What myrcene strains are
Myrcene is a monoterpene with the chemical formula C10H16. It is the most abundant terpene in many cannabis cultivars. A strain gets called a "myrcene strain" when myrcene ranks first on a lab terpene panel. Labs report each terpene as a percentage of dried flower weight. Myrcene in cannabis flower often lands between 0.1% and 0.6%. Some batches test above 1%.
Myrcene smells earthy, musky, and herbal. It also occurs in hops, lemongrass, mango, thyme, and bay leaf. Hops and cannabis sit in the same plant family, Cannabaceae.
Understanding Terpene Profiles in Cannabis
How labs measure it
Gas chromatography. A lab grinds flower, weighs a sample, heats it, and runs the vapor through a GC instrument. The report lists each terpene by name and percentage. Total terpenes in dried flower often run 1% to 3% of weight. Myrcene shares that total with limonene, caryophyllene, pinene, linalool, and others.
Strains that test high in myrcene
These cultivars rank myrcene at or near the top of published terpene panels. Batch results vary by grower, harvest, and storage.
which strains have the highest terpenes
- Granddaddy Purple
- Blue Dream
- OG Kush
- Northern Lights
- Hindu Kush
- Jack Herer
- Harlequin
- 9 Pound Hammer
- Special Kush
Blue Dream is sold as a sativa. Granddaddy Purple is sold as an indica. Both test high in myrcene. The indica and sativa label does not predict the terpene panel.
Effects
Consumer reports tie myrcene to body-heavy, sedating effects. Human clinical trials on myrcene alone are scarce. Most data comes from rodents and cell cultures.
One mouse study found myrcene increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier. Rodent studies report sedative-like behavior at high doses. Those doses sit far above what smoked flower delivers. A joint holds milligrams of terpenes at most, and much burns off before inhalation.
THC, CBD, and the other terpenes shape the effect too. Isolating myrcene from that mix is hard.
How to read a terpene label
- Ask for the full terpene panel, not the top three.
- Check the myrcene percentage and the total terpene percentage.
- Compare numbers across batches of the same cultivar. A second harvest can differ by a factor of two.
- Check the harvest or packaging date.
Storage
Myrcene boils at 167 C (332 F). Terpenes are volatile and degrade with heat, light, and air. Keep flower in an airtight glass jar in a dark place at room temperature or cooler. Terpene content falls over months.
Quick answers
Does myrcene come only from cannabis?
No. Hops, lemongrass, mango, and thyme contain it.
Does myrcene get you high?
No. Myrcene is not intoxicating on its own.
Does eating a mango boost a cannabis high?
No evidence supports this. Mango contains myrcene, but the amount is small.