THC (delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol)

Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC is the principal psychoactive constituent among the known 113 cannabinoids present in the cannabis plant. It is a lipid in cannabis and is assumed to be used in the plant for self-defense against ultraviolet light, environmental stress, and insect predation.

Biosynthesis:

THC mainly occurs in the cannabis plant in the form of tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA, 2-COOH-THC, THC-COOH). Olivetolic acid and geranyl pyrophosphate react in the under catalysis with an enzyme and produce cannabigerolic acid. The resultant compound is cyclized by the enzyme Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) synthase to produce THCA. The resultant THCA gets decarboxylated over time, or when heated, to produce Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Molecular Formula of THC - C21H30O2

Potential Benefits:

Cardiovascular System - A research article “Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Prevents Cardiovascular Dysfunction in STZ-Diabetic Wistar-Kyoto Rats” done at School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, QLD, Australia, shows that THC plays a role in preventing cardiovascular dysfunction.

Pain - Pain relief is one of the main benefits of THC.

Nausea and Vomiting – A 1995 study shows that a regular dose of THC with lower psychotropic effects were effective in easing chemotherapy-induced nausea in children.

Neuroprotectant – THC is found to act as a neuroprotectant that protects the brain cells from damage.

Sleeping Aid – Recent research “Proof of concept trial of dronabinol in obstructive sleep apnea” conducted by Bharati Prasad, Miodrag G. Radulovacki and David W. Carley shows that THC may help in improving breathing while reducing interruptions in sleep.

Depression - A research study “Preliminary, Open-Label, Pilot Study of Add-On Oral Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in Chronic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” conducted by Pablo Roitman, Raphael Mechoulam,  Rena Cooper-KazazArieh Shalev, shows that THC helps with a number of PTSD-related symptoms that include depression, insomnia, nightmares, and flashback.

Potential Side Effects:

CBD in some cases may have side-effects like fatigue, decreased appetite, sleeping problem, weakness, sleepiness, red eyes, dizziness, impaired memory, paranoia and more. The psychoactive effects of THC also bar people from using it as a medicinal drug.

To tackle the problem, research is going on to establish the effects of THC on various biological targets, including neurotransmitter receptors and cannabinoid receptors.

Availability:

There are many forms of THC available today. However, CBD products do not contain more than 0.3% THC by law. There are no products exceeding this concentration at Perfect Plant™.