Glossary
Cannabichromene (CBC)
Updated:
Cannabichromene, or CBC, is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid formed from CBGA by the CBCA synthase enzyme. It is one of the more abundant minor cannabinoids in hemp and appears in full-spectrum and broad-spectrum extracts in small amounts, typically well under 1 percent of an extract.
Cannabichromene shares a precursor with CBD and THC. The plant converts cannabigerolic acid into cannabichromenic acid (CBCA), and heat then strips the carboxyl group to leave CBC (Nachnani 2021). In hemp bred for CBD, CBC is usually the second or third most abundant minor cannabinoid, though still a small fraction of total cannabinoid content.
CBC is non-intoxicating. A 2019 study reported that CBC acts as a selective agonist at the CB2 receptor with little activity at CB1, which is the receptor tied to intoxication (Udoh 2019). Earlier work had questioned whether CBC acted through cannabinoid receptors at all, so its mechanism is still debated. Human data are limited to small pharmacokinetic studies.
On a certificate of analysis, CBC appears as its own line in the cannabinoid profile, reported as a percentage by weight or as milligrams per unit. Full-spectrum and broad-spectrum extracts keep it; isolate removes it.
NIH counts more than 100 identified cannabinoids, and CBC is among the handful that labs routinely quantify (NCCIH). Products marketed as CBC-forward usually add isolated CBC to a CBD base.
Sources
- Cannabichromene is a cannabinoid CB2 receptor agonist (Br J Pharmacol, 2019) PubMed (accessed 2026-10-13)
- The Pharmacological Case for Cannabigerol (J Pharmacol Exp Ther, 2021) PubMed (accessed 2026-10-13)
- Cannabis (Marijuana) and Cannabinoids: What You Need To Know NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (accessed 2026-10-13)