HU-345

HU-345, or cannabinolquinone (CBNQ), is a quinone derivative of cannabinol (CBN), obtained by chemical oxidation and described in a patent application from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem filed in 2005. The patent, which groups HU-345 with other cannabinoid quinones, reports that they do not bind the CB1 and CB2 receptors up to 15 µM and that no measurable psychotropic effect is observed. In cell culture, growth of Raji lymphoma cells is inhibited by more than 50% at 6.25 µg/mL, and that of Jurkat and DU-145 cell lines at 12.5 µg/mL. In a 2020 study of phytocannabinoid oxidation, its EC50 at PPAR-γ is 23.1 µM, whereas cannabinol exceeds 25 µM. No pharmacokinetic, metabolic or human toxicology data are published in the sources consulted.

Source

Semi-synthetic molecule: it derives from cannabinol (CBN) by oxidation of its phenol ring. It is not described as a constituent of cannabis in the sources consulted.

No biosynthetic pathway: the molecule is obtained by chemical synthesis, through oxidation of cannabinol. No living organism is reported to produce it in the sources consulted.

European Union

No harmonised control measure at European Union level has been identified for this molecule in the sources consulted: its status falls under national legislation. At international level, it is not listed in the 2026 green list of the INCB.

France

HU-345 is not named in any annex of the order of 22 February 1990 nor in the ANSM consolidated list updated on 16 February 2026. It is not covered by the entry for tetrahydrocannabinols, their esters, ethers and salts. Its classification therefore depends on the generic clause for the benzo[c]chromene nucleus, introduced by the ANSM decision of 22 May 2024. That clause covers any derivative of this nucleus, not, partly or fully hydrogenated on ring A, substituted or not at positions 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 9 by the groups it lists, and expressly excludes cannabinol. HU-345 has an aromatic ring A and carries a pentyl chain at position 3, two methyls at position 6 and a methyl at position 9, which matches the list. However, its positions 1 and 4 carry quinone ketone functions, which the list does not provide for (at position 1: hydroxyl, esterified or not, or alkoxy; at position 2 or 4: carboxyl), and the text of the clause does not say whether these substitutions exclude the molecule. Its status therefore remains uncertain at this stage and must be verified before any decision. This absence of classification does not amount to an authorisation: no authorised medical, food or cosmetic use is documented in the sources consulted.

Sources: EUR-Lex, UNODC, CND, ANSM, IUPHAR/BPS, ChEBI, EUDA. Our method.

1. 1Kogan NM et coll., Cannabinoid quinones: a review and novel observations, Molecules, 2021 (new tab)PMID 33801057
2. 2Caprioglio D et coll., The oxidation of phytocannabinoids to cannabinoquinoids, J Nat Prod, 2020 (new tab)PMID 32315173
3. 3Mechoulam R, Kogan NM et coll., Compositions including quinonoid derivatives of cannabinoids for therapeutic use, brevet US 8 497 299 B2 (Yissum), 2013 (new tab)
4. 4ChEMBL, fiche CHEMBL127671 (activités enregistrées pour HU-345, dont PPAR-γ) (new tab)
5. 5PubChem, composé CID 11198119 (HU-345) (new tab)
6. 6ANSM, liste consolidée des substances classées comme stupéfiants, mise à jour du 16 février 2026 (new tab)
7. 7ANSM, décision du 22 mai 2024 portant modification de la liste des substances classées comme stupéfiants (clause du noyau benzo[c]chromène) (new tab)
8. 8OICS, liste verte 2026 des substances placées sous contrôle international (new tab)

SMILES

CCCCCC1=CC(=O)C2=C(C1=O)OC(C3=C2C=C(C=C3)C)(C)C

InChIKey

UFDYTRQMIXJHTH-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Machine-readable entry (JSON)

LLM ingestion format: a structured superset of the entry (identifiers, binding, versioned legal status). Full corpus.