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Beta-Caryophyllene (BCP)

Also known as: β-caryophyllene, caryophyllene, BCP, the dietary cannabinoid

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What it is

Beta-caryophyllene is what makes cracked black pepper smell like black pepper. It's a sesquiterpene — a heavier, larger terpene than the bright ones like limonene or pinene — and it shows up in a long list of kitchen plants: black pepper, cloves, rosemary, basil, oregano, cinnamon, and hops. It's also one of the more common terpenes in hemp. The FDA lists it as a flavoring that's generally recognized as safe, so you've almost certainly eaten it this week.

Here's why it gets its own page instead of a line on our terpenes page. Most terpenes are just aromatics — they smell like something, and any effect they have is indirect. In 2008 a team led by Jürg Gertsch published a study in PNAS showing that beta-caryophyllene binds directly to the CB2 receptor, one of the two main receptors in the endocannabinoid system, and acts on it the way a cannabinoid would. CB2 sits mostly in immune and peripheral tissue rather than the brain, which is why BCP doesn't produce anything like a high. That paper is where the "dietary cannabinoid" nickname comes from: a cannabinoid-like molecule you can get from a pepper grinder.

Now the honest part. Almost everything published on BCP since then has been cell studies and animal models. The Gertsch team's own headline result was in mice. Human trials are few, small, and early, so nobody can tell you what the trace amount in a CBD bottle does for you on its own — and we won't pretend to. What we can say is that it's part of the whole-plant profile people mean when they talk about the entourage effect, and that because it's a heavier molecule it tends to hold up through processing better than the lightest terpenes do. botanCBD doesn't add caryophyllene to anything. Whatever is in the bottle came from the hemp, and how much varies by harvest.

Where it's in our line

FAQ

Is beta-caryophyllene a cannabinoid or a terpene?

Chemically it's a terpene. Functionally it behaves like a cannabinoid at one receptor, CB2. That's the whole reason it's interesting — it's the rare molecule that sits in both camps.

Will beta-caryophyllene get me high?

No. It acts on CB2, not CB1 — and CB1 is the receptor THC uses to produce a high. You eat BCP every time you use black pepper.

Can BCP make me fail a drug test?

No. Drug screens look for THC metabolites, and BCP isn't THC or anything that turns into it. If you're tested, the thing to watch is the THC in a full-spectrum product, not the terpenes. That's what our broad-spectrum bottle is for.

Should I just take black pepper or a BCP supplement instead of CBD?

They're different things doing different jobs, and the research on BCP by itself in people is thin. We'd be skeptical of any brand selling a BCP pill with big promises attached. If you're curious about the whole-plant approach, a full- or broad-spectrum oil gives you CBD plus the hemp's own terpenes in one bottle.

How much beta-caryophyllene is in your oils?

It varies by harvest, so we won't give you a single number. Terpenes are present in small amounts in any hemp extract, and the profile shifts with the crop. Email us the batch number on your bottle and we'll tell you what that batch's lab report does and doesn't cover.

Is beta-caryophyllene safe?

The FDA lists it as generally recognized as safe as a food flavoring, and it's in everyday spices. That's about food-level amounts. If you're pregnant, nursing, or on medication, talk with your doctor before starting any CBD product, the terpenes in it included.

Other ingredients

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. botanCBD products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Talk with your healthcare provider before starting any new wellness product, especially if you take prescription medications.