THC

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a chemical compound found in cannabis plants. It is the primary psychoactive ingredient, meaning it is responsible for producing the “high” associated with cannabis.

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Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a chemical compound found in cannabis plants. It is the primary psychoactive ingredient, meaning it is responsible for producing the “high” associated with cannabis.

THC has a chemical formula of C21H30O2, but usually refers to the Delta-9-THC version. This isomer is a terpenoid, which is a type of phytochemical found in plants and is often believed to provide protection from environmental stress, insect predation, and ultraviolet light.

In 1940, scientists identified a chemical called cannabidiol (CBD) from the Cannabis sativa plant. THC was first discovered and isolated by Israeli chemist Raphael Mechoulam in 1964, and synthesized in 1965.

When THC is smoked or taken in cannabis oil format, it is absorbed into the bloodstream and travels to the brain, where it attaches itself to endocannabinoid receptors located in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and basal ganglia. These are the parts of the brain responsible for thinking, memory, pleasure, coordination and movement.

THC Molecule
World Legal Status of THC

THC, which has two different forms of the same chemical structure, is one of three substances listed by the United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances. 

In 1971, it was classified as a Schedule I drug, meaning it was considered to have no medical use and a high potential for abuse. 

However, views on THC are changing.

In 1991, the World Health Organization recommended that it be changed to a Schedule II drug, which is less strictly regulated. 

Then, in 2003, the World Health Organization‘s Expert Committee on Drug Dependence suggested that THC should be reclassified from a more serious to a less serious drug by transferring it to Schedule IV of the United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances. This was due to their assessment that it had medical uses and a low risk of abuse and addiction.

Cannabis as a whole is also listed on the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, and in the United States it is considered a Schedule I drug with “no accepted medical use” and “lack of accepted safety”. This situation is absurd given the quantity of scientific papers written on the efficacy of THC in dealing with many medical conditions.

However, the FDA has approved one pharmaceutical form of THC called dronabinol to be used to stimulate appetite in people with AIDS and as an antiemetic in people receiving chemotherapy. 

In South Africa, THC is a Schedule 6 controlled substance.

"This situation is absurd given the quantity of scientific papers written on the efficacy of THC in dealing with many medical conditions."

Drugs Containing THC

THC is an active ingredient in a drug called Nabiximols, a certain form of Cannabis that was approved as a medical drug in the UK in 2010 to be taken as a spray in the mouth to help people with multiple sclerosis to manage neuropathic pain, spasticity, overactive bladder, and other symptoms. 

Nabiximols is available as a prescription drug in Canada and was approved for medical use in Ukraine in 2021. In South Africa, Nabiximols is available as a prescription drug. 

In the United States, 37 states, 3 territories, and the District of Columbia allow medical use of Cannabis, which has THC as its primary psychoactive component. However, the federal government of the United States still considers Cannabis a Schedule I controlled substance, while Dronabinol is considered Schedule III in capsule form (Marinol) and Schedule II in liquid oral form (Syndros). 

How THC Works in The Body

The actions of Delta-9-THC, the primary cannabinoid contained in marijuana, result from its partial agonist activity in the human body at cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2.

CB1 receptors are mainly found in the central nervous system, while CB2 receptors are mainly expressed in cells of the immune system.

When THC activates these receptors, it causes a decrease in the concentration of the second messenger molecule cAMP, which is produced by adenylate cyclase. This decrease in cAMP then leads to the psychoactive effects of THC, such as relaxation and altered perception.

Through the discovery of these cannabinoid receptors, researchers have also identified endocannabinoids, such as anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl glyceride (2-AG), which are naturally occurring chemicals in the brain that also activate these receptors.

THC is a type of molecule that easily mixes with fat. It can attach itself to a variety of things in the brain and body, like fat cells. THC does not dissolve easily in water, but it does dissolve well in substances such as alcohols and hydrocarbons.

THC has a weak ability to protect neurons from damage caused by too much glutamate.

THC has a low affinity for cannabinoid receptors in the body, meaning it does not target them as specifically as endocannabinoid molecules released during retrograde signaling. This makes THC less effective than other cannabinoids. 

Additionally, in some people with a low density of cannabinoid receptors, THC may even act as an antagonist to endogenous agonists, meaning it would actually reduce the effects of the drug. 

Despite this tolerance to THC in people, there is evidence to suggest that this tolerance reduces the risk of undesirable effects, thereby increasing the therapeutic window of the drug making it more effective.

How is THC metabolised in the body?

THC is metabolized mainly to 11-OH-THC by the body. This metabolite is still psychoactive and is further oxidized to 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC (THC-COOH).

In animals, more than 100 metabolites could be identified, but 11-OH-THC and THC-COOH are the dominating metabolites.

Metabolism occurs mainly in the liver by cytochrome P450 enzymes CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and CYP3A4.

More than 55% of THC is excreted in the feces and ≈20% in the urine.

The main metabolite in urine is the ester of glucuronic acid and 11-OH-THC and free THC-COOH. In the feces, mainly 11-OH-THC was detected

How Does the Cannabis Plant Make THC?

In Cannabis plants, THC is mainly present in the form of tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA).

Geranyl pyrophosphate and olivetolic acid react together, after being activated by an enzyme, to form cannabigerolic acid, which is then changed into THCA by the enzyme THC acid synthase.

THCA is eventually converted into THC, either over time or when it is heated. This process of making THCA is similar to the process that creates the bitter acid humulone in hops.

Additionally, THC can be produced in genetically modified yeast.

Drug Testing for THC

THC and its related metabolites, 11-OH-THC and THC-COOH, can be identified and quantified in a variety of bodily fluids, such as blood, urine, hair, oral fluid, and sweat.

This is typically done using a combination of immunoassay and chromatographic techniques, as part of a drug use testing program or in a forensic investigation.

Scientists are also working on creating devices that can detect THC in someone’s breath. If successful, this could be used in drug testing or criminal investigations as an alternative to testing bodily fluids.

THC Research

The status of THC as an illegal drug in most countries imposes restrictions on research material supply and funding, such as in the United States where the National Institute on Drug Abuse and Drug Enforcement Administration continue to control the sole federally-legal source of cannabis for researchers.

Despite a U.S. August 2016 announcement that licenses would be provided to growers for supplies of medical marijuana, no such licenses were ever issued, despite dozens of applications.

Although cannabis is legalized for medical uses in more than half of the states of the United States, no products have been approved for federal commerce by the Food and Drug Administration, a status that limits cultivation, manufacture, distribution, clinical research, and therapeutic applications.

In April 2014, the American Academy of Neurology found evidence supporting the effectiveness of the cannabis extracts in treating certain symptoms of multiple sclerosis and pain, but there was insufficient evidence to determine effectiveness for treating several other neurological diseases.

A 2015 review confirmed that medical marijuana was effective for treating spasticity and chronic pain, but caused numerous short-lasting adverse events, such as dizziness.

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About Cannabis Oil South Africa

Cannabis Oil South Africa sells THC oil – Phoenix Tears Cannabis Oil in dropper format, pure Rick Simpson oil, or in Cannabis Oil Suppository format.  Cannabis oil is also called Dagga Oil, feco or THC Oil locally in South Africa.  Phoenix Tears is commonly misspelt Fenix Tears.

Delivery is nation-wide including to Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

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THC

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a chemical compound found in cannabis plants. It is the primary psychoactive ingredient, meaning it is responsible for producing the “high” associated with cannabis.

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