A Pseudo-Scientific Look at -Myrcene and Limonene

I would like to preface this by saying I put this in the Seasoned Tokers section for a reason. Hopefully you guys will appreciate it a little more. I personally find myself on the verge of being 'seasoned' but I usually stick to the apprentice section, so I hope you guys enjoy my contribution.

I say pseudo because I do not use any scientific tools or expensive technology. I simply used the products in question regularly for an extended period of time and did so with care to respect the scientific method. I have been smoking daily for 3 years and feel versed enough to speak on the high.

Background:
If youre unaware, β-myrcene and limonene are two of the most prevalent terpenes found in your cannabis (even more so the better your bud is) and theres been a lot of debate recently over how they work and whether or not supplementing these, and other terpenes, can increase your high. The "scientific" community is claiming that these terpenes work to allow a more sufficient transfer of THC across your blood-brain barrier. If you doubt the legitimacy of this post I suggest you do some research...even magazines like High Times are touting mangoes as a great munchy food to benefit your high.

Mangoes:
Mangoes have been the "go to" for those who wish to try out this latest craze for increasing your high. Mainly because theyre easily obtained and cheap. Ripe, and especially over ripe, mangoes are high in β-myrcene (percentage near impossible to find) and eating one as you smoke or up to an hour prior (depending on metabolism) will supposedly give you the benefits you seek.

I personally HATE mangoes so I thought I was out of luck, but it appears that may not be the case...

Lemongrass Oil:
For as little information there is on mangoes theres even less on Lemongrass Oil. However I was able to dig up this on GC, which states Lemongrass Oil contains 25% β-myrcene and 15%-20% limonene; which is much higher than its mango counterpart. The time frame for consuming the oil is the same as mangoes.

My Pseudo-Scientific Research (with lemongrass oil):
There has been a lot of debate over this topic but at the end of the day it seems to have boiled down to this: yes it makes some sense but the burden of proof falls on those who wish to change the standard procedure (which is not using mangoes/lemongrass oil). Im here to give you the little burden of proof I have.

I have been using 100% pure lemongrass oil for over a month now. Half the time I was a 3 to 5 times daily smoker. The other half I have been on a t-break with absolutely no weed. I hope my unique circumstance will provide some insight the internet lacks.

With Weed:
I consumed 2 drops of lemongrass oil placed on a stick of gum or in hot tea once every other day 20 minutes before one of my smoking sessions. I have a fairly set schedule for smoking and varied which of the sessions I used the lemongrass oil prior to. I smoked from the same stash the entire time but my stash was 3 strains mixed together. All 3 strains were the best I could possibly get in my area (no name, but I knew the man who drove to Colorado to get it). I noted which strains I smoked to make sure I varied them, but did not note individual effects of the oil with the different strains. I hope this variation was enough to keep my tolerance down enough to provide a legitimate look at the effects.

Overall I was pleased with the effects. They were subtle...if I told myself they werent there I could have easily convinced myself of it. However I was not particularly 'hoping' it would work so I dont think Im guilty of the opposite either. I would describe the feeling as a low undertone that relaxed me and took me a little out of my element. It gave me a more heavy feeling, but not couch lock. It was more heady than a body effect and lasted quite long. I would not say it made me higher only that my high was more enjoyable. It did not get me higher quicker and the high did peak for longer but did drag out for longer (the come down was more gradual). This was consistent across all strains. I found early morning to be the best time, likely because I was tired and had an empty stomach.

Without Weed:
Many people have commented on the effects of mangoes and some even lemongrass but few have used the product for extended periods of time, regularly, and taking care to get unbiased results. But even fewer have used the product when not smoking. I hope this will shed some additional light on the situation.

I continued to use 2 drops every other day in hot tea and on chewing gum and varied the time of day at consumption.

The effects were surprisingly similar...I received a mild heady feeling that made me feel a little heavy and slow (especially with tea). In fact, I usually have some trouble with t-breaks as I fiend pretty bad for a smoke. This never happened as the lemongrass oil was more than enough. I literally felt like I had consumed a tiny amount of bud. When I used the lemongrass oil late at night it put me right to sleep but during the day it seemed to give me a focused energy.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, I cant really speak on the scientific workings of β-myrcene or limonene but I can speak on how I feel they work. Because the effects of them while I was not smoking it seems they may work side by side but not in conjunction with your weed to get you higher. It raised my tolerance no doubt...this was a big downside for me. The high was better but not stronger. Lemongrass oil is an astringent; if you consume too much itll clean you out...badly. 2 drops seemed perfect. It is very strong; most people might prefer mangoes. It can eat away at your lips and mouth (again astringent) so those with sensitive mouths or with chapped lips will want to avoid it but I actually liked how soft it left my lips.

I would recommend everyone tries it. My $5 dollar bottle will last me a year or more and I will be very thankful I have it. Its a toss up as to whether Ill buy another when it runs out. In the end Id say the positives and negatives just about equal out.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME EVERYONE

Happy tokin

 

Yes, based on my experiences I would have to say the lower quality your bud the more this would work for you. It seems to 'brings out the best' in your bud, but if your buds good...

And yes it was great, just enough to take the edge off when you dont have bud but are dying to smoke.

 

Also something I thought of last night:

The effects of the oil during my time without weed did not seem to decrease and time went on. Aka as the THC stored in my body slowly decreased I did not feel the effects of the oil decreased. I enjoy the product and will continue its use (im still on a t-break) and if I notice a change in the effects Ill update this thread.

Thanks again everyone.

 

A bump just for those of us who enjoy reading massive blocks of texts

...and some pictures for those of us that dont


Small bottle, but will last a very long time even with regular use. In my entire experience with it I only made it to the top of the label. Around $5.


Mangoes should be red or orange. They should look overripe but not rotten obviously. The squishier the better (again, to an extent). And yes I did steal this off another GC post...very observant of you

happy tokin

 

 
Lemongrass oil used for theraputic purposes is either mixed with other oils or is simply unpure.  Anything that is 100% pure lemongrass oil is in itself food grade and is GRAS (generally recognized as safe [for consumption]) by the FDA.

The brand I posted, was, at time of purchase, 100% lemongrass oil, but always double check before purchasing.
 
I should also probably shake my finger at you for ressurecting a burried thread but hey, since its my thread ill let it slide