Rare Cannabinoids:
The New Paradigm
Rare cannabinoids: the new paradigm
By; Johnathan Lee
Over the last few years, a wave of legalization has swept the globe and more and more attention is being paid to cannabis as a new source of important medication. The healing and therapeutic benefits of the plant are indisputable at this point. The effects of cannabis are all due to chemicals called cannabinoids. These compounds are stored in the plant and have already attracted a lot of attention from the pharmaceutical world.
In June 2018, the Food and Drug Administration approved Epidiolex as the first cannabinoid-based drug in the United States of America, used to treat rare forms of epilepsy. In Canada, Sativex is the only cannabinoid-based drug that is publicly available, used to treat pain and multiple sclerosis. These initial test cases highlight the profound impact that cannabinoid based medications can have on the world.
While most people have heard of the two most popular cannabinoids, psychotropic tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and non-psychotropic cannabidiol (CBD), the cannabis plant contains a plethora of over 100 new and exciting compounds. These “rare cannabinoids” are naturally produced at significantly lower levels than THC and CBD. Because of this, cannabis companies are unable to extract rare cannabinoids in significant quantities without using copious amounts of plant material. This leads to the cost of production being so high that everyday consumers cannot afford them. However, scientific research has already begun to map out their therapeutic potential.
The most well-known rare cannabinoid is the non-psychotropic cannabigerol (CBG), which is starting to hit shelves across North America. This compound is often referred to as the “mother of all cannabinoids” because it is through modifying CBG that other cannabinoids are made. One modification makes THC, another makes CBD and so on and so forth. There have been a great number of studies evaluating the therapeutic effects of CBG. A notable recent study is by Lah et al., 2021 highlighting the potential of CBG to treat glioblastoma brain tumours. The anti-cancer potential of CBG is also highlighted by an animal study by Borrelli et al., 2014 demonstrating the potential of CBG to treat colorectal cancer. Animal studies have also shown encouraging results in the use of CBG to treat glaucoma (Colasanti, 2009), inflammatory bowel disease (Borrelli et al., 2013), Huntington’s disease (Valdeolivas et al., 2015) and to stimulate appetite (Brierley et al., 2016).
Another well-known non-psychotropic rare cannabinoid is cannabinol (CBN), a modified form of THC produced by natural degradation, also seeing a rise in popularity in dispensaries. Animal studies have shown its potential in stimulating appetite (Farrimond et al., 2012), treating muscle pain (Wong et al., 2019) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Weydt et al., 2005).
With the incredible potential of rare cannabinoids, many wonder how cannabis companies can capitalize on these beneficial new compounds. Today, three main solutions have emerged in the industry. The first solution is to focus on traditional cannabis cultivation techniques. Through selective breeding, new strains can be made that contain high levels of specific rare cannabinoids. The second solution is to abandon nature altogether and move to chemical synthesis. In a lab, modern chemical techniques can be used to synthesize specific cannabinoids from common starter materials. The third solution is to embrace genetic engineering and synthetic biology, moving into the field of biosynthesis. Through genetic
engineering and molecular biology, the DNA for cannabinoid assembly can be removed from the cannabis plant and graphed into an organism of choice.
Regardless of the choice of solution, it is apparent that rare cannabinoids will become an important focus for the cannabis community in the future. One last question remains: how long will it be before we enjoy new strains and cannabinoid-based products?
Jonathan Lee
Jonathan Lee recently graduated with a Master of Science from the University of Toronto and is embarking on a career in molecular biology.