When you hear the word THC, what comes to mind? Most people think drugs. Illegal substance. GETTING HIGH! Well, it’s a bit more complex than that. What’s in the cannabis plant that gives rise to the effects that it is so well-known for? Let’s get into it.
The way that cannabis is cultivated can result in varying ratios of active compounds, and these compounds are responsible for the assorted medicinal effects of the plant. The diversity of potency and design of the plant— in addition to complex synergistic effects and how the body breaks down these compounds— makes it difficult to fully understand the effects of this dynamic plant.
Knowledge of where and how the constituents of cannabis are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted—known as ADME in pharmacy school—is essential for creating a foundational grasp on how cannabis works as a medicine. We still have a lot of work to do to get there.
CANNABINOIDS
The cannabis plant gives rise to more than 700 chemical compounds including cannabinoids and the essential oils of cannabis— aka terpenes—, which are the two primary active ingredients. From a synthesis perspective, there are three types of cannabinoids: phytocannabinoids, endogenous, and synthetic.
Phytocannabinoids are derived from plants, hence the phyto portion of the word. Endogenous cannabinoids are synthesized in the body—on command—and act as retrograde messengers in the nervous system, or autocrine mediators throughout other areas of the body. Synthetic cannabinoids are man-made substances such as spice or K2. Out of all 700 constituents that are produced by the cannabis plant, the phytocannabinoids have been researched most extensively.
Tetrahydrocannabinol aka THC is, for now, the best known chemical constituent of the cannabis plant. Still, THC is a single singer in a chemical choir where dozens of medically active compounds come together to form an alluring harmony. This basically means that compounds produced by cannabis, such as cannabinoids with terpenes, work together to achieve increased effectiveness which is known as the “entourage effect.”
Ethan Russo, John McPartland, and Geoffrey Guy are physicians and pharmacologists who have dedicated decades studying the chemical ecology of the cannabis plant. McPartland and Guy developed something called the “coevolution hypothesis,” which states that mankind has been selective breeding cannabis varieties to progressively interact safely and effectively with the human body. The amount of potential varieties than can be produced are probably countless. Amazing!
As mentioned before, phytocannabinoids are the best known compounds of the cannabis plant. There are around 120 different phytocannabinoids which includes Δ9-THC, which in turn gives rise to most well-known cannabinoids. Of these 120 phytocannabinoids, only a small portion of these are produced in a significant enough quantities to have an effect, and the remaining compounds are metabolites that are found at insignificant amounts.
As for the compounds that are not broken down into small amounts, there are four primary cannabinoid families: THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD (cannabidoil), CBG (cannabigerol), and CBC (cannabichromene). There is also a fifth phytocannaninoid that is often mistakenly noted as a principal cannabinoid. CBN (cannabinol), however, is not produced by the plant but is the product of the breakdown of THC when exposed to oxygen, or over time. There is very little evidence that CBN gives a clinically measurable effect after dosing.
THC
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, or Δ9-THCA, is the most common phytocannabinoid produced by popular cannabis varieties. Thanks to selective breeding over the past few decades, some cannabis plants can produce over 25% THCA in their flowering tops, which is a remarkable amount for any plant. THCA is non-intoxicating until it is heated and converted into its psychoactive form: THC.
THC does more than produce psychoactive effects, it also has potent anti-inflammatory and pain relieving activity. On top of that, THC is neuroprotective, reduces pressure in the eye, spasticity, and muscle tension. THC is considered nontoxic, but some medical professionals have distinguished the displeasing effects of an excessive dose as “psychotoxic.” In those who are new to cannabis, large doses of THC can lead to panic, anxiety, and rapid heartbeat. Lowering doses or complementing the THC with CBD can help to offset these effects. There’s the entourage effect in action for ya!
CBD
Cannabidiolic acid, or CBDA, is the most common phytocannabinoid produced by fiber cannabis varieties, or hemp. Similar to THC, heat —or time— converts CBDA to its active form of CBD. Cannabis varieties high in CBD were seldom found in medical dispensaries in the US until 2009, thanks to the works of cultivators such as Wade Laughter and Lawrence Ringo.
CBD has pain relieving and anti-inflammatory effects across a broad range of conditions. It is also a potent antioxidant! Some studies have shown effectiveness of CBD against tumor cells of the human brain, breast, and more while simultaneously protecting healthy cells. This is a major breakthrough as most chemotherapy drugs today kill all cells and not just the healthy ones because they are non-selective. Very promising for the future!
CBG
Cannabigerolic acid, or CBGA, is the third most common phytocannabinoid after THC and CBD. The therapeutic effects of CBG have not been researched as extensively until more recent years, but the findings have been promising. CBGA, similar to CBDA, is present more in fiber hemp than in drug cannabis varieties. And again—you guessed it! — heat and time convert CBGA to CBG.
Research has shown that CBG can be useful as a powerful appetite stimulator and can be helpful in treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It also is being studied as an antiseptic and antibiotic, as it is a tremendously potent antibacterial agent against pathogens such as MRSA! CBG has also been recognized for its anti-tumor properties, especially for certain forms of prostate and even oral cancer!
CBC
Cannabichromenic acid, or CBCA, is a phytocannabinoid that is produced in the beginning phase of the flowering cycle of cannabis. In order to get CBCA from the plant, it is collected six weeks before the flower matures. You already know how this converts to CBC.
CBC has a wide range of effects to include antibiotic as well as anti-fungal properties. This is said to defend the cannabis plant from bacterial and fungal infections in its flowering phase. It is also anti-inflammatory and helps to relieve pain such as the other cannabinoids. What’s interesting about CBC is that is has shown antidepressant activity in animal testing!
TERPENES
Imagine taking a rose and bringing it up to your nose, and inhaling deeply. The aroma that you smell are terpenes! Same goes for the cannabis flower, since cannabinoids have no smell. The cannabis plant is capable of producing more than 200 terpenes, but only around 30 of them are present in significant quantities. Terpenes are the aromatic parts of ALL essential plant oils and are found in fruits and veggies, as well as spices.
Terpenes are found in the resin heads that are at the top of the trichomes mentioned in my previous blog post. Now remember I said that when these heads are easily ruptured, so proper storage and handling of the cannabis plant are of utmost importance when trying to preserve these terpenes as they are easily degraded upon release from the plant.
There are seven predominant terpenes that are produced by the cannabis plant and they are as follows: pinenes, limonene, beta-myrcene, beta-caryophyllene, linalool, terpinolene, and ocimene. These all have pharmacologic activity even at tiny concentrations, and cannabinoids are said to increase the ability of the terpenes to penetrate the brain. Let’s review each one briefly.
PINENES
Alpha and beta-pinenes are monoterpenes found in pine, and are responsible for the smell of Christmas trees. Alpha-pinene protects the brain from the “short term memory loss” effect of THC. It has potent antibiotic and anti-inflammatory effects as well as anti-tumor activity. This particular terpene is present in the cannabis varieties: Kona Gold, Blue Dream, and more recently in California Pinene Kush.
LIMONENE
Limonene is present in the peels of citrus fruits and are responsible for the citrusy scents found in cannabis varieties. This terpene has antidepressant activity as well as anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties. Limonene increases the effects of THC and CBD by activating receptors in the brain. Cannabis varieties that are high in limonene include Tangerine Dream, Gelato, OG, and Bubba Kush. Limonene is responsible for the euphoric effects with these strains.
BETA-MYRCENE
The terpene that has the highest concentration in the cannabis plant—greater than 30% of the essential oil— is beta-myrcene. This particular terpene is responsible for the sedative effect of different cannabis varieties such as ACDC and Godfather OG. In animals, myrcene relaxes the muscles. In addition to the sedative effect, myrcene also helps with inflammation and pain like many other terpenes and cannabinoids.
BETA-CARYOPHYLLENE
This is the most common terpene found in cannabis varieties due to its ability to survive the extraction that the other more volatile terpenes do not. Opposite of beta-myrcene, beta-caryophyllene produces more stimulating effects. This terpene is dominant in the “Cookies” family of cannabis strains. Some other examples include Sherbert and Gorilla Glue #4. Beta-caryophyllene is a powerful anti-inflammatory both externally and internally! The oxidation of beta-caryophyllene yields what is called caryophyllene oxide; this is what drug detection dogs are trained to smell!
LINALOOL
Don’t you just love the smell of lavender? Well, this particular terpene is found in lavender and is slightly psychoactive! Linalool is naturally occurring and is generally associated with tranquility and calmness. Linalool is found in cannabis varieties such as Bubba Kush and several purple indica strains. (Purple, lavender, get it?) Used medically, this calming terpene is overwhelmingly sedative, helps with pain, and is an anesthetic.
TERPINOLENE
This next terpene may remind you of oranges or lemons when you smell it. This citrusy, highly stimulating terpene is terpinolene and is found in varieties such as Jack Herer, Trainwreck, Zeta, and Big Sur Holy Weed. Terpinolene is responsible for the cognitive lucidity of these strains.
OCIMENE
The final terpene I will discuss is ocimene. This is the sweet and fruity terpene that is present in classic Skunk varieties... the irony, right? lol. It’s not too stimulating nor sedating which is known as the “Goldilocks effect.” Ocimene also helps to protect the cannabis plant as it is released in retaliation when it is attacked by spider mites. This release attracts predators that eat the spider mites, how badass!!
So as you can see, there are many compounds within the cannabis plant that allow it to produce the psychoactive effects that we know of as well as other medical effects such as inflammation and pain relief. We must respect the plant as a whole and know what we are putting into our bodies so that we get the desired effect that we are after.
As always, I hope that you learned something while enjoying this post! Don't hesitate to ask anyyyyyy questions!
Much love.
References:
Backes, Michael. Cannabis Pharmacy: the Practical Guide to Medical Marijuana. Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 2017.