Cannabis plants are chemical powerhouses that produce more than 400 different compounds. Not all of those compounds are unique to weed, of course, and appear in many other species of plants. That’s why weed can smell like pine trees or taste like fresh lemons. But of those 400 compounds, more than 60 of them are totally specific to the plant genus Cannabis. Scientists call these special compounds “cannabinoids.” However, not all cannabinoids are created equal. One of them, cannabidiol, or CBD, holds the key to the wide variety of medicinal and therapeutic effects marijuana offers.