What is Myrcene?
Myrcene (C₁₀H₁₆) is a terpene found in cannabis, hops, mangoes, lemongrass and thyme. In cannabis, it contributes to the characteristic aroma and may modulate pharmacological effects through the proposed entourage effect.
Aroma: Earthy, musky, herbal — the foundational cannabis aroma.
Pharmacological Properties
Myrcene constitutes 20–60% of total terpene content in most cannabis varieties. Preclinical evidence supports sedative, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Activates TRPV1 and TRPA1 receptors. Proposed to facilitate cannabinoid absorption across the blood-brain barrier — clinical evidence for this interaction is lacking.
Relevance in Cannabis
Myrcene dominance means it is the primary contributor to the cannabis aroma. Concentration varies between cultivars and is affected by cultivation conditions, harvest timing and post-harvest handling. Thermolabile — degrades rapidly during drying at elevated temperatures and during extraction.
GMP and Manufacturing Relevance
Cross-contamination of a subsequent batch with myrcene-dominant terpene profile from a previous batch is a potential product quality issue if the manufacturing process does not include validated cleaning between different terpene-profile products. Cleaning validation scope should include terpene residues where product identity includes a terpene specification.
Analytical Measurement
Terpene profiling is performed by headspace GC-MS or GC-FID. Validated methods should achieve quantitative separation of key terpenes. Where terpene content is a product specification parameter, the analytical method must be validated under ICH Q2(R1).
See the Cannabis Glossary for definitions of related cultivation, extraction and quality terms.
References
- Russo EB. Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects. Br J Pharmacol. 2011.
- Ferber SG et al. The Entourage Effect. J Affect Disord. 2020.