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What is THCH and how is it produced? Effects, risks, legislation and product availability

What is THCH?

Scientists have already managed to discover approximately 150 minor cannabinoids in the cannabis plant, as evidenced by a study in 2022. THCH (tetrahydrocannabinoxol) is a minor cannabinoid in the plant, but only in trace amounts. Thus, it exists in its natural form and can also be produced synthetically.

The discovery of THCH was made in 1942 by the American chemist Roger Adams. In 2019, a group of Italian scientists managed to isolate it from the cannabis plant. A year later, a study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports stating that these scientists had identified the cannabinoids THCH and CBDH. Incidentally, this is the same group that discovered the cannabinoid THCP. Both of these substances are considered rare and probably have strong psychoactive effects.

The cannabinoid THCH (Δ9-THCH, Δ9-Parahexyl, n-Hexyl-Δ9-THC) is the hexyl homologue of delta-9-THC (THC, also tetrahydrocannabinol). A hexyl homologue is a chemical compound that contains the same functional groups as delta-9-THC but has a different carbon bond length.

THCH therefore has a similar molecular structure to delta-9-THC, but instead of the classical pentyl side chain it has a hexyl side chain. While delta-9-THC has a 5-carbon chain, THCH has a 6-carbon chain.

Production of THCH

For their research, the Italian team of scientists extracted THCH from cannabis using a chromatographic process. The researchers used a chromatography column that separates small amounts of THCH from the extract of cannabis strains FM2. They poured the cannabis extract into a chromatography column filled with silica filter particles.

The separation of the substances using chromatography separates the different substances in the cannabis extract to produce a highly pure cannabinoid.

Regarding the production of THCH products, Dr. Mark Scialdone pointed out that THCH products are not natural. He referred to a study describing the synthesis of THCPs by chemical reaction as the basis for this claim. The organic chemist pointed out that cannabinoids with different carbon chain lengths, such as THCH, are produced synthetically and are not extracted from cannabis.

He said scientists use a chemical process called "terpenylation" to produce THCP. Simply put, instead of adding extra carbons to the THC molecule, scientists use a synthetic substance (precursor) that already has the correct number of carbon atoms when it is 'terpenylated'.

Resorcinol with a chain length of 6 carbons or hexylresorcinol is used to produce THCH. It is also synthesised from other cannabinoids, for example by converting CBD to CBDH to THCH.

 

Effects

Side chains in cannabinoid compounds can alter the affinity and pharmacology of cannabinoid receptors, as suggested by a 2018 study. Therefore, it is thought that THCH may be 10 times more active than THC at CB1 receptors (they span the central nervous system, in the brain) in the endocannabinoid system.

There are also sellers who believe that the activity on the CB1 receptor is up to 25 times stronger than THC.

Although THCH seems to bind better to CB1, it cannot be concluded that it is up to 25 times more potent than THC. At the moment, this seems more like a marketing ploy, as there is no scientific knowledge of the strength of THCH on receptors.

It is only highly probable that THCH has intense psychoactive properties. Users who have tried it have reported feeling euphoria, relaxation, improved mood, relief of pain symptoms and strong physical and psychological effects.

A 2020 scientific study that examined the pharmacological effects in mice suggested that THCH helps to relieve pain symptoms.

As THCH is a kind of tetrahydrocannabinol compound, it is thought that it could have similar properties to THC, in particular:

  • relieving symptoms of pain and inflammation
  • appetite stimulation
  • neuroprotective properties
  • improving sleep
  • help with nausea

The cannabinoid THCH may have similar effects to THC, but probably affects the body with greater intensity. The effects of THCH reportedly last longer than those of other cannabinoids with psychoactive properties.

For now, however, none of this information is scientifically based, so further research is needed to confirm not only the therapeutic potential of this cannabinoid, but also the duration of effects and possible adverse side effects.

Side effects

As far as the side effects of THCH are concerned, they can be based on other cannabinoids that have psychoactive effects.

Possible side effects of THCH:

  • Increased heart rate
  • Fatigue and drowsiness
  • Dry mouth
  • Redness of the eyes
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Anxiety
  • Paranoia

Availability of THCH products

After the ban on HHC and THCP, it can be expected that customers will look for other options. If you are considering adding new compounds to your e-shop, only stock products that have undergone third-party laboratory analysis. You probably suspect that not all THCH products are manufactured in the same way. And only laboratory analysis will give you objective data on product purity, regulatory compliance, safety, etc. There must be no unsuitable substances, fillers or toxins in the ingredients.

Currently, THCH products are mainly available on foreign e-shops, especially in some US states and in Europe, for example in Austria, France and Greece. The most commonly offered products are THCH vapes and cartridges, hash, flower, distillate, tinctures, gummies and gummies.

Legislation

The 2018 Farm Bill states that all cannabis derivatives are legal if they contain no more than 0.3% THC on a dry weight basis. In the Czech Republic, the limit has been raised to 1% THC.

THCH is legal under this law, but in the Czech Republic it is included in the list of banned addictive substances.

HHC, HHCO and THCP have already been banned in the Czech Republic as of 1 March 2024. It should be added that there is still no law regulating new psychomodulants. 

You may have already seen that the legislation on cannabinoids derived from cannabis can change in an instant. In the case of cross-border sales, it is important to keep an eye on local legislation regarding cannabinoids, as each state deals with this in its own way.

 

Risk of synthetic cannabinoids

The history of safe use of synthetic cannabinoids is not nearly as long and documented as that of natural ones. Even though science agrees that natural cannabinoids are safe for medical and recreational use, the purity and safety of synthetic cannabinoids cannot be guaranteed.

Unknown substances (unnatural isomers, residual solvents and other unrecognised compounds) have been identified in some synthetically produced products, which may predict that they are potentially hazardous for human consumption.

"Natural cannabinoids have been shown to be some of the safest compounds known; however, new synthetically produced cannabinoids are not only contaminated with a number of toxic substances but can also cause adverse effects." Said Dr. Bonni Goldstein, a California physician who has been recommending cannabis to patients for 15 years, and warns patients against using these compounds.

Conclusion

THCH is a phytocannabinoid that is structurally similar to delta-9-THC, it is its hexyl homologue. It is present in the cannabis plant, but only in trace amounts. There are currently no known cannabis strains that contain high concentrations of THCH.

The cannabinoid THCH probably has similar effects to delta-9-THC, but probably acts at a higher intensity. Research is still ongoing, but so far very limited.

Already products are appearing on foreign e-shops, especially in France, Austria and Greece. THCH is legal under the US Farm Bill, while in the Czech Republic it is on the list of banned addictive substances. Legality is also affected by state and local laws, whose regulations may be more stringent or may be absent altogether. It is likely to fall into a legal grey area in some states.

Finally, here are some other articles that may be of interest to you in relation to the new cannabinoids:

 

Original author: Patricie Mikolášová, translated by: AI

 

 

Photo: Pixabay

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