[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]What is the Delta-9 Cannabinoid?
Now that we just explained what delta-8-THC is we thought we would take the opportunity to explain what delta-9-THC is along with a little history behind this much-beloved cannabinoid.
As we explained before, there are hundreds of active substances including at least 113 different cannabinoid molecules. However, of all these different molecules it is delta-9-tetrahydrocannaibinol (THC) that is the star. Delta-9-THC is the main psychoactive component in cannabis. It binds to the cannabinoid receptor (CB1) in your brain and produces a whole host of responses, both biological and behavioral. When you read a product’s THC percentage, it’s (usually) referencing how much delta-9-THC is in the product.
The history of THC is a relatively recent one. While cannabis has been used for centuries for both medicine and recreation, THC was not isolated until 1964. When marijuana was first imported to the United States in the 1960s (often from the Sinaloa region of Mexico) it usually only had a THC percentage between 1 and 2%. Those hippies weren’t smoking the stuff you can get today! While the potency of cannabis began to increase with more and more THC over the years, it wasn’t until 2012 that chemists and botanists were able to reliably produce cannabis with THC percentages north of 20%.
As more research has been done on cannabis, some pharmaceutical companies have decided to isolate delta-9-THC and put it in capsules available by prescription only. In the United States, they actually got the Feds to reschedule this capsule and approve this for certain medical conditions (let me remind you, this is just THC). As it is a pill, it takes an hour (or more) to work and since it is in preformulated doses, often it’s too strong for the user. You also don’t get any of the benefits of the CBD, terpenes, or any other compound present in a flower or a whole flower derived product. Dr. Mark Kleinman, director of the Drug Policy Analysis Program at UCLA said of this capsule, “it wasn’t any fun and made the user feel bad” and that it was designed to be “used as a club to beat back the advocates of whole cannabis medicine.” Yikes. Gross. Yikes and gross. Just a company paying millions of dollars to package the same thing you can get at Agate Dreams for 1) a much higher price and 2) not full of the host of benefits associated with buying a whole flower product.
The TLDR (too long didn’t read) version of this post is that delta-9-THC is the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. That compound, along with others such as CBD, terpenes, and a host of other substances determine the benefits that cannabis gives the user. Generally, the more delta-9-THC present the more you will feel or experience the effects associated with cannabis.
Hope that helps! Toke on Dreamers![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
