The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of diverse known and novel cannabinoids 5, which include cannabigerol (CBG, 1), cannabigerolic acid (CBGA, 2), cannabigerovarin (CBGV, 3), cannabigerovarinic acid (CBGVA, 4) and other naturally occurring monocyclic cannabinoids and other analogues from simple inexpensive starting materials using a cascade sequence of allylic rearrangement and aromatization. Novel cannabinoids of series 5 are also claimed as part of the invention. These synthesized cannabinoids, unlike the minor cannabinoids isolated from Cannabis saliva or synthesized from the condensation reactions such as the reactions of substituted resorcinols with monoterpenes, are much easier to obtain at high purity levels. In particular, these cannabinoids, including but not limited to cannabigerol (CBG, 1), cannabigerolic acid (CBGA, 2), cannabigerovarin (CBGV, 3) and cannabigerovarinic acid (CBGVA, 4) are obtained without contamination with impurities with variation in RA and RB (e.g. contamination of CBG with CBGV).