Linalool is a monoterpene alcohol, a natural fragrance with a floral, fresh scent that most people know from lavender. Basil, bergamot, coriander and hemp also produce linalool; as a fragrance ingredient, it also appears on the ingredient lists of perfume and cosmetics.
This glossary article explains what linalool is chemically, where it occurs, what it smells like and how to read it in a terpene profile. The interplay of all the hemp plant’s aroma compounds is described in the guide terpenes in cannabis. You can find strains with a floral profile among our CBD flowers, each with a lab certificate for the batch.
Linalool at a Glance: Chemistry, Scent and Boiling Point
Chemically, linalool is an open-chain monoterpenoid with an alcohol group, a tertiary alcohol with the molecular formula C10H18O. The oxygen atom distinguishes it from pure hydrocarbons such as myrcene, with which it shares the carbon skeleton. According to the substance database PubChem, linalool boils at 198 °C under normal pressure.
| Substance class | Monoterpene alcohol (monoterpenoid) |
|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C10H18O |
| Scent | floral, fresh, slightly woody |
| Occurrence in nature | Lavender, basil, bergamot, coriander, hemp |
| Boiling point | about 198 °C at normal pressure (source: PubChem, CRC Handbook) |
| In the CBDÍA range according to terpene profile | CBD flowers Purple Haze and Lucky Dude; CBD hash Frozen Beldia and Vanilla Cream |
Terpene or Terpenoid: What the Difference Means
Strictly speaking, linalool is not a pure terpene but a terpenoid. Pure terpenes such as myrcene, limonene or pinene consist only of carbon and hydrogen. Terpenoids are modified terpenes that additionally contain oxygen, in the case of linalool in the form of an alcohol group. In everyday use and in terpene profiles, both groups are usually referred to together as terpenes.
The oxygen group noticeably changes the properties: linalool boils at around 198 °C, higher than myrcene at around 167 °C, even though both have the same carbon skeleton, and it smells floral rather than herbal. For terpene profiles, this means linalool is listed there alongside the pure terpenes but chemically belongs to its own subgroup.
Where Does the Fragrance Compound Occur?
Linalool is widespread in aromatic plants. A 2021 review names lavender, basil, bergamot and eucalyptus as plants with a high linalool content. As with limonene, there are two mirror-image forms that smell different: the form common in lavender and basil smells strongly floral, fresh and woody, the other one more delicate and sweeter.
The substance database PubChem lists linalool as a component of essential oils and as a fragrance. That is why you also come across the name outside of plants, for example on the ingredient lists of perfume and cosmetics.
What Role Does It Play in Hemp?
Hemp also produces linalool in the glandular hairs of its flowers. It is usually not right at the top of the terpene profile; myrcene, pinene or beta-caryophyllene often dominate there. Some strains, however, show a noticeable linalool content; the 2021 review names individual cannabis chemovars for this. In the profile, linalool stands for the floral, lavender-like note that softens earthy and spicy tones.
In the CBDÍA range, the terpene profiles list linalool for example for the flowers Purple Haze and Lucky Dude and for the hash varieties Frozen Beldia and Vanilla Cream. It never stands alone there: in the hash varieties it follows myrcene or beta-caryophyllene, in the flowers it follows terpinolene, eucalyptol or bisabolol. Only this combination decides whether an aroma comes across as more earthy, fresh, or soft and floral.
The stated value always applies to a specific batch. Linalool is volatile; cultivation, drying and storage change the content. At CBDÍA, the terpene profile is therefore listed on the product page together with the lab certificate, country of origin, cultivation type and the THC content below 0.3 percent.
What Research Investigates
Linalool is the subject of many laboratory and animal studies, especially on questions relating to the nervous system. The 2021 review summarises that the evidence is predominantly preclinical and that well-designed human studies are lacking. Detecting linalool in a flower or an oil therefore does not imply any statement about an effect. The terpene profile describes a strain’s aroma, not its benefit.
This article is for general information purposes only and does not replace medical advice. Terpenes are described here as aroma and plant compounds, not as active substances. As of: September 2026.
