Scientists have identified more than 100 cannabinoids in the cannabis plant, and some reviews put the count above 150. Yet nearly all of them trace back to a single molecule, and once you understand that one starting point, the rest of the family starts to make sense. That’s useful knowledge now that labels list CBG, CBN and THCV alongside THC, and you’re expected to know the difference.
This guide answers the question, “What are cannabinoids?” from the ground up. We’ll cover where they come from, how they work in your body, the “mother cannabinoid” that starts it all and what research actually says about the newer minor compounds, including where the evidence is still early.
Cannabinoids Explained in One Paragraph
Cannabinoids are chemical compounds that interact with cannabinoid receptors in the body. The ones made by the cannabis plant are called phytocannabinoids (“phyto” means plant), and they’re produced in trichomes, the tiny resin glands that give flower its frosty look. Some are psychoactive, meaning they change how your brain processes information, and THC is the famous example. Most, including CBD and CBG, are non-intoxicating. So if someone asks you what are cannabinoids in a single sentence, you can say they’re the plant’s active compounds, the ones that talk directly to your body’s own signaling system.
Three Kinds of Cannabinoids: Phyto, Endo and Synthetic
Any complete answer to “what are cannabinoids?” has to reach beyond the plant. A 2024 review in the journal Molecules sorts cannabinoids into three categories: plant-derived phytocannabinoids, endogenous cannabinoids made by the body and synthetic cannabinoids made in a lab. What unites all three is that they interact with the same two receptors, CB1 and CB2.
Phytocannabinoids vs Endocannabinoids
Yes, your body makes its own cannabinoids. They’re called endocannabinoids, and the two best understood are anandamide and 2-AG. Anandamide, identified in 1992, gets its name from the Sanskrit word “ananda,” meaning bliss. Your body makes endocannabinoids on demand, uses them to send short-range signals and then breaks them down quickly.
Phytocannabinoids are the plant’s versions. THC happens to resemble anandamide closely enough to activate the same receptor, which is the whole reason cannabis affects people at all. The key difference is control. Your body releases endocannabinoids in small, targeted bursts, while a phytocannabinoid like THC floods the system and lingers longer, which is why its effects feel broader and last for hours.
Where Synthetic Cannabinoids Fit
Synthetic cannabinoids are lab-made molecules designed to hit cannabinoid receptors. A few are approved prescription medications. Others are the unregulated products sold under street names, which can bind receptors far more strongly than THC and carry serious risks. They aren’t the same thing as the plant-derived compounds tested and sold in licensed dispensaries.
Inside the Endocannabinoid System
You can’t fully answer “what are cannabinoids?” without the system they plug into. The endocannabinoid system, or ECS, is a signaling network that helps your body keep things balanced. Researchers are still mapping everything it touches, but it’s involved in processes like mood, appetite, sleep, memory and immune response.
How Cannabinoids Work Like Keys in a Lock
Picture the receptors as locks and cannabinoids as keys. CB1 receptors sit mostly in the brain and nervous system, while CB2 receptors show up largely in the immune system and other tissues outside the brain. THC fits CB1 well enough to turn the lock, which produces its high. CBD barely fits either lock. Instead, it influences the system indirectly, and research suggests it can change how THC interacts with CB1, which is one reason the ratio of the two affects how a product feels.
Some cannabinoids also act on receptors outside the ECS entirely, like certain ion channels involved in sensing temperature and irritation. That’s part of why the answer to “how do cannabinoids work” is rarely a single sentence.
Why Heat Matters: Decarboxylation
In fresh or dried flower, most cannabinoids exist as acids, such as THCA and CBDA. These acid forms don’t activate CB1 in a meaningful way, which is why eating raw flower won’t produce a high. Heat from a flame, a vape or an oven knocks off a small carbon group in a process called decarboxylation, turning THCA into THC and CBDA into CBD.
The Cannabinoid Family Tree Starts With CBGA
If you remember one thing about cannabinoids, make it this family tree.
Inside the trichome, the plant builds a molecule called CBGA, often called the “mother cannabinoid.” Enzymes then convert CBGA into three main branches: THCA, CBDA and CBCA. A cultivar’s genetics decide which enzymes it has and how active they are, which is why one plant ends up THC-dominant and another CBD-dominant.
| Starting molecule | Plant converts it to | After heat | What happens with age |
| CBGA (mother cannabinoid) | Stays as CBGA if not converted | CBG | Usually present in small amounts |
| CBGA | THCA | THC | THC slowly breaks down into CBN |
| CBGA | CBDA | CBD | Relatively stable |
| CBGA | CBCA | CBC | Relatively stable |
| CBGVA (varin branch) | THCVA | THCV | Found mainly in select cultivars |
Because the plant turns most of its CBGA into other compounds, mature flower usually carries only a little CBG. That’s why CBG-rich products often come from specially bred cultivars or plants harvested early, before much of that conversion happens.
The Varin Branch: Where THCV Comes From
THCV follows a parallel path. Instead of CBGA, it starts from a slightly shorter cousin called CBGVA, which the plant converts into THCVA. Think of it as a second, smaller family line living alongside the main one. It explains why THCV shows up meaningfully in only certain cultivars rather than in trace amounts everywhere.
The Major Cannabinoids: THC and CBD
Most people asking what cannabinoids are start with these two. When people split cannabis compounds into major and minor cannabinoids, “major” simply means the plant usually makes them in the largest amounts. For most modern cultivars, that’s THC or CBD, or both.
THC: The Psychoactive Headliner
THC was first isolated in 1964, and it’s still the compound responsible for most of cannabis’s intoxicating effects. It activates CB1 receptors in the brain, changing perception, mood, appetite and your sense of time. Because its effects depend heavily on dose, form and your own tolerance, the same product can feel very different to two people.
CBD: Non-Intoxicating and Widely Studied
CBD doesn’t produce a high, and it’s the most researched cannabinoid after THC. In 2018, the FDA approved a CBD-based prescription medication, the first plant-derived cannabinoid drug in the U.S., which gave CBD research a major boost. Many consumers pair CBD with THC because it may round off some of THC’s intensity.
To see how these numbers look in real products, browse lab-tested flower, vapes, and edibles on Nightjar’s product listings to compare cannabinoid ratios side by side.
The Rising Minors: CBG, CBN, CBC and THCV
Minor cannabinoids are getting a lot of shelf space, and when shoppers ask what are cannabinoids like CBG and CBN actually doing, the honest answer is that researchers are still finding out.
Much of what we know comes from lab and animal studies, with limited research in people. That doesn’t mean these compounds do nothing. It means the marketing often runs ahead of the science, and you’re better off knowing where each claim stands.
What CBG Does and What Research Is Exploring
What it is: the non-intoxicating, decarboxylated form of CBGA, the mother cannabinoid. What research is exploring: CBG interacts with CB1 and CB2 as well as several receptors outside the ECS, and preclinical studies are looking at its role in inflammation, appetite and bacterial activity. Human evidence is still thin, so read those findings as promising leads rather than proven benefits.
CBN: The Cannabinoid That Forms With Age
What it is: a breakdown product that forms when THC is exposed to oxygen, heat and light over time. It binds CB1 weakly, so it’s far less intoxicating than THC. What research is exploring: CBN is widely marketed for nighttime products, but human studies are small and early. Some researchers suspect that aged cannabis feels sleepier because of shifts in the whole compound mix, not CBN alone.
CBC and THCV
CBC is non-intoxicating and interacts more with receptors outside the ECS than with CB1. Early research is exploring its role in mood and inflammation, mostly in animal models.
THCV is the varin-branch cousin of THC, and early studies suggest it behaves differently depending on dose, possibly softening CB1 activity at lower amounts. It’s being studied for appetite and energy, and some consumers describe it as feeling clearer than THC.
A Quick List of Cannabinoids You’ll See on Labels
A label is where the question of what cannabinoids are practical, and most lab results group them in a predictable way. Here’s a plain-language list of cannabinoids you’re likely to spot:
- THCA and THC: the raw acid form and the heated, intoxicating form.
- CBDA and CBD: the raw acid form and the non-intoxicating, heated form.
- CBGA and CBG: the mother cannabinoid and its heated form.
- CBN: forms as THC ages, so higher amounts can signal older product.
- CBC and THCV: minor compounds that appear in select cultivars.
When you read a label, remember that “Total THC” combines existing THC with the THC that THCA will become once heated. It’s also worth checking terpenes, since cannabinoids tell only part of the story. Our post on terpenes vs cannabinoids explains how the two groups work together.
Common Questions About Cannabinoids
How many cannabinoids are in cannabis?
More than 100 have been identified, and some reviews count over 150. Most appear in tiny amounts, while THC, CBD and their acid forms usually dominate.
Do all cannabinoids get you high?
No. THC is the main intoxicating cannabinoid. CBN and THCV can have mild or dose-dependent effects, while CBD, CBG and CBC are non-intoxicating.
What is the mother cannabinoid?
CBGA. The plant converts it into THCA, CBDA and CBCA, which become THC, CBD and CBC once heated.
Does the human body make its own cannabinoids?
Yes. Endocannabinoids like anandamide and 2-AG are made by your body and act on the same CB1 and CB2 receptors that plant cannabinoids do.
Putting Cannabinoid Knowledge to Work
Knowing what cannabinoids are at a chemical level pays off in everyday choices.
Consider a few scenarios. If a product lists high THCA and low THC, that’s normal for flower, since the conversion happens when you heat it. If you see noticeable CBN in flower, it may simply be older. And if you’re curious about a minor cannabinoid, choose a product where it shows up in a meaningful amount on the lab results, not just a trace.
The simplest way to use all of this is to follow the family tree. Start with the THC to CBD ratio to set your baseline, then look at the minors for nuance, and let the lab results rather than the product name do the talking.
Once you understand what cannabinoids are and how they’re related, every label becomes a short story about where a product came from and how it’s likely to feel.
