THC

The primary psychoactive compound

Cannabinoid

What is THC?

Delta 9 THC is one of the best-documented cannabinoids besides CBD.

Delta 9 THC is the decarboxylated form of THC-A. Decarboxylation happens either rapidly through heating or over time naturally. You can often tell when a plant was harvested by the level of THC-A versus Delta 9 THC in the plant — and, with more nuance, whether it was cured properly. There will always be a higher level of THC-A in flower cannabis, but the level of Delta 9 THC rises as the plant matures and is cured.

Simply speaking, Δ9-THC provides the psychoactivity experienced from consuming cannabis. From here on, we'll use THC to refer to Delta 9 THC for convenience.

What THC is used for

THC is used across a massive spectrum of disorders — from cancer, insomnia, anxiety, stress, and depression, and so much more. How it helps these different conditions is what we're approaching here.

Methods of consumption

When you consume THC, the first thing that matters is the form of consumption: 1) Inhalation, 2) Ingestion, 3) Sublingual.

Ingestion

The bioavailability of ingested THC is 4%–12%, making ingestion the least efficient intake method overall. When you ingest THC, it travels to the liver, where the majority is destroyed or metabolized. The remaining THC is converted into 11-Hydroxy-THC — a form more potent than Δ9-THC — which must be noted when giving recommendations on strength.

Eating is extremely important when taking edibles. When THC is taken with food, there are fat molecules for it to bind to, allowing for a longer release and more effective delivery of ingested cannabis. When taken on an empty stomach, without fats to bind to, THC is processed faster through your system.

This bioavailability applies to terpenes as well, making most ingested terpenes negligible in their effects. Through this, we can tell that the interest in products like rosin-infused gummies stems from complex cannabinoid profiles and not terpene profiles. With the right mix of cannabinoids, even distillate-based edibles can take on the effects sought in higher-end products.

Sublingual

The bioavailability of THC when taken sublingually runs 12%–40% — moderate to moderate-high. Because the mucosa under the tongue absorbs THC directly into the bloodstream, sublingual delivery partially bypasses first-pass metabolism. Effects come on more directly and depend more heavily on delta-9 THC itself to produce psychoactive effects, since far less is converted into 11-hydroxy-THC than with ingestion. THC is often bound to MCT oil or other fats/alcohols to form a tincture.

The true benefit of sublingual THC is in patients with gastrointestinal issues, as well as patients with issues with inhalation. Modern tinctures have very little flavor and thus are usually consumed quite easily. The downside is the generally higher pricing that comes with them.

Inhalation — combustion

There are two forms of inhalation we'll discuss. Combustion is currently the most common form of consumption, but the second form, vaporization, is quickly on the rise.

The bioavailability of THC when inhaled runs 30%–50%, because THC is absorbed through the lungs and enters the bloodstream more directly. As such, a much larger portion of THC is able to avoid metabolizing in the liver. As the second most optimal method for THC and terpene delivery, it is hindered by one main thing: combustion. The fire used to combust and smoke the flower both destroys a portion of THC and terpenes and delivers more tar and toxins to the lungs. Though there is plenty of debate and research on the topic, the heat and smoke delivered by smoking flower is not healthy and has the potential to cause damage over time. Including anecdotal evidence here: I've had too many people come to me with lung cancer having only smoked cannabis in their lifetime.

Vaporization

Vaporization is the final and arguably optimum form of delivery. It can be done with both flower and concentrates, heating cannabinoids and terpenes to a point of volatility without destroying them in the process. Sitting at the high end of the 30%–50% inhalation range, vaporization is the most efficient delivery method of the two.

The absolute peak method is dry herb vaporization, as it delivers only exactly what you need. The drawbacks are the high cost of entry, technology limitations, and dishonesty by companies. The other methods are cartridges and inhalers. In cartridges, a concentrated form of THC is heated with a ceramic coil hot enough to vaporize the concentrate, allowing a cooler hit without the level of tar associated with smoking. The drawback is the much higher levels of THC common in these products. Keeping terpene levels relative to THC levels is vastly important, as the entourage effect represents the entire beauty of cannabis as a medication.

What happens when you take THC

Your blood pressure spikes and your heart rate increases — this must be noted with individuals with blood pressure issues. On the flip side, as cannabis takes effect in the system, it begins to lower blood pressure and becomes a vasodilator.

Depending on the consumption method, effects are noticed anywhere from 6–15 minutes for sublingual, 30 minutes to 2 hours for ingestion, and instantly to 5 minutes (to reach full effect) with inhalation.

Anti-emetic (anti-nausea)

THC has well-documented and thoroughly proven anti-emetic (anti-nausea) properties, making it a fantastic option for chemo patients, chronic nausea, gastrointestinal issues, and many other conditions that cause nausea. It must be noted, however, that dosing is important — too high a dose can cause the opposite effect of nausea and vomiting. This most often occurs in edibles, as users are often not instructed properly on their consumption.

Anti-inflammatory

THC also has a long-proven history of anti-inflammatory properties. It inhibits cytokine production by antagonizing the CB2 receptor. This is why THC is seen as a potential synergistic treatment in cancer research — it lowers the body's immune response to chemo treatments and other inflammatory processes. Again, dosage is important, but its true power lies in its synergy with other cannabinoids and terpenes.

THC and anxiety

In patients with anxiety, THC can be a gift and a curse. Those prone to anxiety should keep THC levels lower — most users reporting anxiety either have not been properly dosed, or have chronic anxiety and need more relaxing cannabinoids to counter the intoxicating effects of THC. CBN and CBG can both be used in tandem with THC to lower anxiety and boost mood.

We must be careful with CBD: more recent studies have shown CBD can help raise the bioavailability of THC in users, increasing the intoxicating effects of cannabis. THC-V is another cannabinoid to be careful pairing with THC, as it can be prone to causing or exacerbating anxiety.

Conditions that cite this compound

These condition guides point here — they cover the same compound from the patient side.

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