What Is Cannabimovone (CBM)?

Cannabis has been revered for thousands of years. Nonetheless, it is only during the last century that science has begun unveiling its true complexity. As recently as the mid-20th century, our misconceptions regarding the chemical structure of cannabis remained considerable. In fact, it’s only during the last few decades that the taxonomy of the hemp plant and its derivatives has reached anything near completion.

For instance, scientists have only recently started looking closely at rare cannabinoids like cannabimovone (CBM). This relatively unknown cannabinoid is currently being researched in relation to diabetes and other metabolic disorders. Only present in rare varieties of hemp in very small quantities, CBM has been incredibly hard to obtain despite potentially offering exciting benefits for particular conditions.

Now, for the first time ever, CBM products are appearing on the market. What does CBM do, and why should you use it? Find the answers in this thorough introduction to cannabimovone.

When was CBM discovered?

Cananbimovone was discovered by accident in 2010 in a regional Italian hemp variant called Carmagnola. A different Italian research team would later go on to discover the “super-cannabinoids” THCP and CBDP in Carmagnola, rekindling interest in this peculiar hemp strain.¹﹐²

In 2020, a team led by Fabio Arturo Iannotti submitted a study to Molecules that would refocus international research on CBM. In this study, the research team posits that CBM may act as a PPARy agonist – a compound that is used to treat metabolic syndrome, a discovery that could have a massive impact on the worldwide cannabinoid economy if proven accurate.³

Is CBM a natural cannabinoid?

Yes, CBM is a natural cannabinoid, meaning that it is naturally found in Cannabis sativa. In nature, however, cannabimovone is available in quantities too small to be usable. As a result, this cannabinoid is usually converted from CBD rather than extracted from hemp. 

Where does CBM come from?

CBM occurs in some varieties of hemp, but in such small concentrations that it is considered unusable. Most CBM comes from CBD, making it similar to many other similarly converted cannabinoids like CBN and CBG. Because it has been converted, CBM is usually offered in its isolated form. Nonetheless, it can often be added to broad-spectrum or full-spectrum hemp extracts as well.

What does CBM do?

CBM is a very new cannabinoid, so it’s hard to speculate on its potential effects. Based on initial evidence, it appears CBM should be investigated in more detail for its possible benefits against diabetes, metabolic disorders, and other conditions caused by faulty genetic signaling.⁴

Scientists have been investigating the potential benefits of cannabinoids against conditions ameliorated by increased PPAR signaling since at least 2007. Research into this subject has accumulated over the years, and it will likely accelerate even more in the wake of recent discoveries regarding CBM.⁴

How does CBM work?

The creation of organ cells in the human body is mainly controlled by two receptors: PPARa (PPAR-alpha) and PPARy (PPAR-gamma). These cells are also responsible for regulating hormones like insulin, which plays a critical role in processing sugars in our food.

Poor insulin regulation leads to metabolic disorders like diabetes. By activating PPARy receptors, scientists argue, cannabinoids like CBM might both promote proper cell growth and hormonal regulation, helping people with diabetes and similar conditions.⁵ Research into CBM remains in its infancy, though, and cannot yet be considered conclusive.

What are the benefits of CBM?

As a PPAR agonist, CBM is ideal since it is abundant and inexpensive. It also may present an improved side effect profile compared to other PPAR agonists, but not enough research has been done to be sure.

Scientists have known about and targeted the body’s PPAR receptors in attempts to pharmacologically treat diabetes and other metabolic disorders over the years. There are even a few FDA-approved PPAR agonist drugs on the market, but consumers have shied away from this drug class in recent years due to side effects (i.e., weight gain and fluid retention)..

Cannabinoids are generally known as safe, making CBM a worthy target of research. If proven to be a safer source of PPAR agonist activity, CBM could be a hotly desired commodity within the nutraceutical sector.

Is CBM legal?

Under the 2018 Farm Bill, cannabinoids other than delta 9 THC are generally considered “industrial hemp.” We are not aware of any efforts on the state or federal level to regulate CBM specifically, so in the absence of countervailing evidence, it is reasonable to assume that CBM has roughly the same legal status as similar hemp-derived cannabinoids.

Can you buy CBM online?

Yes, it is now becoming possible to buy CBM online for the first time. It’s only recently that producers have learned how to produce this ultra-rare cannabinoid in usable quantities, but CBM products are already hitting the shelves as consumers learn about the potential benefits of this cannabinoid.

At present, CBM is usually only available online in bulk quantities. A variety of different hemp extract types containing CBM may be offered, and keep in mind that it’s easy to combine isolated CBM with broad-spectrum or full-spectrum hemp extracts containing other cannabinoids.

Summary: Should you try CBM?

More and more, cannabis is shocking researchers with its vast list of potential benefits possible through its cannabinoids. One cannabinoid serves one purpose while another does something else, and all in all, a web is created that features your health at its center.

Consumers are starting to view CBM as yet another strand in that web of cannabinoid wellness. While it’s true that CBM is too new for us to make any firm statements about it, it’s also true that what we know about cannabis already tells us that any future discoveries regarding CBM are unlikely to be disappointing.

Already, cannabinoids have revolutionized fields of medicine in ways nobody ever expected. CBM could well be the next chapter in this saga of natural hemp wellness, so now’s the time to explore everything this new and promising cannabinoid can do.

CBM FAQs

Learn more about CBM, its benefits, and what it can do in the FAQ section below:

1. Is CBM the same as CBN?

No, despite being known by acronyms with final letters that are right next to each other in the alphabet, CBM and CBN are, in fact, quite different. Cannabinol (CBN) is a natural metabolite of THC, but it doesn’t appear in cannabis flower on its own.

CBM, however, is its very own cannabinoid — it isn’t a metabolite of anything. CBN and CBM also appear to have very different effects, though there’s still a lot we need to learn about both cannabinoids.

2. Is cannabimovone related to cannabicitran (CBT)?

No, cannabimovone and cannabicitran aren’t directly related, but both substances are considered to be rare cannabinoids. Discovered in the 1970s, CBT has been on the radar of international researchers for much longer than CBM, but we still know just about as little about CBT as we do about CBM, CBE, or any of the other rare cannabinoids that have now started becoming available online.

3. Is cannabimovone an HHC metabolite?

No, cannabimovone is not related to HHC or any other cannabinoids in the THC family. Instead, cannabimovone is structurally similar to CBD although these two cannabinoids are not exactly related. Like CBD, CBM appears to serve a unique purpose that separates it from other hemp compounds.

4. Does CBM affect your cannabinoid receptors?

No, initial research into CBM does not indicate that this cannabinoid has any significant impact at your conventional CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors. Instead, this cannabinoid appears to primarily target your PPARy receptors, which are critically involved in insulin resistance.

5. What kinds of CBM products are there?

Right now, cannabimovone products are usually only available online in bulk quantities. From select producers, you can buy CBM either in bulk ingredient form or preformulated into finished products like tinctures, capsules, and gummies. The sky’s the limit when it comes to this relatively untapped component of the online hemp market.

6. Can you use CBM with other cannabinoids?

Yes, there appears to be no reason to avoid using CBM in conjunction with other cannabinoids. Generally, cannabinoids are observed to synergize with each other, so using CBM with other cannabinoids may be beneficial. Nonetheless, keep in mind that we still know very little about the overall safety of CBM.

7. Is CBM the same as HHC?

No, cannabimovone is a different cannabinoid entirely from hexahydrocannabinol, also known as HHC. The differences between these two compounds are many:

• HHC is easy to create and already abundant
• CBM is practically unheard of and almost nonexistent
• HHC has potent intoxicating properties
• CBM does not appear to be intoxicating at all

So many cannabinoids have recently become popular that it can be a challenge to keep them apart. Learning the differences between the new cannabinoids that have flooded the market, however, is key to choosing the right compound for your needs.

8. Is cannabimovone synthetic?

No, cannabimovone is not inherently synthetic — it naturally occurs in Cannabis sativa, so it’s a natural compound. Since CBM is only available in very small quantities in nature, however, all of the CBM currently available online has been synthesized from another cannabinoid. Transforming cannabinoids into each other isn’t usually dangerous, but it does make the resulting substance technically synthetic.

9. Where can I buy CBM?

At present, CBM is only available for research purposes from large pharmaceutical manufacturers. The type of CBM sold by these manufacturers is chemically isolated and not suitable for consumption. Expect the world’s first CBM products to enter the market around the same time that shoppers start becoming aware of the benefits of this obscure cannabinoid.

10. Is CBM safe?

There is no evidence indicating that CBM poses any particular dangers to the average user. Most cannabinoids aside from THC have been determined to have very little if any significant side effects, making it very unlikely that CBM will break the trend. Only use CBM products that are designed for human consumption, though, to avoid ingesting laboratory contaminants.

Sources

1. 1. Taglialatela-Scafati, O., Pagani, A., Scala, F., de Petrocellis, L., di Marzo, V., Grassi, G., & Appendino, G. (2010). Cannabimovone, a cannabinoid with a rearranged terpenoid skeleton from hemp. European Journal of Organic Chemistry, (11), 2067–2072. Retrieved from https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejoc.200901464
2. 2. Citti, C., Linciano, P., Russo, F., Luongo, L., Iannotta, M., Maione, S., Laganà, A., Capriotti, A. L., Forni, F., Vandelli, M. A., Gigli, G., & Cannazza, G. (2019). A novel phytocannabinoid isolated from Cannabis sativa L. with an in vivo cannabimimetic activity higher than Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol: Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabiphorol. Scientific Reports, 9(1). Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-56785-1
3. 3. Iannotti, F. A., de Maio, F., Panza, E., Appendino, G., Taglialatela-Scafati, O., de Petrocellis, L., Amodeo, P., & Vitale, R. M. (2020). Identification and characterization of Cannabimovone, a cannabinoid from Cannabis sativa, as a novel PPARγ agonist via a combined computational and functional study. Molecules, 25(5), 1119. Retrieved from https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/5/1119
4. 4. Sun, Y., & Bennett, A. (2007). Cannabinoids: A new group of agonists of PPARs. PPAR Research. Retrieved from https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ppar/2007/023513/
5. 5. O’Sullivan, S. E. (2016). An update on PPAR activation by cannabinoids. British journal of pharmacology, 173(12), 1899-1910. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4882496/