Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Tetrahydrocannabinol THC

Good Essays
563 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Tetrahydrocannabinol THC
Tetrahydrocannabinol

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is commonly known and popularized by its significant presence in the cannabis plant, a.k.a., marijuana. Raphael Mechoulam and Yechiel Gaoni, two Israeli scientists working at the Weizmann Institute of Science, first isolated the organic drug in 1964. THC has many forms and can be consumed orally, smoked, or vaporized. It appears as a greasy yellow substance. THC is nonpolar and has a low solubility in water and a high boiling point, at 200 C. THC’s pure isomer, Dronabinol, is sold as a pharmaceutical drug known as Marinol, which is used to help AIDS patients with anorexia and chemotherapy patients with nausea. While THC can be used to significantly help the ill, other effects can include relaxation, alteration of visual, auditory, and olfactory senses, fatigue, and appetite stimulation. THC has become a very commonly known substance, as well as a very commonly enjoyed substance, and its presence in our hospitals, as well as society, will only continue to expand.
THC can be produced through a natural process, as well as in a lab through synthesizing different compounds. As mentioned earlier, the synthetic form of THC is called Dronabinol. THC has two main functional groups: a phenol group and an ether group. The phenol group is a benzene ring with the attachment of an OH to the ring; the ether group is oxygen bonded to two R groups on either side of it. THC contains 20 sigma bonds and four pi bonds. Three rings are present as well, two cyclohexene rings and one benzene ring. Attached to the first cyclohexene ring is one methyl group. On the second cyclohexene ring, two methyl groups are present as well as the ether group. On the benzene ring, the hydroxyl group is the substituent, and a pentane chain is attached to the ring as well. THC contains two chiral centers, both being on the ring carbons that are bonded to hydrogen, the other atoms present on the ring, and also the atoms of the surrounding rings.

The most significant psychoactive substances in cannabis are cannabinoids, specifically THC. THC is converted rapidly to 11-hydroxy-THC, which is also pharmacologically active, so the drug effect outlasts measurable THC levels in blood. As shown through research with rats, THC is a neuroprotective antioxidant and prevents hydroperoxide-induced oxidative damage just as well, if not better than other antioxidants. The chemical typically interacts with glycine receptors. It was in 1990 when cannabinoid receptors were discovered throughout the brain and body, suggesting that the use of cannabis affects the brain in close relations to a naturally occurring brain chemical. There are two types of cannabinoid receptors: CB1 and CB2. It is the CB1 receptor that is primarily located in the brain and responsible for facilitating the psychological effects of THC. THC, as well as most cannabinoids, are lipophilic, meaning they possess the ability to dissolve in fats, oils, lipids, etc. Due to this, the THC molecule can be detected in drugs tests from three days to three months, depending on the user and their habits. No fatal overdoses of solely cannabis have ever been reported. THC has an extremely low toxicity and no amount that is able to enter the body through the consumption of cannabis plants has life-threatening effects. It is reported that even in lab animal tests, scientists consistently struggle with dispensing a dosage of THC high enough to be fatal.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In the past year, many medicinal benefits of marijuana have been discovered. Two scientists from the California Pacific Medical Center “found that a compound derived from marijuana could stop metastasis in many kinds of aggressive cancer” (Wilkey). One of the scientists discovered Cannabidiol, found in marijuana, also works with other types of aggressive cancers that have high levels of ID-1 present. Cannabidiol is also used to help with anxiety and nausea. Marijuana, which can also be used to help all fight obesity related diseases, contains an ingredient called THCV, and when this substance and Cannabidiol is introduced into a person’s system, it can help suppress hunger. Also, “tests in mice show the compounds boost the animal’s metabolism, [which led] to lower levels of fat in the livers and reduced cholesterol in the blood stream. THCV also increase[d] the animal’s sensitivity to insulin” (Gray).…

    • 477 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The use of illegal drugs in the twenty-first century is very common. Cannabis, also known as marijuana, and other well-known names, are among the most frequently used drugs today. Marijuana comes from cannabis sativa, which is a hemp plant. The plant contains a chemical which is known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Some people smoke marijuana in hand-rolled cigarettes or in pipes or water pipes while other mix marijuana in foods such as brownies, cookies, or candy, or brew it as a tea. There are a few benefits of using cannabis. It’s used as a medicinal drug and can minimize physical pain and alleviate psychological disorders, such as anxiety and depression. However, the use of cannabis…

    • 1806 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Marijuana, also known as cannabis, weed, and ganja refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug. The most common form of cannabis used as a drug is the dried herbal form. The typical form of marijuana consists of flowers the leaves and the stalks of the mature female plants. The residue form of the drug is called hashish or hash. The major active chemical found in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC. There is also at least 66 other chemicals found in the drug as well such as cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN) and tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), which are believed to result in different effects than those of THC alone. Marijuana is much more potent today than it was in the '60s and '70s when the THC content ranged from .3 percent to 3 percent. Today the THC content is typically 5-10 percent but can reach as high as 30 percent with high-tech growing methods. Within a few minutes of smoking marijuana a person may feel intoxicated and hypnotic…

    • 2935 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Marijuana Informative

    • 1010 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Now, it is important to understand what the drug is and how it works. It originated in China around 2736 B.C. and was used as a psychoactive agent (History of Marijuana). It was brought over to North America by the English in the 16th century and became a major cash crop in the 19th century. The United States never really had a problem with it until the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 was passed. Strict laws were placed on the possession and trafficking of the drug. It is a mixture of dried, shredded flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves of the Cannabis sativa plant. Weed consists of over 400 different chemicals, but the main active ingredient is tetrahydrocannabinol or THC (Properties of Cannabis). It is classified as a disrupter, which means it changes your thought process and emotions. The way it gets a person “high” is also a good thing to understand. When a person smokes it, it enters the body and goes to the lungs. From there, it moves into the blood stream and shortly into the heart. The heart pumps the THC up to the brain where it alters the physical and chemical balance, therefore resulting in a feeling and mindset know as a “high”.…

    • 1010 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Institute of Medicine. "Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base" report. March 1999. Web. October 1, 2013.…

    • 1415 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Joy, Janet E., et al. Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base. Washington, DC: The National Academic Press. 1999. Print.…

    • 1068 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Marijuana comes from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. It is the most commonly used illegal drug in the U.S. About 4% of American adults smoke pot at least once a year while 1% abuse pot, and one in 300 have a pot addiction. Marijuana can be ingested through food, smoke, or brewed into a tea. According to the government studies, as many as 30% of today’s teenagers are smoking marijuana. Marijuana use is rarely seriously harmful, but it has important medical effects. THC, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol is the active ingredient in marijuana and with different strains it has significantly different strengths. With the hydroponic growing, marijuana has been refined into different strains which produce different effects. These are used accordingly for the range of medical conditions patients have. According to Web MD, the signs of using marijuana include: rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure, increased rate of breathing, red eyes, dry mouth, increased appetite, or “the munchies,” and slowed reaction time. These effects are reduced after three or four hours. However, marijuana hangs around…

    • 2118 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    First, what is ‘Marijuana”? Marijuana is a dry shredded green and brown flowers, leaves, stems or seeds. The leaves are derived the hemp plant “Cannabis sativa.” The active chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, better known as THC. This active ingredient, THC is why the Controlled Substance Act of 1970 is the governing factor over Marijuana. http://www.drugabuse.gov/infofacts/marijuana…

    • 1147 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    First and foremost, what is marijuana? “Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the world; various forms of the drug have been used for thousands of years for their medicinal, social, and aesthetic effects” (Marijuana Legalization 3). For those who don’t know, “cannabis, or marijuana, is an annual flowering plant of the botanical order Rosales, which today occurs across large…

    • 1862 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Legalization of Marijuana

    • 1625 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Benson, J.A. and Watson, S.J., (2001) . Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base National Institute of Medicine, Washington, DC. pp. 67-70.…

    • 1625 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Medical Marijuana

    • 2314 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Marijuana (grass, pot, and weed) are the common names for the drug made from the plant cannabis sativa. Marijuana is the dried blossom leafy annual plants which parts are used for herbs, animal food, and medicine and as hemp for rope making. The flowers of the plant contain psychoactive and psychologically active chemical compounds known as cannabinoids which are consumed for recreational medical and spiritual purposes. (Catherine Douglas Nov. 2010). The main mind altering psychoactive ingredient in marijuana is THC (delta-90tetrahydrocannabiol) but more than 400 other chemicals are also in the plant. A marijuana “joint” is made for the dried particles of the plant, the amount of THC in marijuana determines on how strong it affects will be. When marijuana is smoked or ingested THC and other active components that can be found in marijuana are targeting and attaching to two types of receptors on the cells of the body. The CB1 receptors are found mainly in the brain and especially in areas that control body movement memory and vomiting. The CB2 receptors are found mainly in the immune system tissue, such as your spleen and lymph nodes. When marijuana is smoked, its ingredients reach their peak levels in…

    • 2314 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    The following three articles will focus on the therapeutic uses of marijuana for medical use. In the first article, Seamon MJ, Fass JA, Maniscalco-Feichtl M, and Abu-Shraie NA are the authors who are affiliated with the College of Pharmacy at Nova Southeastern University of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They published their work in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy.…

    • 3198 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Better Essays

    Marijuana as a Subculture

    • 1369 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The effects of marijuana are minimal. The high has a feeling of euphoria, peacefulness and well-being. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the active chemical in marijuana. It's estimated that a person would have to ingest a dose 20,000 to 40,000 times the average dose before death would occur. In the early 1990's sophisticated research on marijuana began. The scientists discovered THC stimulates special receptors in the brain. Researchers have now isolated a natural substance that appears to produce the same effects as THC…

    • 1369 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    So what is it? Cannabis is composed of two main compounds, THC and CBD. The scientists will give you complex name of Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol. THC is the largest active compound in Marijuana; it is the psychoactive compound that is assimilated with the “high”. Dr. Alline Campos from NIH.Gov found that CBD is the non-Psychoactive compound that gives more medical benefits and average CBD which accounts for on average 40% of its potency. Cannabis as a whole activates the cannaboid receptors in a person’s brain giving the high a by activating receptors that are in us already.…

    • 1136 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Romm, A., & Romm, T. (2010). Ahg professional member survey: Medicinal use of cannabis.. American herbalists guild. Journal of the American Herbalists Guild, 9(2), 25-36. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=c8h&AN=2011179637&site=eds-live…

    • 2411 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays