How are cannabinoids formed in the cannabis plant?

From genetics to harvest moment

Anyone who wants to understand cannabinoids shouldn't start with percentages or labels, but with the plant itself . CBD, CBG, and CBN don't just appear out of nowhere. They're not additives or marketing tricks, but the result of a biological process driven by genetics, growth, time, and environment.

This blog focuses on that process. Not to simplify it, but to make it visible. Because only when you understand how cannabinoids are formed and evolve will it become clear why no two cannabis products are ever exactly alike.

Cannabinoids are not produced in the flower, but on the flower

A common misconception is that cannabinoids are simply present in the plant. In reality, they are produced in the trichomes : microscopic resin glands found primarily on the flowers and, to a lesser extent, on the surrounding sugar leaves.

Those trichomes are no coincidence. They form a protective layer for the plant against sunlight, insects, and dehydration. What is protection for the plant is chemical wealth for humans. Cannabinoids, terpenes, and other compounds are formed and stored in that resin.

No trichomes, no cannabinoids . It's that simple.

It all starts with genetics, but doesn't stop there

A plant's ability to produce cannabinoids is primarily determined by its genetic blueprint. Just like with other plants, genetics determines which substances are available, in what proportions, and how actively the process proceeds.

Some varieties are naturally geared towards higher THC production, others towards CBD. There are also plants in which CBG remains present longer in the early stages. This is not manipulation, but selection. The result of breeding and choice.

Genetics determines what's possible, but not what happens automatically. The plant's life cycle plays an equally important role.

The real origin: acidic cannabinoids

In a living cannabis plant, cannabinoids don't exist in the form we know them. The plant doesn't produce CBD or THC as they appear on labels , but their acidic precursors: CBDA, THCA, and CBGA .

CBGA is the starting point. From this molecule, the plant uses enzymes to produce other cannabinoids. The direction of this process depends on genetics and growing conditions.

As long as the plant is alive, cannabinoids remain primarily in this acidic form. This demonstrates something fundamental: cannabinoids are not end products, but links in an ongoing process.

When time and heat intervene

The conversion of acidic cannabinoids to their neutral form occurs via decarboxylation. It sounds technical, but the principle is simple : heat or time causes the molecule to lose a small portion of its structure.

CBDA becomes CBD.
THCA becomes THC.

This can happen during drying and curing, during heating, or simply through prolonged exposure to air. The timing of harvest plays a decisive role here. Harvesting too early results in a different profile than harvesting too late.

So cannabinoids continue to move, even after the plant has been harvested.

Cannabinoids never stand still

Even after harvest, cannabinoids continue to evolve. A well-known example is CBN , which is formed when THC degrades further under the influence of oxygen and time.

This means that storage, light, temperature, and oxygen influence the final composition of a product. What's measured today is always a snapshot.

Cannabinoids aren't fixed values. They live in harmony with their environment.

Growing conditions make the difference

Besides genetics and time, the conditions in which a plant grows also play a major role. Light, nutrients, and stress factors directly influence the plant's chemical profile.

That's why two plants with exactly the same genetics can still have different compositions. Cannabis reacts to its environment. That makes it complex, but also honest.

Why CBG usually remains low

CBG is often called the foundation of other cannabinoids, and that's true. In practice, levels usually remain low because CBG is rapidly metabolized during growth as the plant matures.

Anyone who wants to retain more CBG must harvest early or selectively select genetically. This isn't an artificial intervention, but a choice in timing and plant material.

Here again you see: cannabinoids are the result of process, not packaging.

Cannabinoids never exist separately

Another persistent misconception is viewing a single cannabinoid in isolation. In reality, they always function in concert with other cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids.

The plant doesn't produce individual substances, but complete chemical profiles . A single molecule means little without its context. The whole is always more important than any single figure.

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Normalization starts with understanding

When cannabinoids are viewed as natural products of a plant, the mystery disappears. They become what they are: biochemical compounds , not promises and not symbols.

This shift, from effect to process, is essential to de-tabooing cannabis. Not by minimizing it, but by understanding it.

Cannabinoids don't arise by chance or individually. They are the result of genetics, growth, time, and environment all coming together in a single plant.

Understanding this process will change the way you look at CBD, CBG, and CBN. Not as separate terms, but as components of a continuous biological system.

In our stores, we see daily how little is known about this process. That's precisely why we continue to provide explanations that start with the plant itself, calmly, factually, and without distractions.