Acannability: ‘Most of the Cannabis Plant is Non-Intoxicating’

*CHICAGO* — A long-standing misconception needs correction: Cannabis Sativa
L is not a single, uniform substance, but a chemically diverse plant made
up of hundreds of distinct cannabinoids. The majority of these compounds
are non-intoxicating.

Cannabis-molecule education and standards organization Acannability™ calls
for cooperation across the hemp and cannabis supply chain. Science should
be used to differentiate between the cannabinoids that cause psychoactive
effects (a “high”) and those that do not. This will help create clearer,
safer laws for everyone.

“At the policy level, everything has been built around THC,” said Joseph
Friedman, Acannability Scientific advisory board member. “But consumers
don’t buy ‘THC.’ They buy complex products for different purposes and
effects. These products contain dozens of different cannabinoids. Treating
them all as the same does not serve public health, industry integrity, or
regulatory clarity.”

To support this shift toward recognizing the complexities of cannabis and
hemp, the organization released the Acannability™ Periodic Table of
Cannabis Molecules, the first industry-wide, publicly accessible tool that
categorizes cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and precursor acids that
make up the molecular structure of the cannabis plant, into intuitive
groups based on their known intoxicating potential and functional roles.
The Periodic Table shows which parts of the plant cause psychoactive
effects and which do not, making it easier for everyone from lawmakers to
consumers to learn and make informed decisions.

“The science exists. The tools exist. What’s needed is industry cooperation
and a unified commitment to educating lawmakers and consumers,” Friedman
said. “Cannabis is not one molecule, and it’s time our policies reflected
that.”

The organization believes responsible legislative reform must reflect the
following key distinctions:

- Only a limited number of cannabinoids — primarily THC variants and
related homologues — produce intoxicating effects through CB1 receptor
activity.
- Many cannabinoids commonly found in consumer products, including CBD,
CBG, CBC, CBT, and multiple minor cannabinoids, are non-intoxicating.
- Terpenes and flavonoids, despite shaping aroma, flavor, and subjective
experience, are not intoxicating.
- Acidic precursor molecules (such as THCA and CBDA) are
non-intoxicating in their native form, though some convert into
intoxicating compounds when heated.