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CBG, CBN, CBC and CBDA: the other cannabinoids

CBG, CBN, CBC and CBDA are minor cannabinoids from the cannabis plant. What each one is and how little human research exists behind the claims made for them.

Facts checked 13 November 20265 min readHow we research

CBG, CBN, CBC and CBDA are cannabinoids made by the cannabis plant in smaller amounts than CBD or THC. They are increasingly promoted as the next big thing. The research does not support that. A recent scientific review described the minor cannabinoids as “almost entirely untested clinically”.1

What are the minor cannabinoids?

More than 90 cannabinoids have been reported in cannabis, although some are breakdown products of others.2 THC and CBD (in their raw acid forms) are the most abundant. Everything else is loosely called a “minor” cannabinoid.

They are related to one another. The plant first makes one parent compound, CBGA. Three different enzymes then convert it into the raw forms of THC, CBD and CBC.2 Heat, light and age do the rest: they turn the raw acid forms into the familiar neutral ones, and they slowly break THC down into CBN.23

The four at a glance

Cannabinoid What it is Human evidence that it works
CBG (cannabigerol) The neutral form of CBGA, the parent compound of the others2 One small trial in 34 healthy adults4
CBN (cannabinol) A breakdown product of THC, found mostly in aged cannabis2 A few small trials with mixed results. A 2026 review rated the evidence “minimal and insufficient”5
CBC (cannabichromene) The third most common cannabinoid after THC and CBD2 None. Human studies have only measured how it moves through the body1
CBDA (cannabidiolic acid) The raw form of CBD made by the living plant3 None. No completed human trial of whether it works was found6

CBG: is it “the new CBD”?

CBG is sometimes promoted as the “mother” cannabinoid because its acid form, CBGA, is the starting point for the others.2 That is a fact about plant chemistry. It says nothing about what CBG does in a person.

The human evidence is a single study. In 2024, researchers gave 34 healthy adults 20 mg of CBG and a placebo on separate occasions. Self-rated anxiety was lower after CBG at 20, 45 and 60 minutes, and self-rated stress was lower at the first time point. Participants did not report feeling intoxicated.4

It is one small study, in healthy people, with a single dose, and it has not yet been repeated. In animal studies CBG has been tested for bowel inflammation, which has led researchers to suggest trials in people.2 Those are suggestions, not findings.

CBN: is it “the sleep cannabinoid”?

CBN forms as THC breaks down, which is why it is found mostly in old cannabis.2 It is widely marketed for sleep.

The research is thin. A 2026 review of CBN for psychiatric and sleep uses concluded that the evidence “remains minimal and insufficient to support any clinical recommendation”.5

This matters because sleep products often combine CBD and CBN and imply that both are proven. For CBD on its own, an Australian trial of 150 mg nightly found it similar to placebo on most sleep measures.7 See CBD for sleep and insomnia.

CBC: what do we know?

Very little. CBC is the third most common cannabinoid in the plant and is most abundant in young plants.2 Research in people has looked only at how the body absorbs and clears it. The evidence for any benefit comes from laboratory and animal work.1

CBDA: is “raw” CBD better?

CBDA is what the living plant actually makes. It becomes CBD when it is heated or aged.3 Some products are sold as “raw” or unheated on the basis that CBDA has its own benefits.

No completed human trial testing whether CBDA works for any condition was found. The evidence is from laboratory and animal studies.6

What about THCV and the rest?

THCV is a close relative of THC with a shorter side chain.2 It was tested in one trial of 62 people with type 2 diabetes. THCV on its own lowered fasting blood glucose. CBD on its own did not improve blood sugar control, and the benefit of THCV disappeared when the two were combined.8 That result is a useful reminder that combining cannabinoids does not always add up. See the entourage effect and CBD for diabetes.

Are minor cannabinoids safe?

Nobody knows as well as they should. CBD’s safety has been measured in randomised trials involving more than a thousand people in epilepsy alone.9 The minor cannabinoids have not been through anything comparable, so their side effects, long-term effects and interactions with medicines are largely unmeasured.1 “No known side effects” in this case mostly means “not studied”.

The cautions that apply to CBD are a sensible starting point, particularly around pregnancy and other medicines. See who should not take CBD and CBD drug interactions.

Why do products list them?

Full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD extracts naturally contain small amounts of other cannabinoids, and these appear on the laboratory report. See full spectrum vs broad spectrum vs isolate and how to read a certificate of analysis.

A longer list of cannabinoids on a label is not evidence of a better product. No head-to-head trial has shown that a full-spectrum product works better than pure CBD for any condition, apart from one small pilot study of 44 people with alcohol use disorder.10 The strongest evidence for CBD, in epilepsy, comes from a purified product with nothing else in it.11

Cannabis-derived medicines need a prescription in Australia.12 How individual cannabinoids are classified is covered on Schedule 3, 4 and 8: CBD scheduling explained.

The bottom line

The minor cannabinoids are real compounds with interesting laboratory science behind them. What they lack is human trials. Until those exist, claims that CBG calms, CBN sedates or CBDA soothes are marketing, not medicine. Our page on how we grade evidence explains why laboratory results are not enough.

Footnotes

  1. Review of minor cannabinoids and their clinical evidence. PubMed Central. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13516590/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  2. Andre CM, Hausman JF, Guerriero G. Cannabis sativa: the plant of the thousand and one molecules. Frontiers in Plant Science, 2016. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2016.00019/full ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11

  3. World Health Organization, Expert Committee on Drug Dependence. Cannabidiol (CBD) critical review report, 2018. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/controlled-substances/whocbdreportmay2018-2.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  4. Cuttler C, et al. Acute effects of cannabigerol on anxiety, stress, and mood: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover, field trial. Scientific Reports, 2024. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11246434/ ↩ ↩2

  5. Review of cannabinol (CBN) in psychiatry, 2026. PubMed Central. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13373943/ ↩ ↩2

  6. Review of cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) research. PubMed Central. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8669157/ ↩ ↩2

  7. Narayan AJ, et al. Cannabidiol for moderate-severe insomnia: a randomized controlled pilot trial of 150 mg of nightly dosing. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38174873/ ↩

  8. Jadoon KA, et al. Efficacy and safety of cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabivarin on glycemic and lipid parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care, 2016. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27573936/ ↩

  9. Meta-analysis of seven randomised trials (1,154 participants) of cannabidiol in Dravet syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and tuberous sclerosis complex, 2026. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42179430/ ↩

  10. Pilot trial of full-spectrum and broad-spectrum hemp CBD in alcohol use disorder. PubMed Central. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12066606 ↩

  11. Epidiolex (cannabidiol) oral solution, United States prescribing information. DailyMed, National Library of Medicine. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=8bf27097-4870-43fb-94f0-f3d0871d1eec ↩

  12. healthdirect Australia. Medicinal cannabis, last reviewed February 2026. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/medicinal-cannabis ↩

Common questions

What is the difference between CBD and CBG?

They are different compounds from the same plant. CBG is the neutral form of CBGA, the parent compound the plant uses to make CBD and THC. CBD has been tested in large trials for epilepsy. CBG has been tested in one small study of 34 healthy adults.

Does CBN help you sleep?

The evidence is thin and mixed. A few small trials exist, and a 2026 review concluded the evidence is minimal and insufficient to support any clinical recommendation.

What is CBDA?

CBDA (cannabidiolic acid) is the raw form of CBD that the living plant makes. Heat, light or age converts it into CBD. No completed human trial has tested whether CBDA is effective for any condition.

Do the other cannabinoids get you high?

CBG did not cause intoxication in its one human trial. The others have been studied too little in people to say much with confidence. All of them have been researched far less than CBD, so less is known about their effects and safety.

This page is general information, not medical or legal advice. Laws and evidence change; we show the date we last checked the facts at the top of every page. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

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