Ask a Stoner: Are There Different Forms of THC?

Westword

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Dear Stoner: I hear there are different forms of THC. Does that mean the other forms aren’t from marijuana?
Roy

Dear Roy: Marijuana research is just starting to scratch the surface of the hundred-plus cannabinoids found inside the plant’s trichomes. Those cannabinoids include varying forms of THC and CBD, lesser-known cannabinoids such as sleep-inducing cannabinol (CBN) and anti-bacterial cannabigerol (CBG), and some that we don’t yet know anything about. Although pharmaceutical companies have developed forms of synthetic THC, everything you see for sale at a dispensary is plant-derived.

click to enlarge

THC is such a beloved cannabinoid that some people wear it on their chests.

Courtesy of Piccadillypendants

Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the most well-known and common cannabinoid in most psychoactive marijuana plants. The majority of THC in marijuana plants is an acidic form of THC called THCA that’s only psychoactive when activated by heat, which converts THCA into regular, trippy THC. Commercial extractors are starting to experiment with Delta-8-THC, another form of the cannabinoid good for treating nausea and eating disorders, while 11-Hydroxy-THC is a potent, metabolized form of THC that your body creates after consuming marijuana orally — which is why edibles can seem strong even if you’re a regular toker.

Send questions to [email protected].