Did you know the hemp plant possesses around 150 unique cannabinoids, with many of them occurring only in trace amounts in the plant’s chemical structure? Most of us are familiar with a handful of them, like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), and cannabigerol (CBG). But, the more we analyze the plant material, the more we uncover cannabinoids that we never knew existed before. And, one such cannabinoid is Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabiphorol (THCP). THCP is the newest cannabinoid discovery, and one that holds a lot of promise while offering its own distinctive variety of effects and properties. It’s essentially another psychoactive cannabinoid, and it seems to offer uses to the body that go far beyond that as well.
How was THCP Discovered?
While the large majority of cannabinoids consumed today were discovered and analyzed decades ago, tetrahydrocannabiphorol is newer in the sense that we didn’t know it existed until very recently – December of 2019, to be exact. THCP was unearthed by accident, when a group of researchers in Italy used chromatographic methods coupled with mass-spectrometry to isolate individual cannabinoids in the hemp plant. THCP emerged, and the researchers were quick to study it in order to learn more about its properties and characteristics.
Is THCP Actually Legalized in the United States?
Currently, there is no legislation singling out tetrahydrocannabiphorol, hence it will maintain a federally legal status. Although, to make things a bit more complicated, a lot of products currently manufactured with THC-P are produced from hemp. Still, the 2018 Farm Bill that was passed allowed all hemp derivatives, excluding delta 9 THC, to be legal. Individual states, however, could ban this cannabinoid as they have with other cannabinoids.
Will THCP Get You High?
Tetrahydrocannabiphorol is a psychoactive cannabinoid, as you may have already assumed based on its name. We have been analyzing a lot of psychoactive cannabinoids as of late, such as delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8 THC), delta-10-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-10 THC), THC-O-Acetate (THC-O), and even hexahydrocannabinol (HHC). So, how does the psychoactive activity of THCP compare to the rest?
The researchers who first uncovered tetrahydrocannabiphorol looked at the cannabinoid more closely in its isolated form to understand how its psychoactive properties behave in the human body. What they discovered is that this compound binds to CB1 receptors in the brain about 30x more efficiently than delta-9 THC. Certain CB1 receptors in the brain are responsible for the psychoactive response that occurs when we consume specific intoxicating cannabinoids. What this implies is that THCP is far more psychoactive than delta 9 as a result.
What are the Potential Side-Effects of Taking THCP?
Tetrahydrocannabiphorol’s side-effects are still hidden to an extent. Being new to our industry, those exclusive short-term and long-term THCP side-effects have yet to be documented properly. So, it hasn’t been described to have any extraordinary side-effects at this time, and most do not usually have negative effects. However, since it’s similar to THC, we can assume that when side-effects occur, they correlated to include the following:
- Paranoia
- Anxiousness
- Self-consciousness
- Sleepiness
- Fatigue
- Alertness
- Dry mouth
- Red eyes
- Memory loss (temporary)
- Sickness
- Vomiting
Since tetrahydrocannabiphorol once again binds effectively to your CB1 receptors, its side-effects might be additionally noticeable. That is why care and consideration should be taken if (or when) you choose to consume any THCP product types/delivery methods.
The major keys are understanding your body and primarily, speaking with your doctor initially before taking it, especially if you’re on any sorts of prescription medications. Why? Because it could interfere with the CYP3A4 enzyme, which is responsible for metabolizing half of the meds we take.
How to Dose with THCP
This dosage chart applies to all THCP-based products, since it’s much stronger than most, if not all other cannabinoids, including Delta-9. Overall, tetrahydrocannabiphorol will definitely hit you hard if you take too much.
- Beginner THC-P Dosing (low tolerance): 1mg-2mg per use
- Intermediate THC-P Dosing (medium tolerance): 2mg-5mg per use
- Advanced THC-P Dosing (high tolerance): 5mg-10mg+ per use
Tip: Start slow and at a low dose in the beginning in order for your body to build up a tolerance to it. After a while (at minimum two weeks), you can then attempt to incrementally increase the dosage.
THCP Product Types
THCP is new enough to the market that it’s not widely available just yet. While there are certainly companies that offer THCP products, it’s just not as easy to find as more established cannabinoids we touched upon earlier. In the coming months ahead, you’ll find a much larger selection of THCP products available for purchase from your favorite hemp companies. But, in the meantime, there are THCP products that you can buy from very reputable brands.
Here are the types of THCP products that either exist currently or are likely to make an appearance very soon:
- Vape Cartridges: Easiest to find right now and are going to be the most popular choice as all “exotic” cannabinoids seem to be preferred in vape cart form by those who consume them. They come in a wide strain selection, consisting of tetrahydrocannabiphorol extract and strain-specific terpene profiles.
- Disposable Vape Pens: The maintenance-free alternative to vape cartridges. They also come in many strain options and have the convenience of never requiring charging or assembly.
- Tinctures: Available in various milligram strength options, should become available in the relatively near future, offering a sublingual method for absorbing the compound into the body.
- Edibles: We expect to see different edible products hit the scene soon, as many people enjoy consuming cannabinoids in this manner due to the long-lasting effects they offer paired with the body high they produce.
- Capsules: More people are finding that they prefer to take their cannabinoids in capsule form, so THCP capsules should be available at some point.
- Flower: Will also likely be a huge hit, taking the raw flower of the hemp plant and infusing it with THC-P extract.
- Dabs/Concentrated: Already available, offering a uniquely potent experience enjoyed with a dabbing device. Keep in mind that this delivery method is recommended for more experience cannabinoid users.