What Are Synthetic Cannabinoids? Spice & Co. Explained

Not all existing cannabinoids occur naturally in the hemp plant. There are natural, semi-synthetic and synthetic cannabinoids. In this blog post we give you a brief overview of what the individual differences are and what this means for consumers.

What are semi-synthetic cannabinoids?

Although semi-synthetic cannabinoids are not obtained directly from the hemp plant, they are a product based on natural hemp and can therefore be regarded as semi-synthetic cannabinoids.

HHC and H4-CBD are both produced by hydrogenation of the active centre. Using high pressure, heat and hydrogen, CBD is converted into HHC. The molecular structure corresponds 100% to natural HHC. The cannabinoid H4-CBD is also produced by hydrogenation, by attaching hydrogen atoms to a CBD molecule. H4-CBD is also often called hydrogenated CBD.

Many active substances, such as pharmaceutical active ingredients, are produced by the same process. They are modified in order to have fewer side effects. The side effect is that they are less potent. 

What are synthetic cannabinoids or cannabinoid mimetics?

Cannabinoid mimetics are molecules that have similar pharmacological effects to cannabinoids in the human body but are produced artificially and not taken from the cannabis plant. Their chemical structure does not necessarily resemble that of natural cannabinoids.

Synthetic cannabinoids (cannabinoid mimetics) act on the cannabinoid system (e.g. CB1 and CB2 receptors or involved enzymes such as FAAH, etc.). In most cases, however, they are much stronger and can therefore be very dangerous. Their molecular structure differs greatly from natural cannabinoids. 

Why were there H4-CBD products at MAGU?

There were a lot of requests from end customers, so we offered a small quantity of products. We tested and sold a first batch. However, we do not want to go any further in this direction and would rather focus on our core competence: natural CBD flowers and products made from them. Anyone looking for high-quality CBD products in larger quantities, or who has a business of their own, is welcome to contact our B2B team. Click here for MAGU wholesale.

What happens next?

We hope for a change of thinking in politics on the subject of cannabis soon. If cannabinoids such as THC are legalised, synthetic cannabinoids will quickly lose relevance and largely disappear from the market. With a legal framework that focuses on quality, education and transparency, the safety of the products on the market will increase, and consumers will be able to find suitable products and will not have to rely on cannabis of unclear origin and composition.