CBDV

CBDV /ˌsiːˌbiːˌdiːˈviː/ abbr. Cannabidivarin. A minor cannabinoid built like CBD but with a three-carbon side chain instead of a five-carbon one.

1. (chemistry) The compound C19H26O2, molar mass 286.4 g/mol (PubChem CID 11601669). Like CBD it is made in the plant as an acid, CBDVA, which heat turns into CBDV.
2. (lab reports) A line on a full-panel certificate of analysis. Some lab panels do not test for it at all.

Origin Cannabidi(ol) + -varin, from divarinic acid, the shorter starting molecule. Chemists call the three-carbon versions of cannabinoids “varins”: CBDV, THCV and CBGV.

See also cannabidiol · CBDA · CBG · full spectrum

Checked against the sources below on Oct. 4, 2026.

Notes

How is CBDV different from CBD?

By one detail of shape. Both have the same two-ring core. CBD carries a five-carbon (pentyl) tail; CBDV carries a three-carbon (propyl) tail. That is why CBDV’s formula has three fewer carbons and six fewer hydrogens (C19H26O2 against CBD’s C21H30O2). The plant makes the two along parallel routes: the usual route starts from olivetolic acid and leads to CBGA and CBDA, while the varin route starts from divarinic acid and leads to CBGVA and CBDVA.

How much CBDV is in hemp?

Usually little. Most hemp grown for CBD shows CBDV, if at all, as a small line beside CBD. Plants bred for varins carry more. A lab report is the only way to know for a given batch.

What has been studied?

Mostly animal and early human work. A 2012 study found CBDV reduced seizures in several mouse and rat models without affecting movement, and called for further study (Hill and others, 2012). A phase 2 trial of CBDV in children and young adults with autism spectrum disorder, sponsored by Jazz Pharmaceuticals, is listed as terminated (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03849456). No CBDV product is FDA-approved, and this glossary makes no claim for it.

What does the law say?

Federal hemp law sets limits on THC, not on CBDV. From Dec. 11, 2026, it counts total THC, THCA included, at 0.3% of dry weight (P.L. 119-37, sec. 781; date set by H.R. 6500, sec. 2019). The FDA’s position that CBD may not be added to food or sold as a supplement concerns CBD and THC by name (FDA). State law varies; check yours.

The shop on this site

The shop does not sell CBDV products. Our menu today is high-THCA hemp flower, not CBD flower. Smoked, it gets you high and shows up on THC drug tests.

Sources

• National Library of Medicine. PubChem: Cannabidivarin, CID 11601669.
• Hill AJ and others. “Cannabidivarin is anticonvulsant in mouse and rat.” Br. J. Pharmacol. 167 (2012): 1629–1642. doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2012.02207.x
• U.S. National Library of Medicine. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03849456: Safety and Tolerability of Cannabidivarin (CBDV) in Children and Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder.
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Regulation of Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products, Including Cannabidiol (CBD).
• H.R. 5371 (P.L. 119-37), sec. 781; H.R. 6500, sec. 2019.

Questions

What is CBDV?

Cannabidivarin, C19H26O2, a minor cannabinoid of the cannabis plant. It has the same ring structure as CBD, with a side chain two carbons shorter.

What does the 'V' in CBDV stand for?

Varin, from divarinic acid, the shorter-chained starting molecule the plant uses for this family of cannabinoids. THCV and CBGV belong to the same family.

Is CBDV the same as CBD?

No. They are close relatives with different side chains, so they are different compounds with different lab report lines.

Is CBDV approved for any use?

No. CBDV has been tested in animal seizure models and in small human trials, but the FDA has approved no CBDV product.