Santalol

Santalol is a sesquiterpene alcohol commonly found in sandalwood essential oils and increasingly documented in cannabis chemotypes. Two primary isomers—alpha-santalol and beta-santalol—contribute woody, warm, and slightly sweet aromatic profiles. In cannabis breeding contexts, santalol presence is often associated with certain landrace and hybrid lineages, though it typically appears as a minor constituent rather than a dominant terpene. Breeders working with heritage genetics or pursuing complex terpene profiles have documented santalol in select cultivars, though reliable detection requires gas chromatography or similar analytical methods. Its role in cannabis chemotype classification remains secondary to more abundant terpenes like limonene, myrcene, and caryophyllene.

Breeders interested in developing distinctive woody or sandalwood-adjacent aromatic profiles may select parent plants showing santalol expression. Santalol's relative rarity in cannabis makes it a marker trait for certain heritage or specialty breeding lines rather than a primary target in most commercial programs.