At a glance
- Cannabinoids are a broad family of compounds found in cannabis, produced by the human body or made in laboratories. Some activate the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2; others influence the endocannabinoid system or act through different targets. More than 120 have been identified in the plant[1].
- Most human research concerns THC and CBD. Their acid forms, THCA and CBDA, dominate the living plant, while evidence for most minor cannabinoids remains preclinical.
- Your body makes its own cannabinoids, called endocannabinoids. Labs make synthetic ones too.
- The plant makes acids first. Heat converts THCA into intoxicating THC, which is why unheated cannabis generally does not produce the same high.
- Some are made by the plant, some form as it ages, and some are manufactured. CBN is mainly a breakdown product of THC; commercial delta-8 and THCP are usually made in labs.
On this page: What are cannabinoids? · Three kinds · How the plant makes them · Cannabinoids at a glance · The major cannabinoids · Minor and unusual cannabinoids · Common questions · Go deeper
When people talk about what cannabis does, they are mostly talking about cannabinoids. THC is behind the high. CBD is behind a prescription epilepsy medicine. Dozens of lesser-known relatives, from CBG to THCP, now fill product shelves with bold claims. This guide explains what cannabinoids are, how the plant makes them, what each major one does, and how strong the evidence really is.
What are cannabinoids?
Cannabinoids are a broad family of molecules associated with cannabis and the endocannabinoid system. Some bind directly to the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2, while others act only weakly at those receptors or affect different targets altogether, such as enzymes, ion channels or serotonin receptors.
CB1 is especially abundant in the brain and nervous system but also occurs in other tissues; CB2 is strongly associated with immune cells, although it is found elsewhere too[2, 3]. CB1 is the receptor THC acts on to produce a high.
The word covers three different groups of molecules, which is a common source of confusion. A 2021 review counted 125 cannabinoids identified in cannabis, among more than 500 compounds found in the plant[1]. Most are present only in small or trace amounts.
Cannabinoids are not the same as terpenes, the aromatic compounds that give cannabis its smell, although the two are made by related chemistry and are often discussed together. Our article on cannabinoids versus terpenes explains the difference, and our complete guide to cannabis terpenes is the companion to this page.
What are the three kinds of cannabinoids?
Phytocannabinoids are made by the cannabis plant (“phyto” means plant). THC, CBD, CBG and the rest of the roster below belong here.
Endocannabinoids are made by your own body. The two main ones are anandamide, identified in 1992[4], and 2-AG, identified in 1995[5, 6]. Together with the receptors and the enzymes that make and break them down, they form the endocannabinoid system, which takes part in regulating appetite, pain, memory, stress responses and other processes. Our guide to the endocannabinoid system covers how it works.
Synthetic cannabinoids are made in a lab. Some are approved medicines, such as dronabinol, which is synthetic THC. Others are the street drugs sold as “K2” or “Spice,” which the CDC warns can affect the brain much more powerfully than cannabis, causing effects such as nausea, anxiety, paranoia, seizures, hallucinations, aggression and heart palpitations, and sometimes severe injury or death[7]. Our article on the dangers of synthetic cannabinoids explains why they are so different from cannabis.
The line is blurring. Many hemp products now contain cannabinoids that occur naturally in trace amounts but are manufactured in bulk, often from CBD, such as delta-8 THC. See our articles on synthesized minor cannabinoids and on what we found when we tested 12 converted cannabinoid products.
One more twist: some molecules that are not structurally classified as cannabinoids can still act at cannabinoid receptors. Beta-caryophyllene, a terpene found in cannabis, black pepper and many other plants, selectively activates CB2; see our article on beta-caryophyllene as a dietary cannabinoid.
How does the plant make cannabinoids?
The plant does not make THC or CBD directly. It makes acids.
- For the major five-carbon cannabinoids, it builds CBGA first. CBGA is often called the “mother cannabinoid.”
- Enzymes turn CBGA into other acids. One enzyme makes THCA, another makes CBDA, a third makes CBCA. Which enzymes a plant carries decides whether it is a high-THC or high-CBD plant. Shorter-chain families follow parallel pathways from related precursors such as CBGVA.
- Heat removes the acid group. Smoking, vaping or baking converts THCA into THC and CBDA into CBD. This step is called decarboxylation.
- Time and oxygen change things further. As THC ages, some of it breaks down into CBN.
Our explainers on the acidic cannabinoids and on decarboxylation cover these steps in detail.
The same machinery also makes families of cannabinoids that differ only in the length of their side chain. The “varins,” such as THCV and CBDV, have a three-carbon chain; the standard compounds have five; the rare “phorols,” THCP and CBDP, have seven[8].
Cannabinoids at a glance
| Cannabinoid | Main characteristic | Intoxicating? | Human evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| THC | Main CB1-activating compound in cannabis | Yes | Substantial for several uses; approved medicines |
| CBD | Approved drug for three seizure disorders | No THC-like high | Strong for epilepsy; limited elsewhere |
| THCA | Plant precursor of THC | Generally no, until heated | Limited |
| CBDA, CBGA | Acid precursors in the plant | No | Mostly preclinical |
| CBG | Neutral form of CBGA | No established high | Mostly preclinical |
| CBN | Breakdown product of THC | Mild at most; uncertain | Thin |
| CBC | Neutral form of CBCA | No | Mostly preclinical |
| THCV | Three-carbon relative of THC | Uncertain; may depend on dose | Limited |
| CBDV | Three-carbon relative of CBD | No | Limited |
| Delta-8 THC | THC isomer; mostly manufactured | Yes | Limited |
| THCP, CBDP | Seven-carbon relatives of THC and CBD | THCP possibly, untested in people; CBDP no | No controlled human studies |
| 11-OH-THC | Liver metabolite of THC | Yes | Human pharmacology studies |
The major cannabinoids
THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol)
The main CB1-activating compound in cannabis, and the reason for the high. Its structure was worked out in 1964 by Yehiel Gaoni and Raphael Mechoulam[9]. It acts on CB1 in the brain, and synthetic THC, sold as dronabinol, is approved for chemotherapy-related nausea and AIDS-related appetite loss.
Read: What is THC? · 11-OH-THC, the metabolite behind strong edibles · THC, CBD and CBN for sleep
CBD (cannabidiol)
The second major cannabinoid, and not intoxicating in the way THC is. A purified prescription CBD, Epidiolex, was approved by the FDA in 2018 for seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome[10], and is now also approved for seizures associated with tuberous sclerosis complex, in patients aged 1 year and older[11]. Most consumer CBD products are taken at doses far below those used in the trials.
Read: CBD: the dose gap between medicine and the market · CBD dosing and the food effect
THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid)
The form of THC the living plant actually makes. THCA does not produce a THC-like high. Heat converts it into THC, which is why many laboratory reports and hemp rules use “total THC,” rather than measuring delta-9 THC alone. For where cannabinoids stand under US federal law right now, see our hemp redefinition explainer.
Read: THCA benefits: what the research shows · THCA side effects
CBDA and CBGA (the other acids)
CBDA is the acid precursor of CBD, while CBGA is the precursor of the major five-carbon cannabinoid family. Both have drawn interest in lab and animal research.
Read: CBDA and CBGA: the acidic cannabinoids explained
Minor and unusual cannabinoids
CBG (cannabigerol)
The neutral form of CBGA, usually present in small amounts because most CBGA is converted into other acids. Breeders now grow CBG-rich plants. Most research is in cells and animals.
Read: What is CBG?
CBN (cannabinol)
Forms as THC ages and oxidizes, which is why old cannabis contains more of it. It is heavily marketed for sleep, but the human evidence is thin.
Read: What is CBN? · Cannabinoids and sleep
CBC (cannabichromene)
The plant converts CBGA into CBCA through its own synthase enzyme; heat or time then converts CBCA into CBC. Research has looked at inflammation, lung injury and cancer cells, almost entirely in the lab and in animals; none of it shows a treatment effect in people.
Read: What is CBC? · CBC and lung injury (a mouse study)
THCV and CBDV (the varins)
Short-chain relatives of THC and CBD, found in higher amounts in some plants. THCV is marketed for appetite and weight; CBDV has been studied mainly for seizures.
Read: THCV and other varins · THCV and appetite · What is CBDV?
Delta-8, delta-10 and other THC isomers
Molecules with the same atoms as THC arranged slightly differently. Delta-8 occurs naturally in trace amounts, but most delta-8 sold is made from CBD in a lab.
Read: THC isomers: delta-8, delta-9 and delta-10
THCP and CBDP (the phorols)
Seven-carbon relatives of THC and CBD, first identified in 2019 in trace amounts[8]. THCP binds CB1 far more tightly than THC in lab tests; products sold today are generally lab-made.
Read: THCP and CBDP: is THCP really 33 times stronger?
Plants bred for minor cannabinoids
Some cultivars are bred to carry unusually high levels of minor cannabinoids.
Read: Chemovars with high minor cannabinoids
Common questions about cannabinoids
Do all cannabinoids get you high?
No. Only some cannabinoids are intoxicating. Delta-9 THC is the best established; delta-8 THC and 11-OH-THC are also intoxicating. THCP produces THC-like effects in animals, but its potency in people is unknown. CBD, CBG, CBC and the common acid forms do not produce a THC-like high.
How many cannabinoids are there?
A 2021 review counted 125 cannabinoids identified in cannabis[1]. Most occur only in tiny amounts, and only a handful have been studied in people.
Is CBD a cannabinoid if it doesn’t get you high?
Yes. “Cannabinoid” describes the chemical family and its link to the cannabinoid system, not whether a compound is intoxicating.
Why doesn’t raw cannabis get you high?
Because most of its cannabinoids are in acid form. Heat converts THCA into THC. Fresh plant material can contain some THC, but generally not enough for the same effect.
How do labs measure cannabinoids?
Mostly with liquid chromatography, which separates the compounds and measures each one. See our guides to the NIST cannabinoid library and detecting cannabinoid isomers.
Go deeper
- The endocannabinoid system, and conversations with Dr. Daniele Piomelli, Dr. Ethan Russo and Dr. Jahan Marcu
- Endocannabinoids: an origin story and endocannabinoid signaling in the brain
- More on individual compounds: CBD and drug delivery to the brain · how THCA diamonds form · THC and CBC in cancer-cell research · CBC and bladder cancer cells
- Testing: cannabinoid boiling points · what a cannabis hair test detects
- Cannabis terpenes: the complete guide
References
- Radwan MM, Chandra S, Gul S, ElSohly MA. Cannabinoids, phenolics, terpenes and alkaloids of cannabis. Molecules. 2021;26(9):2774. doi:10.3390/molecules26092774
- Matsuda LA, Lolait SJ, Brownstein MJ, Young AC, Bonner TI. Structure of a cannabinoid receptor and functional expression of the cloned cDNA. Nature. 1990;346:561-564. doi:10.1038/346561a0
- Munro S, Thomas KL, Abu-Shaar M. Molecular characterization of a peripheral receptor for cannabinoids. Nature. 1993;365:61-65. doi:10.1038/365061a0
- Devane WA, Hanuš L, Breuer A, et al. Isolation and structure of a brain constituent that binds to the cannabinoid receptor. Science. 1992;258(5090):1946-1949. doi:10.1126/science.1470919
- Mechoulam R, Ben-Shabat S, Hanuš L, et al. Identification of an endogenous 2-monoglyceride, present in canine gut, that binds to cannabinoid receptors. Biochem Pharmacol. 1995;50(1):83-90. doi:10.1016/0006-2952(95)00109-D
- Sugiura T, Kondo S, Sukagawa A, et al. 2-Arachidonoylglycerol: a possible endogenous cannabinoid receptor ligand in brain. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1995;215(1):89-97. doi:10.1006/bbrc.1995.2437
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cannabis frequently asked questions. Last reviewed 31 January 2025.
- Citti C, Linciano P, Russo F, et al. A novel phytocannabinoid isolated from Cannabis sativa L. with an in vivo cannabimimetic activity higher than Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol: Δ9-tetrahydrocannabiphorol. Sci Rep. 2019;9(1):20335. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-56785-1
- Gaoni Y, Mechoulam R. Isolation, structure, and partial synthesis of an active constituent of hashish. J Am Chem Soc. 1964;86(8):1646-1647. doi:10.1021/ja01062a046
- US Food and Drug Administration. FDA approves first drug comprised of an active ingredient derived from marijuana to treat rare, severe forms of epilepsy. Press announcement, 25 June 2018.
- US Food and Drug Administration. Epidiolex (cannabidiol) oral solution: prescribing information. Revised July 2020.
This guide is an educational summary of published research. It is not medical or legal advice.
Published November 2026. Fact-checking support from the DeepWeed research database.