Cannabielsoxa: a new cannabinoid that demonstrates the medicinal potential of marijuana

In an ironic twist of science, what first began as a routine search for anti-cancer plant compounds has led to the discovery of a new cannabinoid: cannabielsoxa. This finding has not only broadened our knowledge about the complex chemistry of medical cannabis but has also helped to reinforce the growing scientific consensus about the therapeutic potential of this ancient plant (especially in oncological treatments), proving that there’s still much more to be discovered.

The recent discovery of cannabielsoxa has been carried out by a multidisciplinary team of South Korean scientists from prestigious institutions, including Wonkwang University, Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Kyung Hee University, Kookmin University, and the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science.

This research, published in the scientific journal Pharmaceuticals, was born as part of a larger study looking for plant compounds with anti-cancer properties, particularly those that might be effective against neuroblastoma, a type of cancer that mainly affects young children.

Neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that is responsible for 6% of all childhood cancers, is known to be resistant to conventional treatments. Motivated by this urgency, the South Korean team examined over 200 plant species, focusing on secondary metabolites with anti-tumour activity.

When analysing cannabis flower extracts using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), scientists detected an unknown compound: cannabielsoxa. This discovery represents the first documented isolation of this cannabinoid, which opens up new avenues for pharmacological research.

“It is paradoxical”, the researchers admitted in an interview. “We were looking for answers in plant biodiversity; and cannabis, a plant still criminalised in many countries, gave us one of the most promising keys”.

In addition to cannabielsoxa, the researchers isolated ten other compounds present in cannabis flowers, including six already known cannabinoids: cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidiolic acid methyl ester (CBDA-ME), cannabidiol (CBD), delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8 THC), and cannabichromene (CBC). They also identified several chlorine metabolites, which had not been previously documented in the cannabis plant, significantly expanding our knowledge about its chemistry.

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What is cannabielsoxa and how does it work in the body?

Cannabielsoxa belongs to the family of acidic cannabinoids, such as CBGA or THCA, but its molecular structure includes a ring of fused oxirane ― a chemical rarity that bestows it with unique properties. Unlike THC, it is non-psychoactive, and its interaction with the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is indirect but profound, although the exact action mechanisms are still being studied. What we know so far is that it represents a new class of cannabinoids with potentially different properties to those already known.

The significance of this discovery lies in the fact that each new cannabinoid identified provides us with an additional piece of the complex puzzle that constitutes the human endocannabinoid system and its interaction with cannabis-derived compounds.

But the discovery of cannabielsoxa highlights a systemic problem: cannabis prohibition has limited access to diverse strains and advanced plant breeding techniques. As noted by Dr. Ethan Russo in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, “cannabis is not merely a plant but a chemical ecosystem. Each variety destroyed by repressive policies is a library of therapeutic molecules that we lose”.

In addition, South Korea, where the study was conducted, is a paradigmatic case: Although medical cannabis has been legal there since 2018, its cultivation remains restricted to government institutions, making independent research difficult. “We had to import samples from Europe for this project,” the researchers said.

A growing scientific consensus on the medicinal benefits of cannabis

Cannabielsoxa joins the list of other newly discovered cannabinoids such as THCP and THCB, CBDP (identified in 2019), or PCM, which means that we’re constantly expanding our knowledge about these fascinating molecules. These continuous discoveries show that, even though cannabis has been used for thousands of years by different civilisations, we’re still in the early stages as far as understanding its chemical composition and potential therapeutic applications.

This new discovery adds to a growing body of scientific evidence on the benefits of medical cannabis. Earlier this year, a comprehensive meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Oncology reviewed more than 10,000 scientific studies, concluding that there is an “overwhelming scientific consensus” on the benefits of marijuana for the treatment of cancer-related symptoms.

This study, led by Ryan Castle and his team from the Whole Health Oncology Institute, found that for every study showing cannabis was ineffective, there were three studies that showed that it was effective. This 3:1 ratio of positive results is comparable, if not better, than the success rate of many drugs approved by various drug agencies. This clearly reinforces the relevance of therapies based on new cannabinoids in modern medicine, especially highlighting their effectiveness in relieving nausea in patients undergoing aggressive treatments such as chemotherapy.

The diversity of cannabinoids in the plant kingdom

A fascinating recent development in cannabinoid research is the discovery that these compounds are not exclusive to plants of the Cannabis genus. In February 2025, scientists identified an African plant, the woolly umbrella (Helichrysum umbraculigerum), which contains 40 cannabinoid-family compounds, many previously unknown. Remarkably, this plant belongs to the paperflower or helichrysum genus, evolutionarily closer to sunflowers or lettuce than to cannabis.

This breakthrough reveals that the universe of novel cannabinoids is far broader than initially assumed, with multiple natural sources ripe for exploration in developing new therapies. As Shirley (Paula) Berman, a lead researcher on the discovery team, noted: “We’ve uncovered a major new cannabinoid source and developed tools for sustainable production, which could unlock their vast therapeutic potential.”

Cannabielsoxa and the future of cannabinoid research

The discovery of cannabielsoxa and other related compounds represents just the tip of the iceberg in cannabinoid research. As we advance our understanding of these complex compounds, numerous avenues are being opened for the development of new treatments for a wide range of medical conditions, from chronic pain and anxiety to epilepsy and various forms of cancer.

However, the road to fully exploring the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids is not without its challenges. Legal and regulatory restrictions in many countries continue to be a significant obstacle for the thorough investigation of medical cannabis. Despite all of this, recent discoveries, such as that of cannabielsoxa, are a testament to the perseverance of the scientific community in its continuing search for new treatments based on natural compounds.

As research into novel cannabinoids continues, both within and beyond the cannabis plant, we can anticipate further discoveries to expand our therapeutic arsenal. Cannabielsoxa may merely be the latest in a growing list of compounds poised to revolutionise cannabinoid-based medicine, opening new avenues to treat currently untreatable conditions.