Cannabidiolic acid (CBDA)

Cannabidiolic acid, or CBDA, is the acidic form of CBD found in raw hemp before heat converts it to CBD.

The hemp plant produces CBDA, not CBD; an enzyme builds CBDA from cannabigerolic acid, and the neutral CBD forms only when the carboxyl group is driven off by heat, a process called decarboxylation. Raw or minimally processed extracts and juiced plant material therefore contain more CBDA than CBD, while heated extracts contain mostly CBD. Laboratories report the two separately and sometimes combine them into a total CBD figure.

CBDA is chemically distinct from CBD and appears to interact with different targets in preclinical studies. It has been studied in laboratory and animal models, but human evidence is minimal and there is no approved medical use. Readers most often encounter the term on certificates of analysis for raw-hemp or full-plant products, including those formulated for pets.