Thermal Extraction Devices

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    Cannabichromenic Acid (CBCA)

    Identity

    Property Value
    Preferred name Cannabichromenic acid (CBCA)
    IUPAC name 5-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(4-methylpent-3-en-1-yl)-7-pentylchromene-6-carboxylic acid
    CAS number 20408-52-0 (natural (+)-form); 185505-15-1 also listed for (±)-material [^1]
    PubChem CID 3084339
    InChIKey HRHJHXJQMNWQTF-UHFFFAOYSA-N [^1]
    Molecular formula C22H30O4
    Molecular mass 358.5 g/mol (exact 358.2144 Da)
    Compound class Phytocannabinoid; chromenol; hydroxy monocarboxylic acid
    Stereochemistry One stereocenter; (+)- and (−)-enantiomers exist, and CBCA synthase produces both in approximately 5:1 molar ratio [^1]
    Major synonyms Cannabichromenic acid, CBCA; decarboxylation product is CBC (cannabichromene)

    Identity notes

    • CBCA shares the molecular formula C22H30O4 with other cannabinoid acids but is a structural isomer (chromene skeleton); GC-FID without mass spectrometry cannot reliably distinguish co-eluting acid isomers [^1].
    • Do not collapse CBCA with its neutral decarboxylation product CBC [^1].

    Physical properties

    Property Value Conditions / Notes
    Boiling point No compound-specific atmospheric boiling point was located. An intact-acid value remains unresolved; thermal conversion is expected before a directly observed atmospheric boil [^3]
    Vapor pressure Not measured; no defensible compound-specific vapor-pressure value was located. Low volatility of the acid form is an unresolved qualitative expectation, not a measured pressure [^3]
    Melting point Not reported in authoritative sources Unknown
    logP (octanol-water) 6.9 (computed XLogP3) Very low aqueous solubility predicted
    Decarboxylation kinetics Pseudo-first-order conversion was reported at 120–160 °C in a pressurized-liquid extraction cell; the reported times are process-specific and are not dry-flower sample temperatures or device setpoints [^2]
    Oxidation / light sensitivity CBCA-specific UV/oxidative stability and CBC→CBL pathways remain unresolved; no compound-specific threshold was verified Store cold, dark, inert as a precaution

    | Known degradation products | CBC (decarboxylation) is supported under the cited process conditions [^2]; secondary quinone and CBLA-type products remain unresolved analogies |

    Boiling point is not a device setpoint. The cited evidence does not establish a compound-specific atmospheric boiling point for CBCA. Marketing values such as “CBCA boils at 220 °C” must not be substituted for a thermodynamic property or a device/sample temperature [^3].

    Thermal-extraction context

    Because the acid form is expected to be less volatile than its neutral product, thermal release from botanical matrix may proceed via decarboxylation to neutral CBC followed by co-evaporation with terpenes; intact-CBCA evaporation is not directly characterized. The thermodynamic boiling point of the pure compound is not a device setpoint or a sample temperature [^2][^3].

    Cannabis occurrence

    CBCA is a minor acidic cannabinoid in most measured chemotypes. Reported values are batch- and report-attached; no universal cultivar claim is made. Consult Lab Results for batch-level measurements.

    Biosynthesis and processing

    CBCA is biosynthesized from CBGA by CBCA synthase (CBCAS), a sibling branch of the CBDAS/THCAS pathways. Decarboxylation to CBC occurs on heating, mirroring the CBDA→CBD and THCA→THC conversions [^2].

    Reported biological activity

    Human evidence

    No controlled human study of isolated CBCA was identified in this archive’s literature review (as of 2026-08-08).

    Preclinical animal and in vitro evidence

    The acid form is less studied than its neutral CBC; available screens are limited and do not establish effects at human-relevant doses.

    Industry claims

    Minor-cannabinoid marketing claims for CBC/CBCA remain unsupported by controlled human evidence.

    Degradation products

    • Primary: CBC (decarboxylation) 1
    • Secondary (oxidative/photolytic): unresolved; CBLA-type cycloaddition products are an analogy to CBC chemistry, not a verified CBCA result

    Sources

    1. Urvashi, Han JH, Hong M, Kwon TH, Druelinger M, Park SH, Kinney CA, Olejar KJ. Thermo-chemical conversion kinetics of cannabinoid acids in hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) using pressurized liquid extraction. J Cannabis Res. 2024;6:33. doi:10.1186/s42238-024-00243-x. PMID 39080738. (Pseudo-first-order decarboxylation of acidic cannabinoids under pressurized-liquid conditions, 80–160 °C.) ↩

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