Core Cannabis Course

Welcome to the Core Cannabis Course (2023 Edition) from Higher Learning LV, the new training and education company for the cannabis industry. This course is comprised of 34 homework assignments that teach students the most recent scientific research about seven categories of cannabinoids, the 25 most important cannabinoids, and the eight most common terpenes.

This 2023 edition (2023-03-23v1.1 release) features 34 homework assignments that feature 127 integrated study summaries that teach students the latest peer-reviewed study data about these phytomolecules that are of such economic and medicinal value. A significant portion of the research studies cited are from 2022 and 2023.

This course strategically employs repetition to reinforce particular learning goals and instructional themes while maintaining the modularity necessary to offer robust customization options to enterprise organizations.

Many terms and topics, specifically those that have revealed themselves to more easily confuse or elude the memory of students, are mildly or moderately repeated to encourage memorization. This course, for which your enrollment remains open for two months, includes complementary email support. Please email admin@higherlearninglv.co with any issues or feedback pertaining to this course.

Core Cannabis involves homework assignments that are completed by students in an on-demand fashion, with scheduling at their preference. Higher Learning LV embraces an asynchronous training model that can be consumed on all platforms—including mobile (smartphones and tablets), desktop, and even smart TVs.

Listen to the lecture below before proceeding to the homework assignments.

To help fight the urban legends and overall misinformation that plague industry professionals (and society overall), we have released Core Cannabis to teach students about cannabis- and hem-derived cannabinoids and terpenes. These two topics are half of our Four Pillars of Cannabis, which includes the endocannabinoid system and flavonoids (topics taught in our forthcoming Cannabis Foundation series).

"After completing these 34 homework assignments, students will have a significantly clearer and very current science-based understanding of terpenes and cannabinoids."

After completing the homework assignments that accompany this course, students will have a significantly clearer understanding of the research-based science behind these special and potentially efficacious molecules.

In Part 1, students learn the 25 most important cannabinoids and their categories. This includes the most basic distinction among cannabinoids, whether they were produced by cannabis and hemp or the human body was the source.

Many students are shocked to learn that both the cannabis botanical species and human beings produce cannabinoids. By definition, a cannabinoid is a molecule that interacts with the endocannabinoid system (ECS).
 

Biosynthetic pathways of common cannabinoids

This course presents cannabinoids in seven categories based on their biochemical characteristics and resulting efficacy:

The first category of cannabinoids presented in this course is acidic precursors. These are the acidic molecules that transmogrify into their neutral analogs under certain environmental conditions and triggers, including temperature, UV light, and the presence of oxygen (among many others).

Our first cannabinoid is the acidic precursor cannabichromenic acid (CBCA). It is a minor cannabinoid and was first isolated in 1968 by Japanese researchers, two years following the discovery by Israeli researchers of the cannabinoid that it produces when decarboxylated, cannabichromene (CBC).

Homework assignment CCC 1.1 >> Learn the research behind CBCA. Return to this page when you're done.

The second cannabinoid about which students learn in the Cannabinoid Clinic training track is cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), the acidic precursor to cannabidiol, or CBD. CBDA is one of the most common cannabinoids produced by cannabis and hemp. It is derived from the "mother of all cannabinoids," cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), which also produces the important cannabinoids tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) and cannabichromenic acid (CBCA).

Homework assignment CCC 1.2 >> Learn the research behind CBDA. Return to this page when you're done.

The third cannabinoid you'll learn about is cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), which has been dubbed the "mother of all cannabinoids" by researchers and journalists based on the pivotal and important role that it plays in the production of all major cannabinoids (and many minor ones). CBGA is a minor cannabinoid and an acidic precursor, meaning that it is responsible for manufacturing another cannabinoid that plays an important role in the plant.

Homework assignment CCC 1.3 >> Learn the research behind CBGA. Return to this page when you're done.

Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) is the acidic precursor to the most infamous cannabinoid on earth, delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It is derived from the "mother of all cannabinoids," cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), which also produces the important cannabinoids cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and cannabichromenic acid (CBCA).

Homework assignment CCC 1.4 >> Learn the research behind THCA. Return to this page when you're done.

The second category in the Cannabinoid Clinic training track is alt cannabinoids. These newly popular and emerging molecules have become favorites among cannabis consumers, especially those who live in U.S. states where delta-9 continues to be prohibited.

Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is what scientists call an isomer to delta-9 THC. The two molecules are very similar in chemical structure and the efficacy that results from their consumption. Both deliver psychoactivity to consumers, with delta-8 yielding roughly 50-75 percent of the potency of its chemical cousin delta-9 THC.

Homework assignment CCC 1.5 >> Learn the research behind delta-8 THC. Return to this page when you're done.

The version of THC that differentiates hemp and cannabis, the measure of which has determined the market value of cannabis flowers and related products for decades, is delta-9 THC. However, a variety of analogs of this infamous molecule exist. These include THCA (no psychoactivity), delta-8 THC (about two-thirds the psychoactivity of the delta-9 isomer), and THCV (the varin version that delivers psychoactivity, but only in relatively potent doses).

Homework assignment CCC 1.6 >> Learn the research behind delta-10 THC. Return to this page when you're done.

Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) is a cannabinoid that is one of the most recent entrants in the world of "alt" cannabinoids that extends beyond cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Also called "hydrogenated THC," one media outlet stated that "HHC is to THC, what margarine is to butter."

Homework assignment CCC 1.7 >> Learn the research behind HHC. Return to this page when you're done.

THC-O acetate (sometimes denoted as ATHC, THCO, or THC-O-A) is considered an "alt cannabinoid" along with other emerging cannabinoids outside of cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), including delta-8 THC, delta-10 THC, and HHC. It is notable because it is purported to deliver psychoactivity that is several times stronger than that of its mainstream chemical cousin, delta-9 THC.

Homework assignment CCC 1.8 >> Learn the research behind THC-O acetate. Return to this page when you're done.

In general, two types of cannabinoids exist. First, there are those produced by hemp and cannabis, which are technically labeled phytocannabinoids. Second, there are those that are produced by the human body that are called endocannabinoids. The two major endocannabinoids are 2-AG and anandamide.

The two major endocannabinoids produced by the human endocannabinoid system (ECS) are 2-AG and anandamide. 2-AG is short for 2-arachidonoylglycerol and was discovered in 1994 by Japanese researchers at Teikyo University. Raphael Mechoulam and his student Shimon Ben-Shabat at Hebrew University first isolated 2-AG from the gut of a dog in 1995, three years following the discovery of the endocannabinoid anandamide.

Homework assignment CCC 1.9 >> Learn the research behind 2-AG. Return to this page when you're done.

Anandamide (also known as N-arachidonoylethanolamine or AEA) was first isolated and identified in 1992 by two independent research teams: The same Israeli researcher who isolated and synthesized delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the mid-1960s, Raphael Mechoulam, and NIMH researchers William Devane and Lumir Hanus. Anandamide is one of two major endogenous (internally produced) cannabinoids that includes 2-AG.

Homework assignment CCC 1.10 >> Learn the research behind anandamide. Return to this page when you're done.

Neutrals are the form of cannabinoids that result from the chemical change from an acidic precursor that occurs under the right environmental conditions. This class of cannabinoids is also sometimes called the "active" form (although this is, technically speaking, misleading because it implies that non-neutral cannabinoids possess no efficacy in the human body—which this training track clearly and abundantly proves to be untrue).

Cannabichromene (CBC) is the result of CBCA, the acidic precursor for this particular cannabinoid. Interestingly, CBC is considered both a major and minor cannabinoid due to its commonality (it is present in most cannabis and hemp cultivars) and because it is typically present in volumes of under one percent, respectively. Although not psychoactive, anecdotal testimonies and scientific research has revealed that CBC may help patients suffering from pain, depression, and the various outcomes of inflammation.

Homework assignment CCC 1.11 >> Learn the research behind CBC. Return to this page when you're done.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is the result of CBDA, the acidic precursor for this famous cannabinoid. It is considered a major cannabinoid produced by hemp because it typically dominates other cannabinoids, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Homework assignment CCC 1.12 >> Learn the research behind CBD. Return to this page when you're done.

Cannabigerol (CBG) is the result of CBGA, the acidic precursor for this pivotal cannabinoid. It is considered a minor cannabinoid because it is typically available in relatively low volumes compared to major cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (under one percent).

Homework assignment CCC 1.13 >> Learn the research behind CBG. Return to this page when you're done.

Cannabinol (CBN) is the result of CBNA, the acidic precursor for this important cannabinoid. It is considered a minor cannabinoid because it is typically available in relatively low volumes compared to major cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (under one percent).

Homework assignment CCC 1.14 >> Learn the research behind CBN. Return to this page when you're done.

Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the result of THCA, the acidic precursor for this infamous psychoactive cannabinoid. It is considered a major cannabinoid because it typically dominates other cannabinoids, including number two cannabidiol (CBD).

Homework assignment CCC 1.15 >> Learn the research behind delta-9 THC. Return to this page when you're done.

Phorals are a new category of cannabinoids that was discovered in 2019 by a group of Italian researchers. Due to the scientific community's recent awareness of these phytomolecules, little hard research outside of the report that first identified these molecules is currently available.

Cannabidiphorol (CBDP) was discovered only as recently as December 2019 when a group of Italian researchers published a peer-reviewed research study entitled "A Novel Phytocannabinoid Isolated From Cannabis Sativa L. with Cannabimimetic Activity Higher Than Tetrahydrocannabinol: Tetrahydrocannabiphorol," in the journal Scientific Reports.

Homework assignment CCC 1.16 >> Learn the research behind CBDP. Return to this page when you're done.

This discovery signifies more than merely the addition of yet another cannabinoids to the pharmacopoeia of chemicals produced by cannabis and hemp. THCP was shown to feature a CB1 receptor binding affinity that is 33 times greater than that of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and a whopping 63 times greater than that of its varin analog cousin, THCV.

Homework assignment CCC 1.17 >> Learn the research behind CBDP. Return to this page when you're done.

Varins are a category of phytocannabinoids that features a slightly different molecular structure than the other categories. The most popular varin cannabinoid to date is THCV, which offers the unusual characteristic of decreasing appetite and may be of value in the treatment of eating disorders and diabetes. The terpen humulene also decreases appetite and may serve as a valuable companion molecule in product formulations featuring THCV.

Cannabichromevarin (CBCV) is the varin version of cannabichromene (CBC), a cannabinoid that results from the acidic precursor cannabichromenic acid (CBCA). All major cannabinoids feature a varin version, including cannabidivarin (CBDV) and tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV).

Homework assignment CCC 1.18 >> Learn the research behind CBCV. Return to this page when you're done.

Cannabidivarin (CBDV) is an isomer of cannabidiol (CBD) that was first isolated in 1968 by German scientists. It is considered a minor cannabinoid because it is typically available in very low volumes from the loose-leaf and concentrated cannabis products readily available from legal retail dispensaries and underground ("legacy") sources.

Homework assignment CCC 1.19 >> Learn the research behind CBDV. Return to this page when you're done.

Cannabigerovarin (CBGV), a minor cannabinoid, is the varin version of cannabigerol (CBG). It results from CBGVA, the "meta" acidic precursor in cannabis that also morphs into CBDVA (which results in cannabidivarin, or CBDV) and THCVA (producing tetrahydrocannabivarin, or THCV). Under the right environmental conditions, CBGV may morph into cannabidiol (CBD).

Homework assignment CCC 1.20 >> Learn the research behind CBGV. Return to this page when you're done.

Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) is the result of THCVA, the varin-specific acidic precursor for this cannabinoid (stay tuned for more about varins below). First discovered in 1971, it is a peculiar psychoactive cannabinoid for which considerably less research has been conducted than for its chemical cousin delta-9 THC. The most notable characteristic of THCV is that it causes a decrease in appetite.

Homework assignment CCC 1.21 >> Learn the research behind THCV. Return to this page when you're done.

Just as neutral cannabinoids find their genesis in sibling acidic precursors, varin cannabinoids feature varin-specific acidic precursors. Like other categories of cannabinoids, the acidic precursors of varins have demonstrated medicinal efficacy in peer-reviewed research studies. Like varin cannabinoids, varin acidic precursors are often difficult to obtain and appear in relatively few hemp or marijuana products.

Cannabichromevarinic acid (CBCVA) is a minor cannabinoid and the acidic precursor to the varin cannabinoid cannabichromevarin (CBCV). Like all other varin-specific acidic precursors in hemp and cannabis, it is created by a universal acidic precursor, cannabigerovarinic acid (CBGVA).

Homework assignment CCC 1.22 >> Learn the research behind CBCVA. Return to this page when you're done.

Cannabidivarinic acid (CBDVA) is a specialized minor cannabinoid that serves as the acidic precursor that morphs into the varin cannabinoid CBDV under the right environmental conditions. This molecule belongs to a small family of closely related cannabinoids that includes cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA).

Homework assignment CCC 1.23 >> Learn the research behind CBDVA. Return to this page when you're done.

Cannabigerovarinic acid (CBGVA) is a varin-specific acidic precursor. However, unlike other varin-specific acidic precursors—such as CBCVA, CBDVA, and THCVA—CBGVA is a "meta" acidic precursor that is responsible for creating all other varin-specific acidic precursors in the plant (including those listed above).

Homework assignment CCC 1.24 >> Learn the research behind CBGVA. Return to this page when you're done.

Tetrahydrocannabivarin acid (THCVA) is the varin-specific acidic precursor that morphs into THCV under the right environmental conditions. This minor cannabinoid was first isolated in 1977. However, since its discovery, little peer-reviewed scientific research has been conducted regarding this phytomolecule.

Homework assignment CCC 1.25 >> Learn the research behind THCVA. Return to this page when you're done.

To teach students the basics of terpenes and those that are most important to the cannabis and hemp industries, we have released our exclusive Super Class Terpenes series. These nine articles teach professionals about the latest research regarding terpenes and which are the most pertinent to the emerging industry.

Homework assignment CCC 1.26 >> Learn about Super Class Terpenes. Return to this page when you're done.

Alpha-pinene holds the distinction of being the most common terpene on earth. It is produced by hundreds of botanical species beyond cannabis (more than 400, actually), including basil, big sagebrush, camphorweed, conifers, dill, eucalyptus, frankincense, juniper, orange peels, parsley, pine nuts, rosemary, sage, and spruce.

Homework assignment CCC 1.27 >> Learn the research behind alpha-pinene. Return to this page when you're done.

Beta-caryophyllene (β-caryophyllene), often called BCP and sometimes simply caryophyllene, is one of the most common terpenes in cannabis/hemp/marijuana. While myrcene is typically touted as being the most abundant terpene produced by cannabis, some testing laboratories have identified BCP as the most common terpene within their test samples.

Homework assignment CCC 1.28 >> Learn the research behind beta-caryophyllene. Return to this page when you're done.

Humulene, also known as alpha-humulene (α-humulene) and alpha-caryophyllene (α-caryophyllene), is one of the most common terpenes in cannabis/hemp/marijuana. This popular phytomolecule delivers an aroma and flavor that is earthy, woody, and spicy.

Homework assignment CCC 1.29 >> Learn the research behind humulene. Return to this page when you're done.

Limonene is one of the most common terpenes in cannabis/hemp/marijuana and the second most common terpene throughout nature. This popular phytomolecule delivers an aroma and flavor that is fruity and citrus, with heavy notes of lemon that are sometimes described as "zesty."

Homework assignment CCC 1.30 >> Learn the research behind limonene. Return to this page when you're done.

Linalool is known for delivering a floral scent that is reminiscent of French lavender and that sometimes features heavy notes of bergamot orange and potential hints of spice. Like other cannabis terpenes, linalool is never encountered in isolation in the wild. Instead, it combines with many other terpenes (and other chemicals, including esters and ketones) to produce unique and multi-layered fragrances that are characteristics of particular cultivars and individual plants.

Homework assignment CCC 1.31 >> Learn the research behind linalool. Return to this page when you're done.

Myrcene (β-myrcene), sometimes called beta-myrcene and one of the eight super class terpenes, is known for delivering an earthy scent and flavor that sometimes carries notes of balsam, clove, or musk. Some observers also report subtle layers of pepper and spice.

Homework assignment CCC 1.32 >> Learn the research behind myrcene. Return to this page when you're done.

Ocimene, one of the eight super class terpenes, is known for delivering an sweet, woody scent and herbaceous flavor that sometimes carries notes of fresh fruity citrus, earth, and forest. This common terpene is a popular food and cosmetics ingredient and is also—similar to other terpenes—employed as an insect repellant.

Homework assignment CCC 1.33 >> Learn the research behind ocimene. Return to this page when you're done.

Terpinolene, one of the eight super class terpenes, is known for delivering a fresh, piney aroma and a sweet citrus flavor. It is produced by a range of popular cannabis cultivars, including Jack Herer and Super Lemon Haze, and known for delivering calm and relaxation (depending on the other terpenes present).

Homework assignment CCC 1.34 >> Learn the research behind terpinolene. Return to this page when you're done.

Students will benefit from bookmarking this page.

This course is a required prerequisite for those seeking Cannabis Foundation certification. The roadmap for this certification is Core Cannabis (this course) > Cannabis Foundation > Cannabis Foundation Certification Exam.

Industry professionals wishing to take their knowledge and understanding of Cannabis sativa L to the next level can use their Cannabis Foundation Certification to enroll in the Cannabis Master course.

The full-length Cannabis Master course features optional certification that requires students to have taken Core Cannabis and Cannabis Foundation and successfully passed the Cannabis Foundation Certification Exam (with a score of 90 percent or better). Budtender Basics will be a separate budget-oriented certification that requires as a prerequisite Core Cannabis and offers its own proctored live certification examination.