Linalool: What the Research Says (and Doesn’t)
Linalool is the lavender terpene, and lavender is one of the most-studied aromatic plants in the world. That research is about lavender preparations, not hemp — an important distinction this page keeps clear.
What researchers have examined
Inhaled linalool has been examined in mice using anxiety-related behavioral tests, including a 2018 study showing effects that required a functioning sense of smell. In humans, an oral pharmaceutical lavender-oil preparation (Silexan) has been through multiple European clinical trials. Lavender aromatherapy has been studied in many small trials of variable quality.
Open questions
The human evidence involves standardized lavender preparations at controlled doses — not hemp products, whose linalool content varies widely. No hemp-product conclusion follows from lavender research, and none is drawn here.
Sources
- Harada H, et al. (2018). Linalool odor-induced anxiolytic effects in mice. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 12:241. [doi]
- Linck VM, et al. (2010). Effects of inhaled linalool in mice. Phytomedicine, 17(8–9):679–683. [doi]
- Kasper S, et al. (2010). Silexan in subthreshold anxiety. International Clinical Psychopharmacology, 25(5):277–287. [doi]
More in the library: all research summaries · the terpene guide