Cannabinoids
The active compounds in cannabis. Two of them have FDA-approved medicines behind them. Several of the rest are marketed with considerably more confidence than the evidence justifies, and we say which is which.
THC — Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol
The main intoxicating compound in cannabis. It drives most of what people mean by "high," and it is also the cannabinoid behind most documented therapeutic effects.
CBD — Cannabidiol
Non-intoxicating. The only cannabis-derived compound with an FDA-approved medicine behind it, and the cannabinoid most often used to soften THC.
CBG — Cannabigerol
The precursor molecule that most other cannabinoids are built from. Widely marketed, thinly evidenced in humans.
CBN — Cannabinol
A mild degradation product of THC, heavily marketed as a sleep aid on evidence that does not support the claim.
CBC — Cannabichromene
A minor non-intoxicating cannabinoid with interesting preclinical anti-inflammatory activity and essentially no human data.
THCV — Tetrahydrocannabivarin
A structural cousin of THC with dose-dependent and somewhat paradoxical behaviour: a CB1 antagonist at low doses, an agonist at high ones.
THCA — Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid
The raw, non-intoxicating acid form of THC found in the living plant. Heat converts it to THC.
CBDA — Cannabidiolic acid
The raw acid form of CBD, converted to CBD by heat.