# Cannflavin

> Cannflavins are prenylated flavones (A, B and C) that are characteristic of cannabis, first isolated in 1985 and found mainly in leaves and bracts at low levels.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/cannflavin.html
- Also written: cannflavins, cannflavin A, cannflavin B, cannflavin C
- Glossary category: Cannabinoids and terpenes · Evidence: Established
- Status: Draft: awaiting expert review · Updated: 2026-10-31
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), attribute "GenetixBay cannabis glossary"

Cannflavins are [flavones](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/flavonoid.md) (based on luteolin's skeleton) that carry an extra prenyl or geranyl side chain. Cannflavin A carries a geranyl group, cannflavin B a prenyl group, and cannflavin C a geranyl group at a different position. Barrett and colleagues first isolated cannflavins [A and B](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/a-b-nutrient.md) in 1985 during laboratory work on enzyme inhibition. The plant [genes](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/gene.md) for their final steps were described more recently.

## In practice

Cannflavins are present in small amounts, mostly in leaf and [bract](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/bract.md) tissue rather than in the [trichome](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/trichome.md) resin, and almost never appear on commercial COAs. Their main interest is in research. GenetixBay makes no therapeutic claims: laboratory activity is not evidence of any effect from consuming cannabis.

## Don't confuse with

- **Cannabinoids**: different class, although both use a geranyl group from the same precursor pool.
- **Generic flavonoids**: apigenin, quercetin and others occur widely in plants; cannflavins are characteristic of cannabis.
- **Anthocyanins**: pigment flavonoids responsible for [purple colour](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/anthocyanin.md).

## Related terms

[Flavonoid](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/flavonoid.md), [Cannabinoid](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/cannabinoid.md), [Geranyl pyrophosphate](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/geranyl-pyrophosphate.md)

## Sources

1. Barrett ML, Gordon D, Evans FJ. 1985. Isolation from Cannabis sativa L. of cannflavin, a novel inhibitor of prostaglandin production. Biochemical Pharmacology 34(11):2019-2024.
2. Hanuš LO, Meyer SM, Muñoz E, Taglialatela-Scafati O, Appendino G. 2016. Phytocannabinoids: a unified critical inventory. Natural Product Reports 33(12):1357-1392.