The cannabinoid framework.
Every cannabinoid that appears on a hemp or cannabis Certificate of Analysis is scored on two axes — altitude per mg (how much one milligram contributes to intensity, with Δ9-THC anchored at 3.0) and quadrant lean (how it distributes across the four compass quadrants: Calm, Clarity, Sustained, Sensory). Each score carries an evidence tier visible to the reader.
To place a product: read its COA, look up each cannabinoid in the table below, multiply each by its mg load in the product, sum the results, apply entourage modulation if applicable, divide by Δ9's anchor of 3.0 to get THC-equivalent mg, map to the altitude band. The quadrant lean is computed from the same weighted cannabinoid quadrant scores. The result is a reproducible placement on the 4×5 matrix.
Scoring table
| Cannabinoid | Altitude / mg | Calm | Clarity | Sustained | Sensory | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classical phytocannabinoids | ||||||
| Δ9-THC | 3.0 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.30 | 0.30 | STRONG |
| Δ8-THC | 2.0 | 0.30 | 0.15 | 0.35 | 0.20 | MODERATE |
| CBD | 0.2 | 0.55 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.05 | STRONG |
| CBG | 0.3 | 0.40 | 0.35 | 0.20 | 0.05 | MODERATE |
| CBN | 0.4 | 0.45 | 0.10 | 0.40 | 0.05 | LIMITED |
| CBC | 0.2 | 0.35 | 0.20 | 0.40 | 0.05 | LIMITED |
| CBDV | 0.1 | 0.40 | 0.40 | 0.15 | 0.05 | MODERATE |
| THCV (low, ≤7mg) | 0.3 | 0.10 | 0.55 | 0.30 | 0.05 | MODERATE |
| THCV (high, >10mg) | 2.5 | 0.15 | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.25 | LIMITED |
| THCa (raw) | 0.1 | 0.45 | 0.30 | 0.20 | 0.05 | MODERATE |
| THCa (smoked) | 2.6 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.30 | 0.30 | STRONG |
| CBDa | 0.2 | 0.50 | 0.25 | 0.20 | 0.05 | LIMITED |
| Hemp-derived isomers & analogues | ||||||
| Δ10-THC | 1.8 | 0.10 | 0.45 | 0.25 | 0.20 | LIMITED |
| HHC | 2.4 | 0.25 | 0.20 | 0.30 | 0.25 | MODERATE |
| THC-O acetate | 4.0 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.30 | 0.50 | LIMITED |
| THC-P | 4.5 | 0.10 | 0.15 | 0.30 | 0.45 | LIMITED |
| THC-H | 3.8 | 0.15 | 0.20 | 0.30 | 0.35 | LIMITED |
| THC-B | 3.0 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.30 | 0.30 | LIMITED |
| 11-OH-THC | 3.5 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.35 | 0.35 | STRONG |
| PHC | 3.0 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.40 | 0.30 | LIMITED |
Quadrant weights sum to 1.0 per row. Altitudes are anchored to Δ9 = 3.0. Evidence tiers: STRONG = multiple peer-reviewed human studies; MODERATE = some peer-reviewed plus survey/observational data; LIMITED = preclinical or single-study with user reports filling gaps.
Entourage modulation
When a product's CBD:THC ratio is ≥ 1:1, apply a 0.85× multiplier to the THC altitude contribution and shift quadrant weight +0.05 toward Calm (subtract evenly from the other three, renormalize). Source: Russo 2011 (PMID 21749363); Freeman et al. 2019 systematic review (PMID 31412258).
Worked example.
A 5 mg Δ8 + 5 mg CBD + 2 mg CBG gummy:
Δ8 contribution = 5 × 2.0 = 10.0 alt
CBD contribution = 5 × 0.2 = 1.0 alt
CBG contribution = 2 × 0.3 = 0.6 alt
Raw sum = 11.6 alt
CBD:THC = 1:1 → apply 0.85× to Δ8: 10.0 → 8.5 → Adjusted = 10.1 alt
÷ Δ9 anchor (3.0) = 10.1 mg Δ9-equivalent → upper Balloon / lower Airplane
Quadrant lean computes to Calm 0.34 · Clarity 0.17 · Sustained 0.33 · Sensory 0.16 (after entourage shift). Calm and Sustained are nearly tied. By editorial judgment, the formulation context (evening gummy) lands at Decompress / Balloon, MODERATE confidence.
The terpene reference.
Eleven terpenes form the standard reportable panel in commercial cannabis labs and define our chemical space for Atlas projections. Each carries a documented aroma profile and a contested-but-suggestive effect register.
The Atlas.
Phytonomy — the analytical engine behind Altitude Control — maps 2,257 named cultivars from the Pestele 2022 dataset into a 2-dimensional chemical space using PCA on L2-normalized 11-dimensional terpene fingerprints. Cosine similarity operates within this space. Chemotype clusters emerge naturally.
Explore the chemistry.
The Atlas is the receipts behind everything else on this site. Drag the similarity threshold, color nodes by chemotype, compose a custom blend, find your strain's neighbors in chemical space.
Primary sources.
- Pestele et al. 2022 (PLoS ONE, PMID 35576208) — Atlas chemistry dataset
- Tagen & Klumpers 2022 (Br J Pharmacol, DOI 10.1111/bph.15865) — Δ8 review
- Pertwee 2008 (PMID 18204467) — CB1 / CB2 binding affinities
- Cascio et al. 2010 (PMID 19751305) — CBG α2-adrenergic mechanism
- Corroon 2021 (DOI 10.1089/can.2021.0006) — CBN sedation review (negative result)
- Citti et al. 2019 (DOI 10.1038/s41598-019-56785-1) — THC-P discovery and CB1 affinity
- Nasrallah & Garg 2023 (DOI 10.1038/s41598-023-38188-5) — HHC epimer pharmacology
- Russo 2011 (PMID 21749363) — entourage effect review
- Freeman et al. 2019 (PMID 31412258) — CBD/THC modulation systematic review
- Lucas et al. 2018 (PMC6177698) — cannabinoid pharmacokinetics
- Wang et al. 2016 — THCa decarboxylation efficiency
- Munger et al. 2023 (J Med Toxicol) — THC-O ketene formation hazard