The Plant of Many Scents: Unraveling the Odorant Composition of Selected CBD Hemp Cultivars

This study presents the first comprehensive sensory-guided investigation into the odor-active compounds of dried hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) flowers. Using gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) in combination with aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA), 52 odor-active compounds were identified across six cannabidiol-rich cultivars. Among them, 38 odorants were reported for the first time in dried hemp flowers, whereas six compounds have not been identified in any hemp material before. Terpenes and terpenoids such as α-pinene, myrcene, and linalool exhibited consistently high flavor dilution (FD) factors of 256–1024 across all cultivars, suggesting their role as important contributors to hemp aroma beyond their known abundance. In addition, potent sulfur-containing compounds, including 3-methylbut-2-ene-1-thiol, 4-methyl-4-sulfanylpentan-2-one, 3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol, and 3-sulfanylhexyl acetate, were detected at high FD factors (FD 256–1024) in dried hemp flowers for the first time, confirming their sensory relevance. Other key compounds such as p-cresol (FD 256–1024), eugenol (FD 1024), 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol (FD 256), methyl anthranilate (FD 256), Furaneol (FD 128), and sotolon (FD 512) were detected with high FD factors in specific cultivars, highlighting their distinct aroma characteristics. This research lays the first groundwork for understanding the odorant composition of dried hemp flowers, providing a basis for future validation through quantitation and aroma reconstitution studies.