CBG Atlas

Safety & reporting
AtlasThe family map
Cannabinoid acidsMinor cannabinoidsVarin cannabinoidsHow we grade
The family · one drawing

The cannabinoid family, mapped.

The plant makes acids. Heat and time make the rest. Two mother acids, CBGA and its three-carbon twin CBGVA, feed three enzymes each; every acid then gives up CO₂ to become the neutral compound on the shelf, and two of those go on breaking down in air and light. The map draws every route, and paints each compound by how many studies in our registry concern it.

Signature instrument

Every route, one drawing.

Two series side by side. Down the page is chemistry the plant runs, then chemistry that happens to it afterwards. Select a compound to read how it forms and what it becomes.

Interactive · select a compound

The cannabinoid family map

Select any compound to read what it is, how it forms and how many studies in our registry concern it. The series control changes the framing only, never the facts.

Two trees side by side. In the pentyl series the mother acid CBGA is converted by THCA synthase, CBDA synthase and CBCA synthase into THCA, CBDA and CBCA; heat and time decarboxylate CBGA to CBG, THCA to THC, CBDA to CBD and CBCA to CBC; THC and THCA oxidise with air, light and time into CBN, and light folds CBC into CBL. The varin series runs in parallel from CBGVA to THCVA, CBDVA and CBCVA, and by heat to CBGV, THCV, CBDV and CBCV; the varin synthase step is inferred from the pentyl reaction and is drawn dashed. Each node is painted by the number of studies in our registry that concern it; a node without studies reads catalogue in progress.Pentyl seriesfive-carbon side chain · the main lineTHCA synthaseCBDA synthaseCBCA synthaseDecarboxylationheat + timeair, light, timelight, heatVarin (propyl) seriesthree-carbon side chain · synthase step inferred, drawn dashedTHCA synthaseCBDA synthasea synthaseDecarboxylationheat + timeno varin degradation productis catalogued on the site yet
The pentyl series, one branch per row. The mother acid CBGA is converted by THCA synthase, CBDA synthase and CBCA synthase into THCA, CBDA and CBCA; heat and time decarboxylate CBGA to CBG, THCA to THC, CBDA to CBD and CBCA to CBC; THC and THCA oxidise with air, light and time into CBN, and light folds CBC into CBL. Each node is painted by the number of studies in our registry that concern it; a node without studies reads catalogue in progress.Pentyl seriesfive-carbon side chain · the main lineDecarboxylationheat + timeTHCAsynthaseCBDAsynthaseCBCAsynthaseair, light, timelight, heatThe varin series, one branch per row, parallel to the pentyl series: CBGVA to THCVA, CBDVA and CBCVA, and by heat to CBGV, THCV, CBDV and CBCV. The varin synthase step is inferred from the pentyl reaction and is drawn dashed. Each node is painted by the number of studies in our registry that concern it; a node without studies reads catalogue in progress.Varin (propyl) seriesthree-carbon side chain ·synthase step inferred, drawn dashedDecarboxylationheat + timeTHCAsynthaseCBDAsynthasea synthaseno varin degradation productis catalogued on the site yet
Every compound on the map
  • CBGA Cannabigerolic acidpentyl series · 4 studies in our registryOpen page →
  • THCA Tetrahydrocannabinolic acidpentyl series · Catalogue in progressOpen page →
  • CBDA Cannabidiolic acidpentyl series · Catalogue in progressNo page yet
  • CBCA Cannabichromenic acidpentyl series · Catalogue in progressOpen page →
  • CBG Cannabigerolpentyl series · 21 studies in our registryOpen page →
  • THC Δ⁹-Tetrahydrocannabinolpentyl series · Catalogue in progressNo page yet
  • CBD Cannabidiolpentyl series · Catalogue in progressOpen page →
  • CBC Cannabichromenepentyl series · Catalogue in progressOpen page →
  • CBN Cannabinolpentyl series · Catalogue in progressOpen page →
  • CBL Cannabicyclolpentyl series · Catalogue in progressOpen page →
  • CBGVA Cannabigerovarinic acidvarin series · Catalogue in progressOpen page →
  • THCVA Tetrahydrocannabivarinic acidvarin series · Catalogue in progressOpen page →
  • CBDVA Cannabidivarinic acidvarin series · Catalogue in progressOpen page →
  • CBCVA Cannabichromevarinic acidvarin series · Catalogue in progressNo page yet
  • CBGV Cannabigerovarinvarin series · Catalogue in progressOpen page →
  • THCV Tetrahydrocannabivarinvarin series · 1 study in our registryOpen page →
  • CBDV Cannabidivarinvarin series · Catalogue in progressOpen page →
  • CBCV Cannabichromevarinvarin series · Catalogue in progressNo page yet
Key
  • A numeral counts the studies in our registry that concern the compound: a coverage fact, not an evidence grade.
  • A plain node is catalogue in progress: our registry holds no study specific to that compound yet. Absence here says nothing against the compound.
  • Solid green: a plant enzyme (synthase). Dashed green: the same step on the varin line, inferred from the pentyl reaction rather than measured.
  • Dotted gold: heat and time drive off CO₂ (decarboxylation).
  • Red: no enzyme at all. Air, light and time make CBN from THC; light makes CBL from CBC.

Upstream of CBGA, geranyl pyrophosphate and olivetolic acid combine through a prenyltransferase. That step is general biochemistry and is not yet in our registry, so the map starts at the mother acids.

How to read the map

Three kinds of arrow, one kind of colour.

The arrows say what does the work. The colour says only how much of our registry concerns the compound, which is a different question from how well it is understood.

Enzymes, top to middle

Solid green arrows are synthases: THCA synthase, CBDA synthase and CBCA synthase each take the mother acid and commit it to a branch. On the varin line the same enzymes are drawn dashed, because the site’s registry documents the pentyl reaction and the varin step is inferred from it, not measured.

Heat and time, middle to bottom

Dotted gold arrows are decarboxylation: the acid loses its carboxyl group as CO₂ and becomes the neutral compound. It creeps along in a jar over months and runs fast under the heat of a joint, a vape or an oven, and it is the reason the acid a plant makes and the compound a product contains are two different molecules.

No enzyme at all

Red arrows are degradation. CBN has no synthase; it forms as THC and THCA oxidise with air, light and time. CBL forms when light folds CBC into a new ring. Both build up in aged or poorly stored material, which is why the map keeps them below the line the plant draws.

The numeral is coverage, not a grade

A badge counts the studies in our registry that concern the compound. A plain node is catalogue in progress: our registry holds no study specific to it yet, which says nothing against the compound. Evidence grades live on the compound pages, one claim at a time, on the six-rung ladder.

Where the map leads

Each region of the drawing has its own hub.

A note on what the map claims

The map draws formation, not effects, and every route on it restates a fact already published on this site. Where a step is inferred rather than measured it is drawn dashed and said to be so; where our registry holds no study of a compound the node says catalogue in progress. Peregrine Biopharma funds the platform and holds no editorial authority. Informational only; not medical advice. Report a safety event.