CBD, CBG, CBN: what each cannabinoid is and what the label tells you

Most Canadian CBD products list one cannabinoid on the front of the package: CBD. That is also the one most people search for. But a Certificate of Analysis (COA) for a full-spectrum or multi-cannabinoid product will show several others — CBG, CBN, CBC, and (in trace amounts) THC. This article describes what each of the three most common label cannabinoids is, where it comes from in the cannabis plant, and what the number on the COA tells you. We do not say what any of them does to a person.

CBD — cannabidiol

CBD is cannabidiol — the second-most abundant cannabinoid in cannabis plants generally, and the most abundant in plants bred for hemp. Its molecular formula is C₂₁H₃₀O₂. Its molecular mass is 314.5 g/mol. It is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid, meaning Health Canada and the published scientific literature do not classify it as producing the impairment associated with Δ9-THC.

On a COA, CBD is reported alongside its acid precursor CBDA (cannabidiolic acid). Most consumer products are decarboxylated — heated to convert CBDA to CBD — so CBD will be the larger of the two numbers. A “1000 mg total CBD” product label generally refers to the sum of CBD plus the CBD-equivalent of any residual CBDA, calculated using the standard 0.877 conversion factor.

Source plant: extracted from cannabis plants, most commonly cultivars selected for high CBD and low THC content. In Canada, all such plants must be grown by a federally licensed cultivator under the Cannabis Act.

CBG — cannabigerol

CBG is cannabigerol. Its molecular formula is C₂₁H₃₂O₂; its mass is 316.5 g/mol. Cannabigerol is the chemical precursor of CBD, THC, and CBC — every other major cannabinoid in the plant starts as CBGA (cannabigerolic acid) and converts under enzymatic action as the plant matures. By the time most cannabis plants are harvested, CBGA has largely been converted away, which is why CBG appears in only small concentrations on most COAs.

CBG-rich products are made either by harvesting the plant earlier in its lifecycle (before CBGA is converted) or by selecting cultivars that retain elevated CBGA at full maturity. Both routes produce a plant material with measurable CBG content rather than the trace amounts seen in standard cultivars.

On a COA: CBG is typically reported in mg/g or mg/mL. A “Super Spectrum” or multi-cannabinoid product will show CBG concentrations in the same units as CBD. A standard full-spectrum oil will usually report CBG at trace levels — measurable but small relative to CBD.

CBN — cannabinol

CBN is cannabinol. Its molecular formula is C₂₁H₂₆O₂; its mass is 310.4 g/mol. Cannabinol is a degradation product of THC — it forms slowly as Δ9-THC oxidises in the presence of light, heat, or air over time. Aged cannabis flower contains more CBN than fresh flower harvested under the same conditions.

CBN-elevated products are typically made by deliberately aging extracted material under controlled conditions, by dosing in CBN isolate during formulation, or by selecting source material that has been stored long enough for the conversion to occur. Health Canada classifies CBN as a controlled cannabinoid under the Cannabis Act, the same as CBD and THC.

On a COA: CBN is reported in the same potency table as CBD, CBG, and THC. A standard full-spectrum oil will typically report CBN at trace concentrations. A multi-cannabinoid product that names CBN will report a measurable concentration in mg/g or mg/mL.

How the cannabinoid profile shows up on a Honest Botanicals product page

Every Honest Botanicals product page lists:

• Total CBD per package, in milligrams.
• (Where applicable) total CBG, CBN, CBC, in milligrams.
• Total THC per package, in milligrams.
• The producer’s federal licence number.
• A link to the Certificate of Analysis for the lot you would receive.

The numbers on the product page should match the numbers on the COA. If they do not match — or if the COA appears to be from a different lot than the bottle — that is a labelling discrepancy. Email us at hello@honestbotanicals.co with the lot number from the bottle and we will resolve it.

Why we name the cannabinoids and not what they do

The Cannabis Act, section 17, restricts what a Canadian cannabis seller can say about cannabinoid effects in marketing material. We comply with that restriction by describing what is in the product, not what it does to a person. The published scientific literature, your physician, and Health Canada are the appropriate sources for those questions. Our role is to ship a product whose contents match the label and the COA.