Cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), is a
cannabinoid
Cannabinoids () are several structural classes of compounds found in the cannabis plant primarily and most animal organisms (although insects lack such receptors) or as synthetic compounds. The most notable cannabinoid is the phytocannabinoid tet ...
found in
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternative ...
plants. It is most abundant in the glandular
trichomes
Trichomes (); ) are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists. They are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae. A covering of any kind of hair on a plant ...
on the female seedless flowers or more accurately
infructescence Infructescence (fruiting head) is defined as the ensemble of fruits derived from the ovaries of an inflorescence. It usually retains the size and structure of the inflorescence.
In some cases, infructescences are similar in appearance to simple fru ...
often colloquially referred to as buds. CBDA is the chemical precursor to
cannabidiol
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a phytocannabinoid discovered in 1940. It is one of 113 identified cannabinoids in cannabis plants, along with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and accounts for up to 40% of the plant's extract. , clinical research on CBD in ...
(CBD). Through the process of
decarboxylation cannabidol is derived via a loss of a carbon and two oxygen atoms from the 1 position of the benzoic acid ring. Cannabinoids are a class of compounds that are essentially unique to the cannabis genus. Both marijuana and hemp belong to this genus.
Chemical composition
Cannabidiolic acid is biosynthesized by
Cannabidiolic acid synthase from the conjugation of
olivetolic acid
Olivetolic acid is an organic compound that is an intermediate in the biosynthetic pathway of the cannabinoids in ''Cannabis sativa
''Cannabis sativa'' is an annual herbaceous flowering plant indigenous to Eastern Asia, but now of cosmopoli ...
and
cannabigerolic acid
Cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) is the acidic form of cannabigerol (CBG). It is a dihydroxybenzoic acid and olivetolic acid in which the hydrogen at position 3 is substituted by a geranyl group. It is a biosynthetic precursor to Delta-9-tetrahydrocann ...
.
CBDA is not produced by man, but it is naturally occurs in hemp. It is a raw compound which is found in the flowering buds of the female cannabis plant.
References
{{Reflist
Benzoic acids
Cannabinoids
2,6-Dihydroxybiphenyls