Scientists recreate ancient cannabis enzymes to trace THC, CBD origins
Dutch researchers have brought ancient cannabis enzymes back to life, revealing how early versions could make several key cannabinoids—like THC and CBD—from a single starting point.
Their work gives us a peek into the plant's evolutionary past and how today's specialized enzymes came to be.
Ancient enzymes made multiple cannabinoids at once
The team found these old-school enzymes could produce THCA, CBDA, and CBCA all at once from one molecule (CBGA).
By studying their structure, scientists traced which tiny changes in the enzyme's makeup led to the more focused cannabinoid production we see in modern cannabis.
Why does this matter?
These ancient enzymes are much easier to grow in yeast than current ones, making them promising tools for creating cannabinoids in labs.
One version was especially good at making CBCA—a building block for CBC, which has anti-inflammatory effects but isn't found naturally in high amounts.
As researcher Robin van Velzen put it, these sturdy enzymes could kickstart new directions for pharmaceutical research.