Pinene is the terpene that gives pine trees their sharp, fresh scent. It comes in two common forms, alpha-pinene and beta-pinene, and it is found in pine needles, rosemary, basil, dill and parsley. In cannabis, pinene shows up in many strains with a fresh, foresty or herbal aroma.
In cannabis culture, pinene is often described as "clear-headed." As with other terpenes, that idea is not well established in human research, and effects depend far more on cannabinoid content, dose and tolerance. We use pinene as a guide to aroma and flavor.
If you like the smell of a walk in the woods, products where pinene is near the top of the terpene panel are worth trying. You will usually see alpha- and beta-pinene listed separately on lab reports, often as small percentages.
Pinene is volatile, so it fades with heat, light and time. Fresh flower and terpene-rich concentrates like live resin and live rosin hold onto more of it. Lower-temperature vaporizing or dabbing also tends to preserve its flavor better than very high heat.
A good way to learn terpenes is to compare two or three products side by side and note which smells you enjoy most.