It’s not a proven scientific fact, but many pot smokers are consuming mangoes an hour before lighting up to boost their highs. According to Marijuana.com, there’s a good chance that the myrcene molecules found in mango can possibly “increase, strengthen and even lengthen” the euphoric feeling from smoking marijuana.
Marijuana already contains more than 100 terpene molecules that are responsible for affecting THC in the brain and giving highs their ebbs and flows. But marijuana contains the myrcene terpene more than any other kind. So, if you eat a mango rich in myrcenes, you can potentially improve the high for low-quality buds or give a high-quality bud a little extra. As for how myrcene and terpene work, the research is still in its infancy.
“I don’t know the answer and the reason we don’t know the answer is because our government in its infinite wisdom didn’t permit any research in this area for many years,” said Christopher Hudalla, chief scientific officer at ProVerde Labs. “In many cases we are just starting to do this research.”
Myrcene is responsible for the aromas of apricots, walnuts and Valencia oranges and is widely used in the perfume industry. It gets its name from the plant mercia and is also found in lemon grass, verbena, hops and the West Indian bay tree used to make bay rum. Its aroma is much like cannabis as it can be woodsy, citrusy and fruity.
But one of its lesser-known qualities is that the myrcene allows THC to pass through the blood brain barrier much faster. On average, it takes THC seven seconds to reach the brain after inhaling. But if you eat a mango — or a mango smoothie — 90 minutes before smoking, you could potentially halve that time.
The “Big Book of Buds”notes that the Cavalo, Rosa, Espada and Paulista variety of mangoes are excellent sources of myrcene.
Before you pop a giant mango in your mouth, you’ll still want to adjust the timing because a slower metabolism can take longer to digest the mango, affecting how long it’ll take to feel any improvements to your high.
If you want to get the full effect of marijuana’s terpenes, you’ll also want to take a few deep breaths and inhale the aromas of your bud before you smoke. You can do this by breaking or chopping up the buds (purists may say otherwise to chopping up the bud) and then inhaling deeply through your nose.
Eating the mango will naturally boost the levels of terpenes and boost the high, but there’s another benefit to mangoes. Not only are they high in myrcene terpene, they also are high in vitamins C, A and dietary fiber which is a great way to counter the junk-food munchies.
