Got Purps? Dialing In Cannabis’ Effects With Flavonoids

 In the modern day marijuana marketplace there is a dizzying array of strains to choose from, but luckily with testing methods surrounding the chemical make-up of our favorite flowers advancing just as rapidly as their development, smokers have more tools than ever before to find the strain that works best for them.
Working in conjunction with marijuana’s psychoactive component, THC, cannabis is made up of several different classes of molecules like cannabinoids — such as THC and CBD — as well as terpenes and “flavonoids.” The combination of these tiny natural molecules all contribute to a certain strain’s effects in what’s known as an “entourage effect.”
And, the flavonoids — the molecules that add to the color and flavor of the flower, among other things — are a treasure waiting to be unlocked. Early research shows they’re powerful anti-cancer agents, anti-inflammatories, anti-oxidants and anti-microbials. You could one day take medical cannabis to avoid the flu.
Raphael Mechoulam — the Israeli biochemist who determined the structure of CBD in 1963 and was the first to isolate THC a year later ­—  told Cannabis Now that he sees promise in terms of the interaction between cannabinoids and terpenes (known for giving strains their signature scents). But he also noted that he was not aware of any current research on cannabinoids interactions with flavonoids.
“Very little study has been done on flavonoids and cannabis. In fact, we’re probably going to be one of the first labs to even offer flavonoid testing in cannabis anywhere in the world,” says Reggie Gaudino, vice president of scientific operations and director of intellectual property and genetic analysis at Steep Hill Labs.
Gaudino explains that flavonoids have very similar properties to terpenes as all compounds of marijuana branch out from a master scientific classification known as terpinoids. Flavonoids, he says, are essentially made up of terpene groupings and, in this way, like terpenes, they play a role in the flavor, scent and medicinal properties of certain strains. In addition, certain flavonoids have a role in the pigmentation of the plant.
“There’s one particular type of flavonoid that gives you the purple coloration, but flavonoids themselves really are more about flavor and odor,” Gaudino says. “The specific flavonoid that gives you pigment are the anthoxanthins or anthocyanins and while those do have some properties that have been shown to go along with these pigmentation colorations like the purples — the coloration alone is not what gives you those effects. It’s actually the chemical properties.”
To further unpack the idea, Gaudino explains that not only can flavonoids result in the deep purple hues of marijuana, they are also associated with additional benefits for the plant such as UV protection. While flavonoids are present in many different plants, the types unique to cannabis — cannaflavin A, B and C — have been shown t