# THCV

> THCV (tetrahydrocannabivarin) is the propyl-chain (C3) analogue of THC, formed by decarboxylating THCVA; it is a minor cannabinoid in most cultivars but notable in some African-derived lines.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/thcv.html
- Also written: tetrahydrocannabivarin, Δ9-THCV, THC-V, THV
- 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"

THCV is a varin [cannabinoid](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/cannabinoid.md): the same ring system as [THC](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/thc.md), but with a three-carbon (propyl) side chain instead of a five-carbon (pentyl) chain. The plant makes it as [THCVA](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/thcva.md), which [decarboxylates](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/decarboxylation.md) to THCV. Effects are reported to differ from THC, but human research is limited and GenetixBay makes no claims about them.

## In practice

Most commercial flower shows THCV under 0.5% w/w or [not detected](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/non-detect.md). Some [landrace](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/landrace.md) and landrace-derived lines, notably from southern and eastern Africa and parts of Asia, have been reported with much higher shares of propyl cannabinoids, and breeders select for it with lab testing. Because the propyl branch starts earlier in the pathway (at the precursor), a plant high in THCV is usually low in pentyl THC, not high in both.

## Don't confuse with

- **THC**: the pentyl (C5) analogue; far more common.
- **THCVA**: the acid form the plant makes before decarboxylation.
- **CBV / CBDV**: other varin cannabinoids, from the [CBD](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/cbd.md) and [CBN](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/cbn.md) families.

## Related terms

[THCVA](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/thcva.md), [THC](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/thc.md), [CBGA](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/cbga.md), [Chemotype ratio](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/chemotype-ratio.md), [Cannabinoid](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/cannabinoid.md)

## Read more

- [Chemotype inheritance: how THC and CBD synthase alleles pass on](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/breeding/chemotype-inheritance.md)

## Sources

1. Hillig KW, Mahlberg PG. 2004. A chemotaxonomic analysis of cannabinoid variation in Cannabis (Cannabaceae). American Journal of Botany 91(6):966-975. https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.91.6.966
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.