Cannabis leaves hold rare compounds, study finds

IN A groundbreaking discovery, researchers at Stellenbosch University have identified a rare class of chemical compounds, flavoalkaloids in the leaves of Cannabis plants for the first time.

- STAFF REPORTER

These compounds, known for their antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties, could open new doors for the pharmaceutical use of Cannabis beyond its well-known cannabinoids.

Published in the Journal of Chromatography A, the study details the work of analytical chemists who used cutting-edge laboratory techniques to investigate the phenolic content of three Cannabis strains grown commercially in South Africa.

Out of the 79 phenolic compounds identified, 25 were previously unreported in Cannabis. Sixteen of those are believed to be flavoalkaloids, compounds so rare that they've barely been detected in nature.