Cannabinoid observatory and product analysis
THP420, CBG9 and CB9: what did laboratories actually find?
Two samples shared a name, CBG9. The vape contained a brominated derivative. The flower contained a compound the laboratory had yet to identify. Those two results make a good case for keeping the name on the sample next to the finding whenever a new cannabinoid makes the headlines.
Milnubes editorial desk ·
| Label and sample | Reported finding | What remains open |
|---|---|---|
| THP 420 · vapes | THC methyl carbonate | The finding applies to the devices examined. |
| CBG9 · one vape and one flower | Br-HHC-O in the vape. A different, unidentified compound in the flower. | Two samples bearing this label had different profiles. |
| CB9 · flower | A mixture of H4-CBD, HHCP and THC-C8 | Other batches require their own analysis. |
What kind of study was this?
The forensic team from Kiel and Wiesbaden reported its results in 2025 after examining about ten products with several analytical techniques. The conference abstract describes individual samples. It cannot tell us what proportion of all products on the market contain a substance different from the one a reader might expect from the label.
THP420 in an EU alert and two certificates
EU early warning notification EU-EWS-RCS-FN-2024-0047 documented delta-9-THC methyl carbonate in plant material seized in Sweden and labelled ‘THP 420’. Certificate A8812-1 describes unidentified chromatographic peaks in a different sample. Report A12083-1, for a batch 2 cartridge received in March 2025, quantifies CBD and CBC among other compounds. These records describe three samples with separate histories. Combining their measurements into a recipe for one cartridge would misrepresent all three.
How to read ‘not detected’
ND has meaning only alongside the target compound, analytical method and detection limit. An ND entry for delta-9-THC cannot on its own identify other signals in a chromatogram. A report on a liquid also leaves open what happens to its constituents when the product is heated.
What follows for Spain?
Spain’s order expressly lists H4-CBD and HHCP, two compounds identified in that CB9 sample. This illustrates the weakness of an unrestricted-sale claim based on a trade name. Another batch would require its own chemical identification. None of the reports cited here establishes Spanish authorisation for a vape sold under these three names.