Your favorite cannabinoids can’t be responsible for the unique fragrance of cannabis. Terpenes, on the other hand, are responsible for cannabis’ distinct scent and flavor. They may also contribute to the experience’s intensity and some of its therapeutic potential. If you’d like to buy the best weed use our toronto weed delivery to your home.
Myrcene, the most common terpene in cannabis, is also present in hops. Myrcene is present in hops and gives beer its pungent, spicy flavor. It’s also found in lemongrass, which has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years.
What is myrcene?
The most frequent terpene in cannabis is myrcene. This earthy-smelling and flavor-profile associated with balsam has been identified by some individuals as myrcene. Some people perceive it to have a clove or musky odor, while others think it smells like cloves or musk. Myrcene, like other terpenes, is considered to contribute to the entourage effect, which states that it may help with a variety of physical and mental illnesses when combined with cannabinoids.
What is myrcene used for?
The essential oil derived from myrcene is found in one of the most widely cultivated essential oils on Earth. It’s also utilized as a middle in the food and cosmetics industries. Lemongrass tea is supposed to help with sleeplessness by relaxing the mind naturally, which makes it a popular alternative medicine. Because lemongrasser contains myrcene, you may have come across it in a soothing tea or as an aromatic component in Asian cuisine. Parsley, mangoes, and lemon-thyme chicken all have myrcene in them. Sink your teeth into a juicy mango while drinking a bottle of beer to get a double dose of the terpene.
What does myrcene taste like?
A monoterpene found in cannabis plants, myrcene is a pungent component. Strains with high amounts of myrcene are sometimes referred to as spicy, earthy, or musky. It has been compared to ripe mango and other fruity scents with sweet undertones.
Therapeutic properties of myrcene
There are several myrcene-based therapeutic uses. Myrcene, like other terpenes such as bisabolol, is considered to have an anti-inflammatory property in addition to possible anti-tumor, sedative, and other health advantages.
Anti-inflammatory
Myrcene has been observed in lab research to help with pain and inflammation. A 2015 study published in the European Journal of Pharmacology investigated myrcene’s anti-inflammatory properties in human cartilage cells. Myrcene reduced cell injury and disease progression while also exhibiting an anti-inflammatory effect, according to the researchers. They went on to add that this finding necessitates further investigation.
Anti-tumor
The anti-inflammatory and antifungal effects of this essential oil are far-reaching. The ability of its anti-tumor properties to be included in any list of myrcene capabilities is unwarranted. Because of its anti-inflammatory activity, the myrcene terpene’s anti-inflammatory qualities may play a role in cancerous tumor death, according to a 2015 study published in the Journal of the Korean Society for Applied Biological Chemistry. According to a research conducted in 2015 and published in the Journal of the Korean Society for Applied Biological Chemistry, myrcene has the potential to improve human breast cancer cells’ anti-metastatic behavior. Because the study was done on cells rather than people, further research is required to see whether myrcene has an impact on cancer patients’ tumors.
Sedative
In today’s environment, Cannabis strains high in myrcene have been linked to the term “couch lock,” which refers to drowsiness. Although there is no proof to support these claims, a 2002 research published in the journal Phytomedicine found that myrcene has a sedative effect at extremely high doses in mice. According to this study, myrcene improved barbiturate sleeping time when compared to a control group, suggesting that the terpene might be used as a sedative. Myrcene, in high doses, was found in the research to calm and reduce mobility in animals. Additional work is necessary on the terpene’s possible ties with humans and whether it can induce couch lock.
Antioxidant
The myrcene terpene, according to a 2017 study in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine, might help prevent UV light-induced skin aging. Because myrcene is an antioxidant and partially functions as one, it may be used as an anti-aging and sunscreen lotion additive.
How common is myrcene in cannabis?
The most frequent terpene in today’s commercial cannabis is myrcene. When we look at hundreds of samples of cannabis flower examined by Leafly lab partners, this becomes clear. On average, myrcene accounts for around 20% of the terpene profile in contemporary commercial strains, however individual samples vary considerably.
The most prevalent cannabis terpene is myrcene, which accounts for around 55% of the whole profile. Myrcene is also one of the most common cannabis terpenes in flower. A strain’s “dominant” terpene is simply the terpene with the greatest concentration level. Although there are many more cannabis terpenes in a strain’s overall profile, only a select few of them show as dominant in modern commercial marijuana.
Around 40 percent of the time, a random flower product from a legal state will be myrcene-dominant. This information demonstrates that contemporary commercial cannabis is lacking in chemical diversity. Breeders have considerable freedom to develop and diversify strains’ chemical profiles. They may even create new varieties with terpene profiles that are entirely unique to the market.
High-myrcene cannabis strains
What strains are frequently linked with the most myrcene? These prolific strains tend to create a lot of myrcene.
- OG Kush
- Blue Dream
- Remedy
- 9 Pound Hammer
- Grape Ape
- FPOG
- Granddaddy Purple
- Tangie
- Harlequin
Myrcene is a chemical compound that gives cannabis its aroma and flavor. Strains with indica, sativa, or a mix of both heritage are known for containing high amounts of myrcene, such as popular sativa-dominant hybrids like Tangie and Blue Dream. In addition, you’ll notice that myrcene is present in both THC and CBD strains.
Myrcene levels in indica and sativa strains
While myrcene levels are one of the most typical indicators of a strain’s “indica” or “sativa” effects, they aren’t always reliable. If this were true and correct, we would expect to see a clear difference in myrcene levels between strains labeled as indica, hybrid, and sativa. Indicas should have more than 0.5 percent by weight of myrcene, whereas sativas should have less than 0.5 percent.
When we analyze myrcene levels in strains whose names are based on their well-known indica, hybrid, and sativa designations using lab data, as a rule, this is not the case:
Myrcene levels in flower products are comparable across indicas, hybrids, and sativas on average. There’s also no indication in the data that a certain percentage threshold, such as “more than 0.5 percent myrcene equals indica,” is correct.
The idea that myrcene is sedative and can lead to the “couch lock” phenomenon, in which many cannabis users report after smoking it, appears to be based on this misconception. But do we have any hard evidence? What proof do you have that myrcene has sedating effects in people?
Does myrcene make you sleepy?
In traditional medicine, myrcene-rich herbs have been used to help people sleep for a long time. In Mexico, lemongrass infused tea made with myrcene-rich basil has been used as a sedative and muscle relaxant. German hop farmers are the world’s second largest (after the United States), and myrcene-rich hop plants are quite popular among them. However, because we don’t know whether any controlled research has proven that myrcene causes drowsiness in people, we are unaware of any well-controlled human clinical trials that demonstrate a sleep-inducing effect of myrcene.
Myrcene has been shown to have muscular relaxing effects at high dosages in a few rodent trials. Mice who were given narcotics with strong sedative effects that included myrcene had longer sleep duration, according to the same research. However, animal testing is typically unreliable when it comes to predicting whether myrcene can make people drowsy; additional study is needed before we may determine this for sure.
Can myrcene relieve pain and reduce inflammation?
Lemongrass tea has been used in Brazilian folklore for hundreds of years as a restorative that is said to possess anti-anxiety and pain-relieving properties. In 1990, scientists in Brazil published the first scientific evidence suggesting myrcene decreased pain by boosting one’s own opioid chemicals in the brain and spinal cord. This was disputed by other researchers, who said that myrcene increased various brain and spinal cord opioid chemicals. Additional study is required to determine if lemongrass oil provides pain alleviation in humans.
More research is needed to validate myrcene’s anti-inflammatory effects. The bulk of the evidence for myrcene’s anti-inflammatory capabilities comes from animal lab studies.
Other potential benefits of myrcene
Aflatoxins, which are potentially cancer-causing chemicals produced by fungus, can be prevented if myrcene is present in the body. Myrcene inhibits CYP2B1, an enzyme in the liver that promotes aflatoxin’s ability to damage DNA, which explains why these anti-mutagen properties are due to myrcene’s inhibition of this enzyme. These terpenes also protect us from t-butylhydroperoxide and other chemical poisons by preventing DNA damage. Apart from their antioxidants and antimicrobial benefits, these terpenes have anti-mutagen effects that are comparable to those of other terpenes.
What’s next for myrcene research?
Other cannabinoids are also a hot topic in cannabis studies. Whether or not we’re getting enough myrcene doses to do these things is one of the most essential troubles surrounding myrcene. Mouse experiments have administered mice with 2mg/kg and 1g/kg, neither of which has been studied thoroughly enough to determine how much is required to achieve a therapeutic effect in humans or whether those amounts exist in cannabis strains.
The therapeutic effects of terpenes in cannabis are just now being fully recognized. Because researchers have spent the most of their time on the cannabinoids, generally in isolation, research has lagged. That appears to be changing, however. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is the United States’ largest science funding agency, recently issued a request for proposals seeking studies on terpenes and “minute cannabinoids” found in cannabis as pain relievers. Now that access to certain dispensaries’ strains has been restricted!