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 botanical modifier module.
When a product's ingredient list includes non-cannabinoid actives — L-theanine, melatonin, ashwagandha, caffeine, lavender, etc. — we apply the Botanical Pharmacology Module v1 on top of the cannabinoid placement. Botanicals at the typical dose range in edibles and beverages (10–500 mg per serving) almost never push altitude. They shift the quadrant lean. The framework scores 28 commonly-used botanicals on three axes: a quadrant modifier vector, an effective-dose threshold, and a modifier intensity (0.02–0.18).
How botanicals compose with cannabinoid placement
After cannabinoids produce an initial quadrant vector Qcan, each botanical at effective dose contributes a pull toward its own vector:
Qfinal = (1 − Σ αi) · Qcannabinoid + Σ (αi · vi)
Where αi is the modifier intensity for botanical i, vi is its quadrant vector, and the cannabinoid share is capped so that botanicals never drive the cannabinoid contribution below 25%. Sub-clinically dosed botanicals (e.g. 50 mg ashwagandha in a gummy when the trial dose is 300 mg KSM-66) contribute zero — the framework treats them as marketing rather than active.
Scoring table — selected botanicals
| Botanical | Effective dose | Calm | Clarity | Sustained | Sensory | Intensity | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calm / anxiolytic | |||||||
| L-theanine | 100–200 mg | 0.45 | 0.45 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.15 | STRONG |
| Chamomile (apigenin) | 200–1500 mg | 0.55 | 0.10 | 0.30 | 0.05 | 0.12 | MODERATE |
| Lavender (Silexan) | 80 mg | 0.55 | 0.10 | 0.30 | 0.05 | 0.15 | STRONG |
| Lemon balm | 300–600 mg | 0.55 | 0.15 | 0.25 | 0.05 | 0.12 | MODERATE |
| Passionflower | 250–500 mg | 0.55 | 0.10 | 0.30 | 0.05 | 0.10 | MODERATE |
| Ashwagandha (KSM-66) | 300–600 mg | 0.55 | 0.10 | 0.30 | 0.05 | 0.12 | MODERATE |
| Holy Basil / Tulsi | 300–600 mg | 0.50 | 0.20 | 0.25 | 0.05 | 0.10 | MODERATE |
| Energizing / focusing | |||||||
| Caffeine | 50–150 mg | 0.05 | 0.65 | 0.10 | 0.20 | 0.18 | STRONG |
| Yerba mate | 200–500 mg ext. | 0.20 | 0.55 | 0.10 | 0.15 | 0.15 | STRONG |
| Rhodiola rosea | 200–600 mg | 0.15 | 0.55 | 0.20 | 0.10 | 0.12 | MODERATE |
| B-vitamin complex | normal DV | 0.10 | 0.45 | 0.40 | 0.05 | 0.05 | MODERATE |
| Lion's Mane | 500–3000 mg | 0.20 | 0.55 | 0.20 | 0.05 | 0.08 | LIMITED |
| Cordyceps militaris | 1000–3000 mg | 0.10 | 0.50 | 0.35 | 0.05 | 0.08 | LIMITED |
| Bacopa monnieri | 300–600 mg | 0.20 | 0.50 | 0.25 | 0.05 | 0.05 | LIMITED (acute) |
| Sleep / sustained | |||||||
| Melatonin (low dose) | 0.3–1 mg | 0.45 | 0.05 | 0.50 | 0.00 | 0.18 | STRONG |
| Melatonin (high dose) | 3–10 mg | 0.45 | 0.05 | 0.50 | 0.00 | 0.15 | MODERATE |
| Valerian | 400–900 mg | 0.45 | 0.05 | 0.45 | 0.05 | 0.12 | MODERATE |
| Hops | 200–500 mg | 0.40 | 0.05 | 0.50 | 0.05 | 0.10 | MODERATE |
| Magnesium glycinate | 200–400 mg Mg | 0.55 | 0.10 | 0.30 | 0.05 | 0.08 | MODERATE |
| Other / weakly evidenced | |||||||
| Reishi | 1000–3000 mg | 0.55 | 0.10 | 0.30 | 0.05 | 0.08 | LIMITED |
| Schisandra | 500–2000 mg | 0.30 | 0.40 | 0.20 | 0.10 | 0.08 | LIMITED |
| Eleuthero | 300–1200 mg | 0.20 | 0.40 | 0.30 | 0.10 | 0.08 | LIMITED |
| Maca | 1500–3000 mg | 0.20 | 0.40 | 0.30 | 0.10 | 0.05 | LIMITED |
| Ginkgo biloba | 120–240 mg | 0.25 | 0.45 | 0.25 | 0.05 | 0.05 | LIMITED |
| Ginger | 250–1000 mg | 0.25 | 0.20 | 0.30 | 0.25 | 0.06 | LIMITED |
| Turmeric (+ piperine) | 500–2000 mg | 0.35 | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.05 | 0.05 | LIMITED |
| 5-HTP | 100–300 mg | 0.50 | 0.10 | 0.35 | 0.05 | 0.08 | LIMITED |
| GABA (oral) | 100–800 mg | 0.40 | 0.20 | 0.30 | 0.10 | 0.02 | LIMITED |
28 botanicals scored. Intensities range 0.02–0.18. Sub-clinical doses contribute zero. Multiple botanicals from the same quadrant compound, capped at 0.50.
Worked example — a 5 mg Δ9 + 100 mg L-theanine + 50 mg caffeine drink
Step 1. Δ9-THC alone: 5 mg = 5.0 alt → Balloon band.
Quadrant from THC: Calm 0.20 / Clarity 0.20 / Sustained 0.30 / Sensory 0.30
Step 2. L-theanine 100 mg (effective dose ✓): α=0.15, vector (0.45, 0.45, 0.05, 0.05)
Caffeine 50 mg (effective dose ✓): α=0.18, vector (0.05, 0.65, 0.10, 0.20)
Total α = 0.33, cannabinoid share = 0.67
Step 3. Qfinal = 0.67·(0.20, 0.20, 0.30, 0.30) + 0.15·(0.45, 0.45, 0.05, 0.05) + 0.18·(0.05, 0.65, 0.10, 0.20)
= (0.211, 0.317, 0.227, 0.245) — Clarity dominant.
Step 4. Pillar = Clarity. Altitude = Balloon. Confidence = STRONG.
The combination of L-theanine's calm-alert character and caffeine's stimulating pull on a low-THC base produces a daytime functional drink — exactly the "calm focus" category the formulation is engineered for. The framework agrees with the design intent.
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