Glossary
CBDA (cannabidiolic acid)
Updated:
Cannabidiolic acid, or CBDA, is the raw acid form of CBD that the living hemp plant actually produces. Heat removes a carboxyl group and converts CBDA to CBD, a step called decarboxylation. Unheated raw hemp extracts carry mostly CBDA, and labs report it as a separate line.
The hemp plant does not make CBD directly. Its synthase enzymes produce cannabidiolic acid, and CBDA stays in that form until heat, light or time drive off carbon dioxide and leave neutral CBD (Molecules 2020). Drying, curing, extraction with heat and cooking all cause this decarboxylation.
Because the acid has a larger molecular weight than the neutral form, 1 mg of CBDA yields less than 1 mg of CBD after conversion. USDA uses the factor 0.877 for the equivalent THCA to THC conversion, and the same ratio applies to CBDA because both acids lose the same carboxyl group (7 CFR 990.1).
A certificate of analysis lists CBDA and CBD separately. Products labeled raw or unheated carry mostly CBDA. Gummies, softgels and most tinctures use decarboxylated extract and contain mostly CBD.
Research on CBDA is thinner than on CBD. Reviews note that CBDA is chemically less stable and that human studies are scarce, so its pharmacology is still being mapped (J Cannabis Res 2026).
Sources
- (-)-Cannabidiolic Acid, a Still Overlooked Bioactive Compound: An Introductory Review and Preliminary Research (Molecules, 2020) PubMed (accessed 2026-10-13)
- Therapeutic potential of acidic cannabinoids: an update (J Cannabis Res, 2026) PubMed (accessed 2026-10-13)
- 7 CFR 990.1, Meaning of terms (Domestic Hemp Production Program) Cornell Legal Information Institute (accessed 2026-10-13)