Myrcene: a sedative terpene that leaves you glued to the sofa

Today we're talking about myrcene, a terpene that defines the characteristic aroma of your favourite strains, as well as playing a crucial role in the unique effects of cannabis. We invite you to step into the fascinating world of cannabis aromas and find out how this terpene can enhance your experience with flower.

What is myrcene and what effects does this terpene have in cannabis?

An introduction to the terpene myrcene

We'll discover the terpene in this post, myrcene, one autumn afternoon, after a sunny morning out exploring the hills. The night's dew will have left the ground under our feet damp, but the mud won't stop us, nor spoil the sight of walking among golden holm oaks and reddish maples.

Back home, we'll make ourselves a chai. A homemade one: simmering the black tea with the milk so that the cardamom and cloves release all their flavour as it boils. With the steaming cup in our hands, we'll settle onto the sofa, a blanket over our tired legs, and the bag of Candy Krush CBD flower (Zkittlez CBD) on the side table.

When we open the airtight pouch of Zkittlez CBD, we'll be struck by a déjà vu of the morning: that damp earth again, right there in the living room. The autumnal, earthy and spicy aroma will fill the room with that incomparable calm a walk in the woods brings. That wonderfully calming fragrance is the work of myrcene, the most common terpene in cannabis strains, which we're going to explore in this article.

What is myrcene?

Myrcene is a terpene found in various plants, fruits and spices, such as hops, ginger and, of course, cannabis. This aromatic compound is responsible for the dominant smell of cannabis.

Myrcene has a slightly sweet aroma with spicy (clove-like) and earthy (damp earth) aromatic notes, a peppery undertone, and a very subtle fruity finish.

Chemistry

Myrcene, or beta-myrcene, is classed as a monoterpene, and is made up of two isoprene units of five carbons each. It belongs to the family of lighter terpenes. That means it is a highly volatile molecule that easily reaches our sense of smell, making it one of the first aromas we notice when we smell cannabis.

But above all, it is one of the most abundant terpenes in cannabis plants: every commercial cannabis strain produces a high percentage of myrcene (1).

It is also one of the dominant terpenes in the overall aroma of countless cannabis plants, because its high concentrations easily overshadow the smell of the other terpenes.

What does myrcene smell like?

At first sniff, myrcene has an earthy aroma, like damp soil, which is why it is a terpene so closely associated with the forest. At first it could easily remind us of a walk through the woods when the ground is wet. But in the background, myrcene reveals spicier notes, its smell resembling cloves with a peppery kick, and later even fruity ones.

It is a fragrance associated with a relaxing feeling closely tied to nature. It has been observed that the terpenes we find in the forest could promote physical relaxation in people, myrcene among them (2).

Classification of cannabis aromas

Another way to link myrcene to an aroma is to think of the smell of hops, the plant used to make beer, which also contains high concentrations of this monoterpene. Those damp, barely sweet notes bordering on bitter and sour are myrcene's most distinctive features.

Where is myrcene found?

In the plant kingdom, myrcene is found in many herbs, plants and even some fruit. It occurs, for example, in the essential oil of plants such as hops, juniper, tea tree, ginger, clove or mango.

In the *Cannabis sativa *L. plant, myrcene forms in the trichomes on cannabis flowers, those resin glands that, at the end of flowering, coat the buds as if they had been dusted with icing sugar. The whitish trichomes sit on the flowers and on the smaller leaves that wrap around them, the so-called sugar leaves. These resin glands are the most photographed part of any cannabis plant, always with macro lenses to capture all their magic, and one of the parts of the flower most featured in the industry's advertising. Well, it is in those tiny white bubbles that leave our fingers sticky when we touch a CBD bud that the myrcene we're talking about is formed.

Which CBD flower strains are rich in myrcene?

Myrcene is a predominant terpene in every cannabis strain, but you can find higher myrcene content in the following CBD flower strains from Cannactiva:

Which cannabis strains are rich in myrcene?

There are countless cannabis strains rich in myrcene. This terpene is one of the most abundant in cannabis genetics, and one of those that leaves the strongest mark on the aroma profile of any cannabis plant.

To paraphrase one of the researchers in medical cannabis, the physician, neurologist and psychopharmacology researcher Ethan Russo, “myrcene, especially beta-myrcene, an acyclic monoterpene, is the most abundant terpene produced by cannabis” (3).

Moving away from the scientific literature and towards research on cannabis of a more commercial bent, we can also point to the conclusion of Leafly's lab, which found that myrcene is usually the predominant terpene in more than 20% of the most widely sold cannabis strains.

One of the most representative myrcene-rich cannabis strains is White Widow, created by the famous breeder Shantibaba in 1994 and crowned best strain at the High Times Cannabis Cup the following year. You'll also find high levels of myrcene in plants of California's OG Kush, and in North American strains such as Blue Dream, Green Crack or Northern Lights.

Moving on to strains without THC: at Cannactiva, the CBD cannabis strains richest in myrcene are the best-selling Zkittlez CBD, with fruity nuances that perfectly complement a resinous note in its aroma, Ohana (Hawaiian Runtz) and the legendary Gorilla Glue CBD:

It's important to bear in mind that myrcene evaporates above 166 °C: at any temperature higher than this, it disappears. So if we want to benefit from the properties of myrcene, it's important not to go above that temperature in the vaporizer.

Effects of myrcene in cannabis

All the cannabis strains mentioned above are very different from one another in their morphology, colour or aroma. But they do have a common denominator: they are all very relaxing, and they are usually consumed at the end of the day. Coincidence? Not at all. It's down to myrcene.

Myrcene has a relaxing, sedative effect, and in cannabis it is responsible for the “glued to the sofa” feeling (couch-lock).

The sedative effect of cannabis doesn't always come from its cannabinoid levels, but also from its high concentrations of myrcene. Because myrcene has a very relaxing, sedative effect. In fact, it is what's behind the “sofa effect”, or couch-lock, as Americans call it: that state after consuming a strain with high levels of myrcene that leaves you, quite literally, glued to the sofa.

Effects of terpenes in cannabis

On the other hand, it's no surprise to hear former users of THC cannabis say that some CBD flower relaxes them so much that it gives them a feeling similar to being high. It's not that CBD gets you high, but that the flowers contain high levels of myrcene. In fact, strains with high levels of CBD often produce high levels of myrcene too (1), which is why they have a deeply relaxing effect.

Consumer experiences aside, it's worth stressing that, according to the scientist cited above, Ethan Russo, whose research has focused on the medicinal properties of cannabinoids and terpenes, myrcene on its own is “a potent analgesic” (3, 4).

How does myrcene interact with cannabinoids?

Broadly speaking, myrcene, like all the terpenes in the cannabis plant, and the cannabinoids interact with each other through the entourage effect, whereby all the plant's active compounds interact with one another, enhancing their effects by acting together.

But in the case of the terpene we're looking at in particular, cannabis myrcene is able to act in synergy with cannabinoids and enhance the effects of CBD, THC, CBG, CBN and CBC. This is because myrcene acts directly on the permeability of cell membranes, especially those of the blood–brain barrier, increasing the transport of cannabinoids to the brain (5).

In this way, cannabinoids enter cells more easily and exert their effects on the body in an amplified way, increasing the absorption of cannabinoids. In other words, the levels of THC or CBD that end up binding to the receptors of our endocannabinoid system are higher when we consume them through myrcene-rich strains than when we don't.

Benefits of myrcene

Myrcene is credited with anti-inflammatory, relaxing, analgesic and sedative properties.

Anti-inflammatory properties

On the one hand, myrcene is able to block the inflammatory activity of prostaglandin E2 (a natural pro-inflammatory substance produced by the body), which explains its anti-inflammatory effects (3).

Analgesic properties

On the other hand, the same review of studies cited above suggests that myrcene is a potent analgesic that acts on central sites antagonised by naloxone (an opioid receptor antagonist). In other words, the study indicates that myrcene may interact with opioid receptors to produce its analgesic effects. Another study, for its part, suggests that myrcene could enable the development of new peripheral analgesics, which are those able to treat pain without having to act on the central nervous system. That study states that “terpenes such as myrcene could provide a lead for the development of new peripheral analgesics” (6).

Myrcene stands out for its analgesic and sedative properties.

Myrcene for sleep, relaxation and pain

In another study, it was observed that myrcene had a positive effect on muscle relaxation and sleep induction (improving not only the number of hours of sleep but also its quality), and on pain relief, thanks to its sedative effects (7).

I hope that the next time you're savouring the aromatic nuances of your favourite cannabis strain, enjoying a glass of hoppy craft beer or simply relaxing on a walk in the woods, you'll remember that the pleasant feeling you're experiencing is down, at least in part, to the terpene myrcene.