CBC: Master of Interactions

Cannabichromene (CBC) is one of the most common cannabinoids in cannabis, although its concentration in the dried flower rarely exceeds a few tenths of a percent.

CBC: Master of Interactions

Cannabichromene (CBC) is one of the most common cannabinoids in cannabis, although its concentration in the dried flower rarely exceeds a few tenths of a percent.

When it was first isolated in 1966 (two years after delta-9-THC), cannabichromene was considered a widely occurring cannabinoid. According to some articles from the 1970s, it was even believed to be the second most common cannabinoid.

This misconception mainly stemmed from the difficulty in separating CBC and CBD, which made these two compounds virtually indistinguishable to analytical chemistry of that era — and often misidentified.

Frozen by the Flower

Like CBD (as well as THC, CBG, CBN, and others), CBC originates from cannabigerolic acid (CBGA). Unlike most cannabinoids, it is produced mostly during the early growth stages of the plant. During flowering, production does not increase, and its concentration declines as the plant's biomass increases.

Where is CBC found?

Chemotypes with a high percentage of THC are usually richest in cannabichromene.

Breeders have also developed strains dominant in CBC, but it's worth noting that the total cannabinoid content in these plants is lower, and dried material with CBC content above two percent has never been reliably confirmed.

Although this cannabinoid has not yet been sourced from anything other than cannabis, various analogs are relatively common in nature.

Perhaps the most interesting of these is daurichromenic acid, which has been found in various species of the rhododendron genus and is known for its significant antiviral activity — including against HIV.

This article was also published in the magazine KONOPÍ.