What is THC?

The main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis is called THC, or Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. THC is also the most studied of all the cannabinoids. Here’s what we know about this important compound.

What is THC?

THC is the most abundant and active of all cannabinoids, as we currently understand them. THC activates the reward system in the human brain by releasing the chemical dopamine. As a neurotransmitter, dopamine is tasked with our mood, appetite, pleasure, and so on.

After consuming THC, you may experience feelings of euphoria, due to the release of dopamine being higher than it normally is. Arguably the most popular way of consuming THC is by smoking flower. THC is also available in edible, concentrate, and topical forms. Be sure to check out the rest of our Guides and read up on all of the different ways to consume THC.

THC was first discovered and isolated by the Bulgarian chemist Raphael Mechoulam, who was living in Israel in 1964. Mechoulam, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday, found in 1964 that THC is absorbed into the bloodstream upon consumption and from there, travels to the brain. Once the compound arrives in the brain, it attaches itself to cannabinoid receptors.

Cannabinoid receptors are found in the part of the brain known as the endocannabinoid system (ECS). This system is located in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and other parts of the brain. basal ganglia. These are the parts of the brain responsible for thinking, memory, pleasure, coordination, movement, and many other aspects of our lives.

Many people believe that since cannabis uniquely acts upon the naturally occurring system in our brain known as the ECS, the plant plays a vital role in our overall well-being. For more information on the endocannabinoid system, be sure to check out our chapter on Cannabinoid Receptors.

Effects of THC

The other cannabinoids covered in this guide are thought of as non-psychoactive, meaning they don’t get consumers high. THC is psychoactive and is perhaps the only psychoactive cannabinoid that we currently know of. This means that THC does in fact get you high.

THC makes consumers feel high by acting on a part of the brain known as cannabinoid receptor 1, or CB1. THC has five carbon atoms in an alkyl side chain which act upon this area of the brain. The more THC you consume, the more these molecules will interact with your CB1 receptors and the more intense the feeling.

Inhaling Cannabis vs Eating Edibles

Edibles take longer to kick in but the effects last longer and are more potent. Inhale kicks in immediately but wears off after 2-3 hours. 11-Hydroxy-THC is formed after eating and passing through the liver, while THC-A is converted immediately into THC and absorbed into the lungs.

Consumer reports vary widely when it comes to the effects of THC and how this complex cannabinoid makes us feel. How THC feels largely depends on the individual, ranging from happy, to calm and relaxed, to creative and engaged, to hungry and tired, and everything in between.

As difficult as it is to pin down exactly how THC will make you feel before trying it, one thing about this major cannabinoid is certain. There has never been a recorded death attributed to cannabis consumption alone.

In fact, according to The National Center for Biotechnology Information, the commonly lethal dose of cannabis (15 grams or more) is over 1,000 times greater than the effective dose (about 15 milligrams). This is based on toxicology levels, as even the most frequent consumer would likely struggle to dose themselves with 15 grams or more of THC, to test the NCBI’s theory.

Potential Benefits of THC

Many studies have been done on THC since its discovery in 1964. We will provide information on some of the most notable examples of benefits here in this chapter. As we continue to grow the HashDash platform, we will constantly be adding and updating important scientific information in all of our Guides.

Depending on the consumer, some research suggests that the potential therapeutic effects of THC and CBD may be greater when the cannabinoids are consumed in conjunction with whole-plant cannabinoids. This phenomenon is known as the entourage effect. While some initial studies are promising, much more research is necessary to determine if this effect is evidence-based.

Some of the potential benefits of THC include, but are not limited to the following conditions:

• PTSD
• Chronic pain
• Insomnia
• Anxiety and Depression
• Nausea
• Shrinking Cancer Tumor Growth
• Glaucoma
• Multiple sclerosis
• Fibromyalgia
• Alzheimer's disease
• Chronic Migraines
• Arthritis
• Inflammation
• Crohn's disease

These are just a few examples of the vast potential benefits of cannabis for which we have empirical evidence. There are thousands, perhaps millions of accounts of anecdotal evidence that indicate many other healing properties of cannabis medicine.

Whole-plant cannabis medicine has not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat any condition, for a myriad of reasons we won’t get into here. However, there are a few notable drugs that the federal agency has approved: Marinol, Syndros, Cesamet, and Epidiolex.

• Marinol and Syndros are FDA-approved drugs that contain dronabinol, which is synthetic THC. These drugs are prescribed to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and to treat their nausea and vomiting.
• The active ingredient in the drug Cesamet is nabilone, a synthetic substance similar to THC. This drug is prescribed to HIV/AIDS patients to help treat weight and appetite loss.
• Epidiolex is another FDA-approved cannabinoid-derived drug. Epidiolex’s main ingredient is CBD which is prescribed to patients with epilepsy to treat seizures.

While it is encouraging that the FDA has acknowledged and approved cannabinoid-based drugs for safe and effective use, much more work must be done if we are to ever realize the full therapeutic potential of cannabis medicine.

Possible Side Effects of THC

Some consider the feeling of being high on THC to be a side effect, which is important to note before we discuss the possible bad side effects. These possible bad side effects of the world’s most important cannabinoid include:

• Paranoia
• Increased Anxiety
• Sleepiness
• Fatigue
• Lethargy
• Dry Mouth
• Red Eyes
• Temporary Memory Lapse
• Decreased Motor Control
• Upset Stomach

For the majority of consumers, these potential bad side effects are typically only felt after ingesting a dose of THC that is too intense for them. It’s always important to consume cannabis slowly and work your way up to understanding your proper dosage. Doing so can help you avoid these potential negative side effects.

What We Learned: What is THC?

As we’ve mentioned before, we are just scratching the surface of the wonderful world of cannabinoid research. Much is left to be explored, researched, experienced, and understood about the invaluable compound THC. Here’s what we learned about THC in this chapter:

• The main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis is called THC, or Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. THC is also the most studied of all cannabinoids.
• THC activates the reward system in the human brain by releasing the chemical dopamine.
• THC was first discovered and isolated by the Bulgarian chemist Raphael Mechoulam, who was living in Israel in 1964.
• THC has five carbon atoms in an alkyl side chain that act upon this brain area. The more THC you consume, the more these molecules will interact with your CB1 receptors and the more intense the feeling.
• The commonly lethal dose of cannabis (15 grams or more) is over 1,000 times greater than the effective dose (about 15 milligrams).
• THC may help treat patients suffering from cancer, Chron’s disease, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and many more.
• Common side effects of THC include paranoia, sleepiness, dry mouth, and red eyes.

As legalization efforts continue, we will see more much-needed unbiased research become easier to conduct and information will become more readily available. As this research continues, we will almost certainly discover and better understand more of the therapeutic benefits of the consumption of THC. Answer the below question right, and let's learn about more cannabinoids.