Understanding the lexicon

This mention means the molecule has been identified in the plant itself. That's an origin, and it already says a lot: where the compound comes from. To know how much of it is present and how the product was made, the product sheet and its lab analysis take over.

A cannabinoid is called major when it can dominate the profile of a variety or an extract, and minor when it appears in a smaller proportion. It's a matter of abundance, not value: minor cannabinoids are among the plant's most interesting compounds, and they're what give each recipe its character.

In the fresh plant, the main phytocannabinoids are mostly present in acid form: CBGA, CBDA, CBCA or THCA. Heat, and more slowly, time, drive their decarboxylation - the loss of a carboxyl group as CO2. CBDA then becomes CBD, CBGA becomes CBG, CBCA becomes CBC and THCA becomes THC.

Acid forms are not simply 'inactive' molecules. They have their own chemical characteristics and are the subject of specific research. Decarboxylation changes their profile; it does not 'activate' all of them in the same way.

A recipe combines several major and minor cannabinoids, often with terpenes - it's an act of composition, in the sense that one composes a fragrance. The recipe's name conveys the intent; the list of compounds, their concentrations and the batch analysis convey the letter. The two are read together.

For a botanical formula, the same logic applies: the plant's common name must be completed with its Latin name, the part used, the type of extract and the quantity. A whole plant, an essential oil, a flavouring and a concentrated extract are not interchangeable.

'Studied in the laboratory,' 'observed in preclinical models,' 'evaluated in humans': these phrasings don't say the same thing, and we use each one in its place. When research on a compound is still young, this lexicon says so plainly - it's a way of respecting your curiosity.