Researchers investigating the chemical makeup of marijuana have uncovered a rare category of naturally occurring compounds in the plant that had not previously been recorded.
The finding came from Stellenbosch University’s analytical chemists in South Africa, who examined commercially cultivated marijuana from the country. Their work indicates that the leaves, often considered a low-value byproduct, contain a broader and more chemically diverse variety of substances than previously understood.
The compounds belong to the phenolic family, a large group of plant chemicals associated with functions such as pigmentation, protection, and responses to environmental stress. Flavonoids, one of the best-known categories within this family, have attracted scientific interest due to the individual compounds linked to anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and possible anti-cancer effects.
Flavoalkaloids are considerably rarer. In their research, the Stellenbosch team found 79 phenolic substances across three commercially cultivated marijuana strains. Twenty-five hadn’t previously been documented in the species. Sixteen were provisionally recognized as flavoalkaloids, the first ever reported in marijuana leaves.
The majority of the compounds were concentrated in one strain, suggesting that phenolic chemistry can differ substantially between genetically distinct plants.
The research was led by analytical chemist Dr. Magriet Muller, with Prof. André de Villiers serving as her study supervisor and the paper’s principal author.
The researchers used a technique that separates compounds through two complementary processes, improving the ability to distinguish substances that might otherwise overlap. Mass spectrometry then measures molecular masses with a high degree of precision, helping researchers determine the identity of individual compounds.
Muller said analyzing plant phenolics presents a significant technical challenge because the substances can occur in minute quantities and have highly varied structures. Closely related chemicals can also be difficult to distinguish within the complex mixture produced by a plant.
Marijuana is particularly challenging. Researchers have identified over 750 metabolites in the plant, yet the new study revealed unexpectedly large differences in their phenolic composition among just three strains.
This study points to a broader issue in plant research: substances present in small amounts can remain undetected when conventional analytical methods cannot adequately separate them from more plentiful compounds.
Marijuana research has traditionally emphasized cannabinoids, which account for many of the plant’s recognized pharmacological effects. The Stellenbosch findings suggest that its non-cannabinoid chemistry warrants further investigation.
The researchers say discarded marijuana leaves could ultimately prove useful for studying compounds of potential biomedical interest, although further research will be needed to establish their properties and possible applications.
While these findings may be surprising to the scientific community, they are unlikely to surprise companies like Trulieve Cannabis Corp. (CSE: TRUL) (OTCQX: TSNDF) that have for long believed that the full therapeutic potential of the marijuana plant has yet to be fully understood.
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