Was ist THC?

THC is a key component of cannabis. Several studies have been carried out to identify both its advantages and disadvantages, and, especially, its practical use.

We are also going to analyse it! We tell you what it is and the effects it can have on the human body.

Meaning of THC

THC is the most well-known (and also the easiest to say) name, but it officially stands for tetrahydrocannabinol, even though it is also called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or dronabinol, the latest as the international common name.

It is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis plants. In other words, it is the substance responsible for the effects of marijuana.

To obtain it, it is extracted from its dried leaves and sprouts, although the amount of THC in each of them is very different. Marijuana leaves can contain from 3% to 6%, while sprouts concentrate up to 14% THC.

Before talking about its properties, it is convenient to do a review of its history. The substance was first discovered in 1964, by Habib Edery, Yechiel Gaoni, and Raphael Mechoulam, at the Weizmann Institute of Science, in Rehovot, Israel.

We know that it is not very soluble in water, but that it dissolves easily in other substances and that, when heated it is viscous and sticky, while at low temperatures it is a glassy solid.

But its existence is a mystery! In other words, we do not really know why it is present in the plant. Nature always gives a function to each component of a living organism. What is the function of THC? At the moment it is thought to be part of the plant’s defence system and to protect it from UV radiation, but it remains a real mystery.

Properties of Tetrahydrocannabinol

Several studies have been able to confirm the properties of Tetrahydrocannabinol, both favourable and not so good.

THC is a powerful ally in eliminating the sensation of constant pain caused by different illnesses. It produces analgesia for chronic pain, mainly of the neurogenic type.

It is also useful in reducing the sensation of nausea caused by very aggressive treatments.

THC offers an appetite-stimulating effect, a property that has been proven to be very useful for patients with problems related to the development of some diseases or suffering from anorexia and anorexia nervosa.

THC can even reduce involuntary movements of the body and the face, which some patients develop and cannot be stopped by traditional treatments.

With all these properties we also see that Tetrahydrocannabinol can offer us protection against external factors, in a similar way as it does with the cannabis plant.

However, its effects can also be negative, so you have to be very careful with its diagnosis in some treatments.

Its main side effects are psychological and neurological. It also reduces the concentration capacity, reflexes, or balance.

It is also important to remember that cannabis products available for sale in specialised establishments must contain less than 0,3%, according to the regulations established by the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union (EU).