Researchers at Wageningen University have “resurrected” ancestral cannabis enzymes to study the origin of anti-inflammatory and painkilling cannabinoids to use in innovative medicine.

Enzymes play a key role in the production of cannabinoids, including tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and cannabichromenic acid (CBCA).

In modern cannabis plants, THC, CBD and CBC are produced by specialised enzymes but in the common ancestral cannabis, the enzymes are capable of producing several cannabinoids at the same time.

The ancestral enzymes proved easier to replicate in microorganisms than the enzymes found in modern plants and this will make them a better option for medical applications, the researchers said.

“What was once an evolutionary “loose end” is now very useful,” researcher Robin van Velzen told Nu.nl. “These ancestral enzymes are more robust and flexible which makes them interesting for biotechnology and pharmacology.”

One of the most promising cannabinoids in this context is CBC, which has anti-inflammatory and painkilling properties. “There is currently no cannabis plant with a high level of CBC. Introducing the enzyme into a cannabis plant could lead to innovative medicinal plants,” Van Velzen said.