Do you want to know what cannabichromene (CBC) is and what it is used for?
You may have already heard of the two most discussed cannabinoids, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol). However, you might not have heard much about cannabichromene, also known as CBC. CBC is currently attracting great interest from cannabis growers, medical cannabis users, and also therapeutic and pharmaceutical companies.
What is Cannabichromene (CBC)?
CBC, like THC and CBD, is formed from CBG-A (cannabigerolic acid). CBG-A and its non-acidic form CBG are referred to as the mother cannabinoid, which functions as a precursor of CBC, THC, and CBD. Cannabichromene is unusual in that it receives only a fraction of the attention and discussions compared to the more well-known compounds THC and CBD. However, this could soon change, as CBC is attracting increasing interest from medical researchers.
What Do We Know About CBC, What is Cannabichromene?
Although currently there is little convincing evidence, we know that CBC does not cause the same euphoric intoxicating feeling as THC. And we know that CBC does not bind as well to the human cannabinoid receptor CB1. However, there is evidence that CBC affects pain and binds to other pain receptors in the body. Specifically, CBC interacts with TRPV1 and TRPA1 receptors. This will likely be of great interest to large pharmaceutical companies interested in how CBC-based drugs might help in pain treatment. One of the big unknowns is also whether CBC can enhance the effects of other cannabinoids, within the accompanying effect of its functioning. Some sources indicate that it is quite possible that CBC inhibits other cannabinoids. Research is thus still in its initial stage, but nonetheless interesting for large pharmaceutical companies.
How is Cannabichromene Formed?
CBC is formed in the cannabis plant primarily as cannabichromenic acid ("CBC-A"). After some time or when heated or exposed to ultraviolet radiation, CBC-A transforms into CBC. Initially, geranyl pyrophosphate and olivetolic acid combine to form cannabigerolic acid, also known as CBG-A. CBG-A is a key intermediate or "mother cannabinoid" for several cannabinoids, through an enzymatic reaction where specific plant enzymes cause its transformation into cannabichromenic carboxylic acid, thus creating CBCA. Over time or when heated (by ultraviolet light exposure), CBCA decarboxylates to form CBC. 
Cannabichromene Research
CBC has very interesting anti-inflammatory properties discovered as early as 1980 using a rat paw edema test. It was found that CBC is as effective as phenylbutazone (C19H20N2O - PBZ) at equivalent doses. Phenylbutazone is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory preparation widely used for short-term pain treatment in animals, but because CBC is less toxic than PBZ, the conclusion was drawn that larger doses of CBC can be used to achieve a greater therapeutic effect.
Research on Anti-inflammatory Effects of Cannabichromene
CBC research in humans was significantly limited due to cannabis prohibition in many states and its unnecessarily negative perception. However, this mouse study conducted in 2012 suggests that CBC's anti-inflammatory effects are very promising for further research. (Inhibitory effect of cannabichromene, a major non-psychotropic cannabinoid extracted from Cannabis sativa, on inflammation-induced hypermotility in mice - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22300105/)
What is Cannabichromene? Cannabichromene and Acne Treatment
This recent study shows that Cannabichromene may have useful applications in dermatological skin conditions, such as acne, alongside THCV and CBDV. (Differential effectiveness of selected non-psychotropic phytocannabinoids on human sebocyte functions implicates their introduction in dry/seborrhoeic skin and acne treatment - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/exd.13042)
Cannabichromene as an Antidepressant
This study from 2012 shows that cannabichromene has potential as an antidepressant.
(Antidepressant-like effect of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and other cannabinoids isolated from Cannabis sativa L - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20332000/)
The study also suggested that CBD shows promising effects as an antidepressant. The study shows that many cannabis users abroad experienced the fact that cannabis can lift mood and reduce anxiety. In the future, it will be interesting to observe whether specific cannabinoids will be used together or separately to alleviate depression. One of the key questions that remains to be answered is how individual cannabinoids act together or synergistically. Some cannabinoids will mutually enhance their effects, while some cannabinoids may reduce mutual influence and effect.
Cannabis Strains Rich in Cannabichromene
Already now and expectedly continuing the trend in the coming years, some cannabis breeders will attempt to enrich cannabis varieties with cannabichromene using selective breeding techniques. This is always a challenging breeding process, but its results will allow medical cannabis users to experience cannabis richer in cannabichromene for their treatment.
Cannabichromene - But Despite Everything, It Raises More Questions Than Answers
It took several years for interest in CBD-rich cannabis, oils, and cannabis varieties to gain momentum. If CBC follows a similar pattern, we expect it will take several more years before more studies and precise answers regarding cannabichromene's usage emerge. Given that several formal studies on cannabichromene have already been conducted, it seems likely that it is one of the cannabinoids that will attract significant attention from customers and pharmaceutical companies in the coming years. Hopefully, in the future, we will see cannabis seed varieties rich in CBC - Cannabichromene.