Is it true that mangoes make you higher?

I saw a few posts on Facebook recently sharing the old wives tale that eating Mangoes increase the high you get from cannabis.  I thought I would investigate this to see how true it was.

Mangoes contain a terpene called myrcene.  This myrcene is very complimentary to the terpene profile of cannabis and often makes the high stronger and longer lasting.  Simply eat a mango roughly 45 minutes before you consume the cannabis to experience the benefits.

How do mangoes make you higher?

As well as being sweet and juicy, Mangoes contain one of the same terpenes as cannabis. A yellow oily substance with a pleasant smell called Myrcene. 

Myrcene is a terpene, a chemical compound found in plants where it is usually associated with creating the aroma.  It is one of the chemicals known for giving cannabis its distinctive smell.  You can read more about why cannabis smells >here<

The THC from the cannabis interacts with the Myrcene from the mango, and can not only make the high last longer, but can also increase the strength of the high you get.  The exact results will vary from person to person.

How much myrcene do mangoes contain?

Mangos do contain myrcene.  Although, where your average cannabis strain contains 2 mg of myrcene per quarter gram, an entire mango contains only around 0.09 mg.

So how is it possible that eating a mango can increase the length and potency of your high?  Surely you would need to eat dozens of mangoes to get enough Myrcene into your system.

To answer that question, we are going to have to look into terpene profiles and their effect on cannabis users.

Myrcene and Terpene profiles

The answer to this mystery is terpene profiles.

As I am sure you are aware, it’s not just the amount of THC in the cannabis which affects how high it makes you.  The terpene profile also makes quite a difference.

A terpene profile is the name given to the collection of different terpenes present in different strains of cannabis and how they all interact with each other.

The myrcene contained in mangoes is very complimentary to those in cannabis and as a result it often does make the cannabis high stronger as well as longer lasting.

How long does it take.

It takes around 45 minutes to an hour for the myrcene contained in the mango to enter your system after you have eaten it.  This means that you should leave taking the cannabis for a little while after you eat the mango depending on how you are consuming it.

If you are smoking or vaping the weed, then the effects are usually instant.  But if you are eating edibles as well as mango, then you should perhaps not leave it quite as long.  Cannabis edibles can also take a little while to get into your system.

As I am sure you are aware, the effects can vary from person to person.  It is always a good idea to experiment until you find the way that works best for you.

Other fruits which contain Myrcene

Mangoes aren’t the only fruit out there which contains Myrcene, although it is probably the one most associated with enhancing the buzz you get from cannabis.

Several other plants also contain this terpene.  These include.

• Hops (Used to brew beer)
• Lemon grass
• West Indian bay tree
• Cardamom
• Parsley
• Thyme

Conclusion

It certainly seems as though that eating mangoes makes you higher is a true fact.

That eating a mango or two before you start consuming weed really does make you higher for longer.  I know that terpene profiles are responsible for the different effects found with different strains of cannabis, so it is not unreasonable to expect that the myrcene from the mango will interact with the myrcene and other terpenes from the cannabis. 

I will be buying some mangoes when I next go shopping so that I can try a more practical test of this.