Get to Know a Cannabis Terpene: Camphor
Camphor is one of over 150 terpenes found in the cannabis plant that contribute to its smell, taste, and effects.
Camphor has such a long history with humans (dating back to at least the 6th century!) that it has even garnered its own adjective to describe its smell: camphoraceous (terpenes do have a lot of fun words associated with them!). I would even say that ‘camphoraceous’ encompasses a physical experience along with a smell — how else to describe that visceral, mentholated wake-up call from a bit of Vicks Vapo-Rub?
Camphor gets its name from the camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora). Camphor is used in Hindi puja ceremonies, where its properties can be interpreted as symbolic of surrendering the ego to the divine (when burned, camphor can burn very bright, leaves a sweet smell, and is completely consumed — leaving no ash behind).
Camphor has also been used for a variety of purposes in folk medicines where it’s been used as an aphrodisiac, an abortifacient, rodent repellent, and even for bruising According to the Encyclopedia of Folk Medicine by Gabrielle Hatfield, camphor has additional uses ranging from ‘breast’ (folk traditions believed coupling camphor with cabbage could help reduce breasts that were too large) to ‘hay fever’ (where, in something resembling putting Vicks in vaporizers, steamed camphor was used to relieve some of the breathing symptoms). Topically, camphor is still used to relieve pain, increase blood flow, and act as a counter-irritant, and reduce itching. Topically, Camphor’s effectiveness has been proven to the point that the FDA has approved its use for several purposes: as an anti-cough medication (anti-tussive, if you want to be technical), an analgesic, an anesthetic, and to treat itching. Camphor has also been associated with vaporized treatments for a long time.
Camphor is so powerful that needs to be used with great caution in children. There have been issues with clinical toxicity, especially in cases of exposure to extracted camphorated oil (a mixture of up to 20% camphor in cottonseed or other oil). A toxic situation can occur through ingestion or even in extreme cases through the skin. Believe it or not, even Vicks Vapo Rub has been associated with some pretty drastic events. But you needn’t worry about any of that with cannabis — camphor isn’t a particularly common terpene in cannabis, nor is it found in very large amounts.
Camphor found itself particularly popular in Europe during the 14th century, as it was one of many items used in the beaks of Plague Doctors in addition to its wider use as a fumigant. Ever versatile, camphor was used to flavor early ice cream. Camphor found other ways to be useful as well — a recent study involved researching how camphor impacted the performance and emissions of an engine when mixed with gasoline. In the early days of plastics, camphor was used as a plasticizer. Due to its proven anti-microbial properties, camphor is used in embalming fluid.
Camphor’s also been found some new, exciting applications. For instance, it can be useful in helping to form carbon nanotubes. Camphor’s flexibility means that it is included in a wide variety of patents. Of course, it’s included in a ‘composition for joint health.’ It’s also, of course, included in several pest repellants. Camphor features in a patent about light-emitting devices. It’s also found in transdermal patent applications.
As mentioned, Camphor’s medical uses have been established well enough that the FDA has approved its use as a topical analgesic, a topical treatment for cough suppression, and a topical anti-itching treatment, but that isn’t where camphor’s medical applications end.
Camphor’s power as an anti-viral, specifically in the context of influenza, is being examined with interest.One study found evidence that suggested camphor might ‘activate the skin immune system’ and assist in anti-tumor activities against non-melanoma skin cancer.Camphor demonstrated the ability to increase the radiosensitivity of some transplanted mammary tumors in mice, making radiation therapy more effective against them.
While camphor isn’t prevalent in cannabis, it is present, and can often be found in strains high in
Boiling Point: 408℉
Other Sources: Camphor. Rosemary,
Scents: Camphoraceous. Medicinal. Terpenic. Mentholic.
Flavors: Camphoraceous. Medicinal. Terpenic. Mentholic.
Article Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camphorwww.thegoodscentscompany.com/data/rw1030211.htmlhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/camphorhttps://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/2537https://pujayagna.com/blogs/pooja-havan-yagya/significance-of-camphorEncyclopedia of Folk Medicine: Old World and New World Traditions by Gabrielle Hatfieldhttps://www.rxlist.com/consumer_camphor/drugs-condition.htmhttps://www.clintox.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Camphor-Poisoning.pdfhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6270224/https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsomega.0c02953https://www.jstor.org/stable/2750384https://www.nature.com/articles/srep21286/
Originally published at https://oregoncannabisgazette.com.