Scientists have discovered a new compound of cannabis that has “remarkable anti-inflammatory and antioxidant” properties.
Cannabizetol, a cannabinoid isolated from marijuana and classified as cannabizetol CBGD (CBGD), is a promising cannabinoid that shows great promise in the growing body of research on the medicinal and therapeutic potential of the cannabis plant.
In a newly published paper, researchers explain that two cannabinoid compounds are formed by a methylene bond between them. Cannabizetol, besides its medical benefits, is one of four rare dimeric cannabinoids molecules identified currently in cannabis.
The study states that “we demonstrate that cannabizetol demonstrates remarkable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory skin activity, which is significantly higher than observed for the dimeric cannabinoid known as cannabitwinol.”
The results of this study highlight the potential for dermatological application of cannabizetol.
In the Journal of Natural Products (September 2025), the Italian and Swiss authors wrote that their findings “suggest there may be methylene bridged dimers of cannabinoids of unknown composition, such as dimers composed of cannabinoids of different types, which could have biological activity of interest.”
“The synthesis of analytical standards could be useful in facilitating the identification of these compounds in cannabis extracts,” they wrote—adding that “natural dimeric compounds are of considerable importance, as they enable further exploration of chemical space, potentially leading to novel biological activities beyond those of their respective monomers.”
Researchers tested against CBGD using a variety of genes that are inflammatory. The anti-inflammatory properties of these molecules were evaluated after a 6-hour treatment using RT-PCR (RT).2 “Profiler PCR array Human Inflammatory Cytokines & Receptors (QIAGEN S.r.l. Hilden, Germany) as described previously” wrote they.
The chemists examined NF-κB, a molecular pathway that seems to serve as a master switch for inflammation, given the prolific nature of its impact across a wide range of cells that lead to the condition. Cannabinzetol seemed to have a significant ability to reduce inflammation.
They noted that “Several cannabinoids demonstrated biological activity, making cannabis sativa a potential source of medicinal active principles” was particularly appealing.
The sophistication of the testing equipment has increased significantly in recent decades, which allows scientists to examine a growing number of cannabinoids. There are over 100 known cannabinoids, although many still require more study.
The authors stated that “the significant biological activity” of the dimeric cannabinoids led them to exploit the flow chemistry technique in order to improve the synthesizing process.
The study advances previous research. THC is the primary psychoactive compound found in marijuana plants, and it’s well-known to the general public. An Israeli scientist isolated this compound in 1964. In the 1990s, the human and rat endocannabinoid systems were first identified. On the basis of this knowledge, chemists were able to isolate other compounds that could have therapeutic effects, such as cannabigerol or cannabinol. The classification of cannabinoids is causing a flood of research.
Scientists reported in May 2025 that they identified 33 “significant markers” in the cannabis genome that “significantly influence cannabinoid production”—a finding they say promises to drive the development of new plant varieties with specific cannabinoid profiles.
Additionally, researchers announced in April 2025 that they successfully identified a new cannabinoid—cannabielsoxa—produced by the marijuana plant as well as a number of other compounds “reported for the first time from the flowers of C. Sativa.” A team of researchers from South Korea who are part of the government and universities evaluated 11 components in cannabis to determine their effects on neuroblastoma cancer cells. Seven of these compounds “showed strong inhibitory activities.”