific Northwest, there are many rainy days. I stare out the window and I see huge trees and nonstop rain. At night, the rain persists and I hear the wolves howling in the back. In the mornings, I walk outside and smell the pine fill the air. When I collect pine needles and bring them back to my lab, the entire house smells like it. The powerful thing about oil is that it's made for healing and repairing. I guess that is the stage I am at in my life.