CBDA (cannabidiolic acid) is the acidic precursor to CBD found in raw cannabis plants. When heated, CBDA converts into CBD through decarboxylation. Testing both CBDA and CBD allows laboratories to determine the Total CBD content of a product and ensures accurate potency reporting. This is analogous to the relationship between THCA and THC — measuring only active CBD without accounting for CBDA would underreport the total available CBD in products such as raw flower or minimally processed hemp. Including CBDA in cannabinoid panels gives producers and consumers a more complete picture of a product’s full cannabinoid composition.
