THC

Category: alkaloid

Aliases: Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, Delta-9-THC

Pharmacological Mechanism

Primary psychoactive phytocannabinoid — partial CB1 agonist (CNS) + CB2 partial agonist (peripheral). CB1 in nucleus accumbens / PFC drives the euphoria + cognitive effects; CB1 in brainstem is sparse, explaining the very low overdose-respiratory-depression risk.

Half-Life (t½)

PO: 25h

Dosing Guidelines

• PO: Typical 5 mg (Range: 2.5–30 mg)

Target Organ Systems

• nervous

Pathways It Modulates

• Endocannabinoid system (activator) — CB1 (partial agonist) + CB2

Chemical Identifiers

• PubChem CID: 16078
• Formula: C21H30O2
• Molecular weight: 314.46 g/mol
• InChIKey: CYQFCXCEBYINGO-IAGOWNOFSA-N
• SMILES: CCCCCC1=CC(=C2[C@@H]3C=C(CC[C@H]3C(OC2=C1)(C)C)C)O

References

• PMID 17641667
• PMID 25311884