Higher Learning LV Staff
Jul 25, 20213 min
Updated: Jul 10, 2022
Myrcene, sometimes denoted as β-myrcene, is the most dominant terpene in hemp and sometimes constitutes more than 50 percent of the terpene weight by volume of a particular sample of the herb.
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Myrcene is produced by many plant species beyond cannabis, including chamomile, hops, lemongrass, parsley, wild thyme, and several others. Like many terpenes, it is employed as a food flavor agent and in cosmetics for fragrance.
One of this terpene's major efficacies is relaxation and a decrease of anxiety. In significant doses, it can act as a sedative and be effective in the treatment of conditions such as PTSD, social anxiety, and a variety of sleep disorders.
One of the most interesting and potentially valuable characteristics of this terpene is its ability to synergize with other terpenes and cannabinoids and to allow them to more easily permeate, or pass through, cell membranes. This includes the critical blood-brain barrier (BBB), increasing transport of cannabinoids to the CB1 receptors of the brain. This mechanism allows myrcene to enhance the potency of other molecules by allowing them to enjoy greater bioavailability.
Like many other terpenes and also cannabinoids, myrcene has been noted as an anti-inflammatory, potentially providing relief to literally hundreds of disease states and conditions based in or involving inflammation. Like humulene, it is also produced by the hops used to brew beer.
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Although it is the most common terpene in hemp and found in many other plant species, myrcene is estimated to be dominant in about 40 percent of popular hemp cultivars and chemotypes (BCP dominates 30 percent of cultivars, while limonene commands the top spot in 14 percent of them, terpinolene in 11 percent.
Pinene, the most common terpene in nature, dominates in 4 percent of hemp cultivars. More data regarding percentages of various terpenes produced by hemp can be found in this widely cited 1997 study.
Like many other cannabinoids and terpenes, myrcene demonstrates a biphasic response curve in terms of its ability to decrease anxiety. A 2002 study demonstrated that myrcene decreases anxiety and can play an effective role in the treatment of conditions such as insomnia in low quantities. In larger doses, however, it can deliver the polar opposite efficacy of increased anxiety.
The myrcene molecule
A 2017 study entitled "Myrcene, an Aromatic Volatile Compound, Ameliorates Human Skin Extrinsic Aging via Regulation of MMPs Production" that was published in The American Journal of Chinese Medicine revealed the antioxidant properties of this terpene and how it may benefit in skin treatments and "antiaging" regimens.
The study concluded that myrcene may have applications in skin care due to its "potential protective effect on UVB-induced human skin photoaging."
A 2015 study entitled "Evaluation of the Anti-inflammatory, Anticatabolic, and Pro-anabolic effects of E-caryophyllene, Myrcene, and Limonene [for] Osteoarthritis" that was published in the European Journal of Pharmacology explored the ability of myrcene and limonene to treat osteoarthritis, a condition that afflicts 33 million adults in the United States.
The study revealed "significant anti-inflammatory" effects delivered by myrcene and limonene. Data produced by the research demonstrated the significant anti-inflammatory properties of myrcene for chondrocytes (the only type of cell composing healthy cartilage) in osteoarthritis. This results in prevention of the cartilage matrix from breaking down and slows the progression of the disease. The study noted that these terpenes may even halt the progression of cartilage destruction.