Myrcene (β-myrcene) is a monoterpene with an earthy, musky smell and one of the most common terpenes in cannabis. It also occurs in hops, lemongrass and mango. Its effects have been studied mainly in rats and mice, and no effect in people has been established.
Key facts
- Chemical name and formula
- 7-methyl-3-methylideneocta-1,6-diene, C10H16 (molar mass 136.23 g/mol)
- Type
- Open-chain (acyclic) monoterpene: two isoprene units, no ring
- In cannabis
- One of the main products of the plant's terpene synthase enzymes, made in the resin glands of the flowers
- Other sources
- Hops, lemongrass and mango; in one mango cultivar it made up 59% of the fruit's aroma compounds
- Evidence in people (as of October 2026)
- No controlled human study of myrcene's effects
- Food additive status
- Synthetic myrcene was removed from the US list of permitted flavourings in October 2018; natural myrcene in foods is not affected
What is myrcene?
Myrcene is a terpene, one of the aromatic compounds plants use partly to defend themselves against insects and grazing animals (Russo 2011). Its molecule is a chain of ten carbon atoms with three double bonds (PubChem). Because it is small and has no ring, it evaporates easily, so it is a large part of what you smell from fresh hops or cannabis flowers.
The form found in plants is β-myrcene. When articles, labels or lab reports just say "myrcene", they almost always mean this one. For the wider group of compounds, see what are terpenes?
What does myrcene smell like?
Myrcene is usually described as earthy and musky, with fruity or herbal notes. In cannabis, it sits alongside other terpenes such as limonene (citrus), pinene (pine) and caryophyllene (pepper), and the mix decides the overall aroma.
What is myrcene found in?
Myrcene is widespread in plants. Well-documented sources include:
- Cannabis and hemp: in the hemp variety 'Finola', β-myrcene is one of the major terpenes made by the plant's terpene synthase enzymes (Booth 2017).
- Hops: myrcene is part of hop preparations that have traditionally been used in Germany to aid sleep (Russo 2011). Hops are a close relative of cannabis.
- Lemongrass: myrcene was identified as a main component of lemongrass essential oil (Lorenzetti 1991).
- Mango: in a study of 25 mango cultivars from seven countries, β-myrcene accounted for 58.93% of the aroma compounds in the Philippine cultivar 'Xiaofei'. In other cultivars, terpinolene, 3-carene, caryophyllene or α-pinene dominated (Li 2017).
Does eating mango increase the effects of cannabis?
This is a popular claim: eat a mango before using cannabis and the high will be stronger or longer, because of the myrcene. No published study has tested it. The mango study above shows a second problem: the myrcene content depends heavily on the cultivar, and in many mangoes other terpenes dominate. Whether the myrcene from a piece of fruit reaches the brain in a meaningful amount is unknown.
Is myrcene indica or sativa?
Neither label tells you. Myrcene is often linked to "Indica" strains, but a study of more than 100 samples found that plants labelled "Sativa" and "Indica" were genetically indistinct. The labels tracked only a few terpenes controlled by terpene synthase genes (Watts 2021). Reviews also point to inconsistent terpene profiles in plants sold under the same strain name (Booth 2019). Only a lab analysis of a batch shows how much myrcene it contains. More on the labels in what is Cannabis indica?
What does research say about myrcene?
Myrcene is often said to make cannabis sedating, the so-called "couch-lock". That idea draws on folk use of hops and lemongrass tea and on animal studies. It has not been tested in people. The main studies:
| Study | Model | Finding | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lorenzetti 1991 | Rats and mice | Myrcene was the component of lemongrass oil that reduced pain responses | Animal model, injected or oral doses |
| Finlay 2020 | Cells (receptor tests) | Myrcene did not act on CB1 or CB2 receptors or change how THC or CBD acted there | Does not rule out other mechanisms |
| Wagner 2024 | Mice, inhaled vapour | Reduced anxiety-like behaviour, with differences between males and females | Animal model; no added effect with CBD |
Read together, these studies say myrcene is biologically active in animals, but not that it changes how cannabis or hemp products work in people. Claims about the medicinal properties of cannabis terpenes still need thorough validation (Booth 2019). For the broader theory, see the entourage effect.
Is myrcene safe?
Myrcene occurs naturally in foods and spices. In October 2018, the US FDA removed synthetic myrcene and five other synthetic flavourings from its list of permitted food additives. The reason was the Delaney Clause of 1958, which bars approval of any additive shown to cause cancer in animals at any dose; petition data showed this in laboratory animals given high doses. The FDA stated that the substances "do not pose a risk to public health under the conditions of their intended use", and the decision does not cover myrcene that occurs naturally in food (FDA 2018).
From our production
We keep the hemp's natural terpenes in our oils rather than stripping them out. Many people underestimate terpenes and assume only the cannabinoids matter.
— Robin Roy Krigslund-Hansen, co-founder and CEO
Frequently asked questions
What is myrcene?
Myrcene (β-myrcene) is an open-chain monoterpene, C10H16, with an earthy, musky smell. It is one of the most common terpenes in cannabis and also occurs in hops, lemongrass and mango.
What is myrcene found in?
Well-documented sources are cannabis and hemp, hops, lemongrass and some mango cultivars. The amount varies a lot between plants and varieties.
Do mangoes contain myrcene?
Some do. In a study of 25 cultivars, myrcene made up 59% of the aroma compounds in one cultivar, while other terpenes dominated in many others. No study has tested whether eating mango changes the effects of cannabis.
Is myrcene psychoactive?
In lab tests, myrcene did not act on the CB1 receptor, which THC uses to cause a high. Animal studies found sedative-like and anti-anxiety-like effects, but no effect in people has been established.
Is myrcene a terpene or a cannabinoid?
It is a terpene. Cannabinoids such as CBD and THC are a different class of compounds, although cannabis makes both in the same resin glands.
Related guides
This article is general information about plant chemistry. It makes no claims about the effects of Formula Swiss products, which are cosmetics for use on the skin, and it is not medical advice. Read our full disclaimer.
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Sources
- National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 31253, Myrcene. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Booth JK, Page JE, Bohlmann J. Terpene synthases from Cannabis sativa. PLoS One 2017;12(3):e0173911. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0173911
- Russo EB. Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects. Br J Pharmacol 2011;163(7):1344–1364. doi:10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01238.x
- Lorenzetti BB et al. Myrcene mimics the peripheral analgesic activity of lemongrass tea. J Ethnopharmacol 1991;34(1):43–48. doi:10.1016/0378-8741(91)90187-i
- Li L et al. Profiling of volatile fragrant components in a mini-core collection of mango germplasms from seven countries. PLoS One 2017;12(12):e0187487. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0187487
- Watts S et al. Cannabis labelling is associated with genetic variation in terpene synthase genes. Nat Plants 2021;7(10):1330–1334. doi:10.1038/s41477-021-01003-y
- Booth JK, Bohlmann J. Terpenes in Cannabis sativa – from plant genome to humans. Plant Sci 2019;284:67–72. doi:10.1016/j.plantsci.2019.03.022
- Finlay DB et al. Terpenoids from cannabis do not mediate an entourage effect by acting at cannabinoid receptors. Front Pharmacol 2020;11:359. doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.00359
- Wagner JK et al. Sex differences in the anxiolytic properties of common cannabis terpenes, linalool and β-myrcene, in mice. NeuroSci 2024;5(4):635–649. doi:10.3390/neurosci5040045
- US Food and Drug Administration. FDA removes 7 synthetic flavoring substances from food additives list. Constituent update, 5 October 2018
