Cannflavin C
A prenylated flavone from cannabis, frequently misclassified as a terpene.
Cannflavin C is a real molecule in cannabis, but it's not a terpene—it's a non-volatile flavone that doesn't smell like anything. The research on it is extremely thin: cannflavins A and B show anti-inflammatory activity in cells, but cannflavin C specifically has only been screened in a handful of low-quality studies. No human trials exist. Any product promising effects from cannflavin C is marketing, not science.
What it actually is
Cannflavin C is a prenylated flavone, a type of plant polyphenol isolated from Cannabis sativa. It belongs to the same small family as cannflavin A and cannflavin B, which were first identified in cannabis in the 1980s [1][2]. Cannflavin C was characterized later, in a 2008 phytochemical survey of cannabis constituents by Radwan and colleagues, who reported its structure alongside several other previously undescribed compounds [3].
Despite being grouped with terpenes in some consumer-facing articles, cannflavin C is chemically not a terpene Strong evidence. Terpenes are built from isoprene units and are typically volatile oils responsible for aroma. Flavones like cannflavin C are non-volatile, crystalline polyphenols with a flavone backbone (a 2-phenylchromen-4-one core) carrying a prenyl side chain. We include it here because users frequently search for it as a 'cannabis terpene,' and the honest answer is that the category is wrong.
Where it's found
Cannflavin C has, to date, been reported essentially only from Cannabis sativa tissue extracts [3]. Unlike cannflavin A and B, which have been investigated in multiple cultivars and tissues, cannflavin C is reported at trace levels and has not been systematically quantified across chemovars Weak / limited. There is no good public dataset showing which cultivars are 'high' in cannflavin C, and no commercial lab panels include cannflavins as a routine analyte.
The biosynthetic pathway for the cannflavins involves an O-methyltransferase (CsOMT21) and a prenyltransferase (CsPT3) that act on the flavone luteolin; this pathway has been characterized primarily for cannflavins A and B [4]. Whether cannflavin C arises from the same enzymes or a side reaction is not firmly established in the published literature Weak / limited.
Aroma
None. Cannflavin C is a non-volatile flavone, so it does not contribute to the smell of cannabis flower or extracts Strong evidence. Any source attributing a specific aroma—citrus, pine, pepper, or any other descriptor—to cannflavin C is mistaken. Those descriptors belong to genuine terpenes like Limonene, Delta-3-Carene, or Caryophyllene.
Effects research: what we actually know
This is where honesty matters. The research base on cannflavin C is extremely thin.
Related compounds (cannflavin A and B): Cannflavin A and B have been shown in cell-based assays to inhibit prostaglandin E2 production roughly 30 times more potently than aspirin, suggesting anti-inflammatory activity in vitro [1][4]. This is real but preclinical—it does not mean that consuming cannabis gives you a super-aspirin Strong evidence.
Cannflavin C specifically: Cannflavin C has been mentioned in screening studies of cannabis-derived compounds for antiparasitic activity, with trace-level detection reported in a 2008 phytochemical survey [3]. No specific bioactivity assays isolating cannflavin C have been published; the evidence is descriptive only Weak / limited.
Human evidence: There are zero clinical trials in humans evaluating cannflavin C for any indication No data. Bioavailability after smoking, vaping, or oral ingestion has not been characterized. Many flavones have poor oral bioavailability, which is a real obstacle that marketing copy tends to skip Weak / limited.
In short: cannflavin C is an interesting molecule with plausible chemistry by analogy to its siblings, but anyone promising therapeutic effects from cannflavin C in a product today is selling ahead of the data.
Strains claimed to be high in cannflavin C
There is no published, reliable list of cannabis cultivars high in cannflavin C No data. Routine terpene and cannabinoid lab panels offered by commercial testing labs do not include cannflavins. The few academic surveys that have quantified cannflavins focused on cannflavins A and B [4]. Any strain marketed as 'high in cannflavin C' is making an unverifiable claim, because no chemovar has been systematically screened and no accepted reference standard exists for comparative quantification.
Related compounds
Within the cannflavin family:
- Cannflavin A — the best-studied prenylated flavone; characterized in 1986 [1].
- Cannflavin B — methylated analog co-occurring with cannflavin A [2].
- Luteolin — the non-prenylated flavone precursor in the proposed biosynthetic pathway [4].
Genuine cannabis terpenes that do contribute to aroma and effect profiles—and that are often confused with flavonoids in consumer writing—include Myrcene, Delta-3-Carene, Caryophyllene, and other volatile monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. If you came here looking for an aroma-driving compound, those entries are what you want.
Sources
- Peer-reviewed Barrett, M. L., Gordon, D., & Evans, F. J. (1985). Isolation from Cannabis sativa L. of cannflavin—a novel inhibitor of prostaglandin production. Biochemical Pharmacology, 34(11), 2019–2024.
- Peer-reviewed Barrett, M. L., Scutt, A. M., & Evans, F. J. (1986). Cannflavin A and B, prenylated flavones from Cannabis sativa L. Experientia, 42(4), 452–453.
- Peer-reviewed Radwan, M. M., ElSohly, M. A., Slade, D., Ahmed, S. A., Wilson, L., El-Alfy, A. T., Khan, I. A., & Ross, S. A. (2008). Non-cannabinoid constituents from a high potency Cannabis sativa variety. Phytochemistry, 69(14), 2627–2633.
- Peer-reviewed Rea, K. A., Casaretto, J. A., Al-Abdul-Wahid, M. S., Sukumaran, A., Geddes-McAlister, J., Rothstein, S. J., & Akhtar, T. A. (2019). Biosynthesis of cannflavins A and B from Cannabis sativa L. Phytochemistry, 164, 162–171.
How this page was made
Generation history
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