List of cannabinoids: THC, CBD, CBG, CBN, CBC and more

Cannabinoids are compounds that act on the body’s cannabinoid receptors. Cannabis makes more than 100 of them, mostly as acids (THCA, CBDA, CBGA, CBCA) that heat turns into THC, CBD, CBG and CBC. The body makes its own, such as anandamide and 2-AG. Formula Swiss tests every production batch and publishes the cannabinoids it measures.

Cannabis produces more than 560 identified compounds, including terpenes that give it its aroma and flavonoids and chlorophyll (ElSohly et al., 2017). The cannabinoids are the group that has drawn most research. This list covers the main ones, how they form in the plant, and how much of each we measure in our own CBD oils.

What are cannabinoids?

Cannabinoids are defined by what they do: they act on the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 and related targets. There are three groups:

Cannabinoids are secondary metabolites: they are not needed for the plant's growth, and are thought to help protect it against pests and stress. They are made and stored in the trichomes, the tiny resin glands on the flowers and leaves.

The main plant cannabinoids

More than 100 phytocannabinoids have been described (Hanuš et al., 2016), but only a handful occur in meaningful amounts.

THC

THC is the main intoxicating compound in cannabis. It activates CB1 receptors in the brain, which explains effects such as euphoria, relaxation, altered perception of time, hunger and impaired memory. Yehiel Gaoni and Raphael Mechoulam isolated THC from hashish and described its structure in 1964.

THC affects people differently: some feel relaxed, while others feel anxious or paranoid, and effects rise with dose. Other common effects include a faster heart rate, dry mouth, red eyes, dizziness and drowsiness. It is often said that CBD cancels out THC's effects, but in a driving study, CBD did not prevent THC-induced impairment (Arkell et al., 2019).

Cannabinoids have been studied as medicines. A systematic review found moderate-quality evidence for chronic pain and muscle spasticity, and low-quality evidence for chemotherapy nausea, weight gain in HIV infection, sleep disorders and Tourette syndrome, along with a higher risk of short-term side effects (Whiting et al., 2015). For how THC compares with CBD, see CBD vs THC.

CBD

CBD is not intoxicating. Unlike THC, it binds only weakly to CB1 and CB2 receptors and acts on several other targets (Pertwee, 2008). It is being studied for many uses, and a purified CBD medicine, Epidyolex, is approved in the EU for seizures in certain rare childhood epilepsies (EMA). Its legal status for other uses varies from country to country.

CBG

CBG is often called the "mother cannabinoid" because its acid form, CBGA, is what the plant's enzymes turn into THCA, CBDA and CBCA (Taura et al., 2007). Most CBGA is converted as the plant matures, so CBG is usually a minor cannabinoid, although some hemp varieties are bred to keep more of it. In human sebocytes, CBG increased lipid production (Oláh et al., 2016).

CBN

CBN is not made directly by the plant. It forms as THC oxidises in air, so older cannabis contains more of it; a storage study found that air oxidation in the dark increased CBN, while light-driven loss of THC did not (Fairbairn et al., 1976). CBN is being studied for sleep; our guide to CBD oil and sleep summarises the clinical trials.

CBC

CBC was first isolated in 1966. It binds poorly to CB1 receptors and acts on TRP channels, which are involved in pain and temperature sensing. In mice, CBC reduced inflammatory swelling through a non-CB1/CB2 mechanism (DeLong et al., 2010), and in human sebocytes it reduced lipid production (Oláh et al., 2016).

CBDV and THCV

The "varin" cannabinoids have a three-carbon (propyl) side chain instead of the usual five-carbon (pentyl) one. CBDV was anticonvulsant in mice and rats (Hill et al., 2012).

How many cannabinoids are there, and why "113"?

You will often see the figure "113 cannabinoids". It comes from older counts. A 2017 review listed more than 560 compounds in cannabis, of which about 120 are cannabinoids (ElSohly et al., 2017), and new ones are still being found, such as THC-P in 2019. The exact total depends on whether acid forms, breakdown products and trace compounds are counted separately.

Chemists group the plant cannabinoids into 11 classes, named after a typical member: the Δ9-THC, Δ8-THC, CBG, CBC, CBD, CBND, CBE, CBL, CBN and CBT types, plus a group of miscellaneous compounds. Several classes also have "varin" versions with a shorter side chain, such as CBGV, CBDV and THCV. Most of the 120 occur only in traces; the table above shows the few that are present in measurable amounts.

Acid forms and decarboxylation

The living plant makes most of its cannabinoids in acid form, such as THCA and CBDA. Heat removes a carboxyl group and converts them into the neutral forms THC and CBD, a reaction called decarboxylation; it also runs slowly during storage. THCA converts about twice as fast as CBDA or CBGA at the same temperature (Wang et al., 2016).

What we measure in our CBD oils

Every batch of our oils is tested. The table shows the cannabinoids measured in our four 30 ml oils in our published certificate of analysis, report 260410_A01, dated 8 April 2026. The method is gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection (GC-FID), and the values are totals after complete decarboxylation, so any acid form is counted as its neutral cannabinoid.

n.d. means not detected. Lucerne Calm and Lugano Clarity are our THC-free broad-spectrum oils; Zermatt Balance and St. Moritz Restore are full-spectrum. All certificates are on our lab reports page.

Endocannabinoids

The body makes its own cannabinoids. Anandamide was identified in 1992 (Devane et al., 1992) and 2-AG in 1995 (Mechoulam et al., 1995; Sugiura et al., 1995). Both are made on demand from fatty acids in cell membranes and act on the same CB1 and CB2 receptors as THC, although their chemical structures are completely different from THC's. Read more about the endocannabinoid system.

Synthetic cannabinoids

Synthetic cannabinoids are made in a laboratory, and many are designed to act on CB1 far more strongly than THC. Illicit products sold as "spice" or "K2" contain them, and a systematic review of hospital and poison-centre reports found that their adverse effects may be more frequent and more severe than those of cannabis (Tait et al., 2016). See how synthetic cannabinoids differ from plant-derived ones.

Our CBD oils list their measured cannabinoids on each batch certificate: see the range.