THC- Tetrahydrocannabinol

In a previous post, Cannabinoids, I briefly talked about the various cannabinoids that are in cannabis.

Now, I will discuss each of these cannabinoids in separate posts, starting with THC.





Some may say that THC is all that matters. 

THC molecule

Not so, especially for medical patients who gain more benefit from a combination of different cannabinoids, or a higher ratio of cannabinoids like cannabidiol and that is not even taking into account the other ingredients in cannabis, like terpenes.

Still, THC is important and has important medical benefits.


There are 2 types of THC- Delta 9 and Delta 8.
THC is lipophilic, which means it dissolves in fats, oils, lipids and non-polar solvents.




It has a high UV-B absorption which may be to protect the plant itself from harmful UV radiation, while the effects of THC may be used by the plant as a way to protect itself from herbivores.

Hebrew University

THC was first isolated in 1964 by Raphael Mechoulam, Yechiel Gaoni and other colleagues at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Since then, research and studies have been undertaken and are currently underway to discover all of the medical applications that THC could be used for.




It has been known for some time that THC does relieve pain, can prevent nausea and vomiting, causes relaxation, alters visual, auditory and olfactory senses, reduces aggression and can stimulate appetite.

The claims of brain damage from use of THC are not supported by current research, which actually shows that THC can activate the cannabinoid receptor CB1, which in turn helps neurogenesis.


Neurogenesis is where neurons are created from the neural stem and progenitor cells, causing the brain to be populated with neurons.

These neurons help improve cognition, memory capacity, relieve stress in adults, provide neuroprotection and can help to prevent the neural degradation that occurs with neurodegenerative diseases like MS, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

This research has found a correlation between cannabis use and increased cognitive function, especially in people who have schizophrenia.

For patients with MS, THC can also relieve their neuropathic pain and muscle spasticity.

Many people with cancer or AIDS use THC to increase their appetite and decrease nausea, besides reducing their pain and recent studies are showing that THC can reduce the size of tumors.

Alzheimer's could one day be prevented with THC. Evidence is suggesting that THC could prevent inflammation caused by microgliacells and inhibits amyloid plaque, which are important factors with Alzheimer's.
THC is found to be more effective at this than Donapezil or Tacrinetuo, two of the leading Alzheimer's drugs.



For people with Tourette's Syndrome, THC could help significantly reduce the nervous tics and urges that are common with this disease.
Patients with glaucoma can use THC to reduce the pressure on their eyes.
Other studies are showing that it could reduce the progression of atherosclerosis, a condition where the artery wall thickens with an accumulation of fats such as cholesterol and triglyceride.

Other claims of THC causing psychosis are incorrect as well. THC may accelerate symptoms in people who are already predisposed to psychosis, but it does not cause psychosis in healthy people.

Clinical trials were begun in August of 2009, to see what effect THC would have on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, by the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem.




Dr. Mechoulam, one of the first to isolate THC, is participating in these studies and in studies with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.



So far the studies into THC treatment for PTSD are showing that it can provide symptom relief by activating the cannabinoid receptors. This symptom relief comes from memory extinction, which is the process of removing the tie between stimuli(such as loud noises or stress itself) and the actual experience which has created such trauma to the person.

It is felt that with more research and studies, this activation of cannabinoid receptors by THC, other cannabinoids or by another means, can be used to cure PTSD, not just treat the symptoms. There is also hope that other anxiety or depression disorders could be cured this way as well.

I will post again soon about Cannabidiol, another cannabinoid that is found in cannabis, which also has many medical applications.

Cannabinoids

Cannabinoids are chemical(terpenophenolic) compounds that activate cannabinoid receptors.







In a previous post, Why does cannabis affect us?, I briefly discussed cannabinoids and their interactions with cannabinoid receptors.

Cannabinoid interaction

Today, I am going to further discuss cannabinoids and briefly describe the various types.



In later posts, I will discuss each cannabinoid in more detail, their effects, uses and some history.

To date, there are 85 known cannabinoids in cannabis, but there may be more, time and further research will tell. Not all of the known cannabinoids are named and information about all of the cannabinoids is still undergoing further research.

Endocannabinoid System

Here is some of what we do know today.


There are three types of cannabinoids:

Endocannabinoids: these cannabinoids are produced naturally by humans and animals

Phytocannabinoids: these cannabinoids are produced naturally by plants

Synthetic cannabinoids: these cannabinoids are
produced chemically by humans


Cannabinoids in cannabis are:

THC- Tetrahydrocannabinol
CBD- Cannabidiol
CBN- Cannabinol
CBG- Cannabigerol
THCV- Tetrahydrocannabivarin
CBDV- Cannabidivarin
CBC- Cannabichromene

Tattoo of THC molecule

Synthetic/Patented cannabinoids from cannabis are:

Dronabinol- Marinol
Nabilone- Cesamet
Sativex
Rimonabant- Acomplia



Purely Synthetic cannabinoids from cannabis are:

JWH-018: Spice
CP-55940
Dimethylheptylpyran
HU-210
HU-331
SR144528
WIN 55,212-2
JWH-133
Levonantradol- Nantrodolum
AM-2201

Endocannabinoid system

Cannabis Testing

Would you like to know as a caregiver or a grower that your cannabis is free from pesticides, from harmful pathogens and what the potency is?

Or, as a patient, would you like to be sure that your dosage is correct, that nothing in your medicine could have harmful effects, make you sick or overpower a weak immune system?

This is rapidly becoming an area of concern for everyone involved in medicinal cannabis and it should be.

The FDA and USDA should be more involved in this instead of basically saying it's not under their jurisdiction or declaring it ineligible for their oversight.

Until then, responsible people can have their own testing done with private laboratories that specialize in cannabis testing.



butane-a solvent used

I have recently found such a laboratory and they offer a variety of tests, ranging from Residual Solvent Testing to Terpene Analysis. 




Residual Solvents are harmful solvents, impurities and other odorants, which can harm you over time.


These can be found in super concentrated cannabis, such as hemp oil or hash oil.


isopropyl alcohol-another solvent



This is due to the process of creating them, a solvent is used to extract the cannabinoids and terpenoids from the cannabis and then heat, vacuum or another method is used to get rid of any remaining solvent.



acetone-a solvent used









Terpene analysis can identify over 14 different terpenes, which are the smells in cannabis.


These contribute to far more than aroma, the different ratios and varieties of terpenes are usually what differentiates one strain of cannabis from another and contribute to the overall effect of cannabis.

Microbiological screening can identify any fungal contaminate, mildew or bacteria.

This has many benefits, preventing you from getting ill or having a serious food bourne illness and some funguses are dangerous to people with a weak immune system.This testing is also fast and can be completed in an hour.




Pesticide Residue testing can test cannabis for dozens of commonly used pesticides.




Potency testing is a full profile of the cannabis, with information on all of the different compounds-cannabinoids, terpenoids, flavonoids, glycoproteins, alkaloids and more. All of these compounds contribute to the medical benefits and can affect THC.

Soon there will be testing for genetic and strain verification.

As a patient, caregiver or grower, this knowledge can help you make informed decisions that can affect how you grow, what you grow, what dosage should be and what safe practices you need to have a safe medicine for the people you are helping.

For more information, please look at SC Laboratory's website.

Why does cannabis affect us?

So why and how does cannabis affect us the way it does?

How does it work?

Why does it work?  

I want to know the mechanics. I have to start with the ground floor, the very beginning, that is the way I learn.

I started with why it affects us. What is in cannabis and in us that can cause the effects we feel from it?

 I found out that in us, there are receptors that are specifically attuned to the chemical compounds in cannabis. These receptors in us are called cannabinoid receptors and there are two types-CB1 and CB2.

The chemical compounds in cannabis that cause the effects in us are called cannabinoids and there are alot of them in cannabis, upwards of 85 different cannabinoids, including THC and cannabidiol, which are the most well known.

Research into these cannabinoids, the receptors in us and how they interact and create the effects in us is ongoing, with more information found every day.

In some of my blogs, I am going to talk about this research and what I have found and I would greatly value any information you would like to share with me.