Myrcene, usually beta-myrcene, is an acyclic monoterpene found in hops, mango, bay and many other plants. In cannabis it smells musky, earthy, herbal and a little like ripe fruit. Survey data from US retail flower (Smith et al. 2022) show myrcene as one of the most frequent dominant terpenes, alongside beta-caryophyllene and limonene.
In practice
A COA might show myrcene at 0.3-1.0% w/w in a myrcene-dominant flower. It is volatile, so fresh-frozen material and carefully cured flower read higher than fast-dried or old material.
Don't confuse with
- Ocimene: an isomeric monoterpene with a sweeter, greener smell.
- Terpinolene: another monoterpene that dominates a different, less common chemotype.
Myth check
A popular claim says myrcene above 0.5% makes a cultivar "indica" and sedating. There is no controlled evidence for that threshold; it is a marketing rule of thumb. House position: indica/sativa labels don't predict chemistry or effects, and terpene percentages don't predict effects either. See Mythbusters and why everything tastes the same.
A monoterpene is a ten-carbon terpene made from geranyl pyrophosphate, such as myrcene, limonene, pinene or terpinolene; they are the most volatile terpenes and the first lost in drying.A dominant allele is one whose effect shows in the phenotype even when only one copy is present, masking the other (recessive) allele at that locus.Terpenes are volatile hydrocarbon compounds built from five-carbon isoprene units; in cannabis they are made in the trichome heads and are a major part of aroma and flavour.Beta-caryophyllene is a spicy, peppery sesquiterpene common in cannabis, notable as a dietary terpene that also binds the CB2 receptor in laboratory studies.Limonene is a monoterpene with a citrus aroma, found in citrus peel and many cannabis cultivars, where it is often among the top three terpenes.A COA (certificate of analysis) is a lab's signed report of what it measured in a specific sample, such as cannabinoids, terpenes, moisture and contaminants, with methods and limits.Fresh frozen is cannabis frozen immediately after harvest without drying or curing, used as starting material for live resin and live rosin to keep more volatile aroma.Terpinolene is a monoterpene with a fresh, herbal, piney-citrus-floral aroma that dominates a distinctive, less common cannabis chemotype.A terpene profile is the measured mix of terpenes in a sample, reported as each compound's % w/w and the total, used to describe and compare cultivar aroma chemistry.
