# Myrcene

> Myrcene (beta-myrcene) is a monoterpene with a musky, earthy, ripe-fruit aroma and is the most common dominant terpene in commercial cannabis flower.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/myrcene.html
- Also written: beta-myrcene, β-myrcene, mercene, myrcine
- Glossary category: Cannabinoids and terpenes · Evidence: Established
- Status: Draft: awaiting expert review · Updated: 2026-10-31
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), attribute "GenetixBay cannabis glossary"

Myrcene, usually beta-myrcene, is an acyclic [monoterpene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/monoterpene.md) 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](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/dominant.md) [terpenes](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/terpene.md), alongside [beta-caryophyllene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/beta-caryophyllene.md) and [limonene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/limonene.md).

## In practice

A [COA](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/coa.md) might show myrcene at 0.3-1.0% w/w in a myrcene-dominant flower. It is volatile, so [fresh-frozen](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/fresh-frozen.md) 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](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/mythbusters.md) and [why everything tastes the same](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/genetics-history/why-everything-tastes-the-same.md).

## Related terms

[Terpene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/terpene.md), [Monoterpene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/monoterpene.md), [Terpene profile](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/terpene-profile.md), [Limonene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/limonene.md), [Beta-caryophyllene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/beta-caryophyllene.md)

## Read more

- [Why everything tastes the same: the evidence that commercial cannabis is converging](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/genetics-history/why-everything-tastes-the-same.md)

## Sources

1. Smith CJ, Vergara D, Keegan B, Jikomes N. 2022. The phytochemical diversity of commercial Cannabis in the United States. PLOS ONE 17(5):e0267498. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0267498
2. Booth JK, Bohlmann J. 2019. Terpenes in Cannabis sativa: from plant genome to humans. Plant Science 284:67-72.