Everything You Need to Know About The Terpene Myrcene

As emerging scientific research continues to bear out the medicinal value of the cannabis plant, consumers within the legal cannabis industry are looking to cannabis compounds like CBD and terpenes for their therapeutic potential. Among the most thoroughly researched terpenes thus far, one of the most popular favourites within the space is myrcene, the so-called “mother of all terpenes”.

Myrcene is one of the most important and recognizable components in cannabis. It’s the terpene that gives the plant its distinctive aroma and flavour. In high doses, myrcene has also been shown to act as a mild sedative; it has anti-inflammatory effects when ingested orally, reduces pain response in the body and functions as an anticonvulsant against muscle spasticity and epileptic seizures.

Let’s briefly go over common sources of myrcene, its role in cannabis consumption as well as how it might influence your marijuana high, and how to make use of this popular terpene in the kitchen or on the go.

Where Does Myrcene Come From?

Myrcene is the most prevalent terpene in cannabis. It can compose up to 50% of total terpenes in myrcene-dominant strains of marijuana and averages about 18% across all others. Some popular examples of strains rich in myrcene include Tangie, Blue Dream, Remedy and Grape Ape.

Cannabis aside, myrcene is also present in many fruits, herbs and vegetables. The richest single source of this terpene is lemongrass, which packs roughly 34 mg per kilogram. Moderate concentrations of myrcene can be found in hops (6-8%), verbena i.e. Lippia or Zinziba (8.8%), and West Indian bay tree i.e. pimento or allspice (5%). It can also be found in small amounts in mangoes (0.1-0.5%) and citronella grass.

Myrcene’s Role In Cannabis

According to True Blue Terpenes, myrcene has traditionally been used to improve sleep, promote relaxation and relieve anxiety among other things. It is a relaxant terpene, making it good for individuals with muscle soreness, cramps, spasms or common forms of epilepsy. During cannabis consumption, the relaxant effect of myrcene is amplified due to what is commonly referred to as the entourage effect.

What is the entourage effect?

The term “entourage effect” was coined by the Israeli organic chemist Raphael Mechoulam, who discovered that cannabis compounds used together have significantly greater therapeutic potential than any single one used alone. This mechanism by which cannabis components like cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids and others function synergistically is one of the reasons experienced consumers prefer full-spectrum products over isolates.

Myrcene is a unique terpene, in that it complements cannabinoids like THC and CBD by increasing their absorbability through the blood-brain barrier. It does this while reducing the psychoactive effects of these cannabinoids on the brain. This means that myrcene can help to reduce some of marijuana’s undesirable side effects such as anxiety or paranoia without sacrificing any of its therapeutic benefits.

Terpene isolates are becoming an increasingly common additive to cannabis products, including everything from edibles to topicals and even vaping e-liquids. Myrcene is among the most commonly used terpene for infusion because of its ability to melt away stress, anxiety and pain on top of the therapeutic potential of a CBD cartridge, as an example.

Sourcing & Extracting Myrcene

Because myrcene has a boiling point of 154C/309F, most extraction methods involving heat (e.g. steam, solvent extraction) will not be able to isolate it reliably or effectively. However, this terpene can be isolated using cold extraction methods such as CO2 or supercritical CO2 extraction.

When looking to extract myrcene, seasoned DIYers would do well to make use of myrcene-dominant strains if they’re currently growing some. However, less-experienced individuals — including those with a tighter budget — would be better served to acquire myrcene isolates from wholesalers or dispensaries to save money and time.

Myrcene in Personal Use

Whether bought or extracted manually, myrcene is a reasonably versatile terpene to use in infusion. Generally speaking, myrcene provides an earthy, musky aroma with a mildly sweet flavour profile. This means it can safely and easily be incorporated into everything from homemade soaps for topical use to DIY candles for aromatherapy.

Myrcene extracts can also be infused into herbaceous marinades and vinaigrettes, or rich fruit and vegetable smoothies. It can even be incorporated into vaping e-liquids or cartridges without any undesirable effect on flavour. All in all, myrcene can be enjoyed in psychoactive or non-psychoactive mixtures of cannabis compounds — or even independently of cannabis — and retain its therapeutic potential for individuals in a variety of different lifestyles.