What do we know about Cannabinoids?

Cannabinoids are a subset of terpenophenolics unique to the species C. sativa. There are 80+ known cannabinoids in C. Sativa (Flores-Sanchez and Verpoorte 2008), with the most abundant being Δ9 THC (Δ9 Tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD (Cannabidiol) and CBN (Cannabinol). Several genes controlling these compounds’ biosynthesis from a CBG (Cannabigerol) precursor have been identified (Taura et al. 1996). The amount and type of cannabinoids produced are influenced by both genetic variation among C. sativa plants and environmental conditions (Toth et al. 2021) and (Woods et al. 2021). Cannabinoids are at the highest concentration in the plant’s glandular trichomes; therefore, genes controlling trichome development will also influence the amount of cannabinoids a given plant produces.