What Is Delta-9 THC?

Read Time: 6 minutes

As a CBD brand, we mention THC in our content pretty often, but did you know THC, also known as delta-9 THC, is the cannabinoid responsible for the euphoric high caused by cannabis and can be found in both hemp and marijuana? Like CBD, THC comes along with its own list of potential therapeutic properties and benefits. So, what is delta-9 THC? Read on for the full scoop.

THC: The basics

Delta-9 THC, better known in the scientific community as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, often goes simply by “THC.” In this article, we’ll be using these terms interchangeably, but when we say THC or delta-9 THC, we’re referring to the same thing.

Delta-9 THC is one of the most widely recognized and abundant cannabinoids found in hemp and marijuana. It was one of the first cannabinoids to be discovered and isolated in a lab and is best known for its euphoric effects and the high feeling it causes.

However, regular THC is more likely to come from marijuana plants. While hemp plants do contain some THC, they don’t have more than 0.3% THC by weight.

What Is Delta-9 THC?

Delta-9 THC is one of over 100 cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant and hemp plant, best known for causing people to feel intoxicated or high. Delta-9 was first discovered several decades ago, which subsequently led to the discovery of the endocannabinoid system (ECS).¹ The ECS is a network of receptors found throughout your central nervous system and other areas of your body designed to manage a few crucial background processes to help keep the body balanced.

The ECS is in charge of things like inflammation responses, immune system function, mood, sleeping and waking cycles, appetite, and mood. It helps to keep everything running smoothly, so we can feel our best.² The ECS is made up of two main receptors that send chemical signals in the form of endocannabinoids back and forth to tell our bodies what to do to stay leveled out.

One of these endocannabinoids is anandamide— also known as the bliss molecule.³ It’s a neurotransmitter that produces euphoric, joyful feelings during intense exercise. Believed that anandamide is partly responsible for the runner’s high you feel when you’re pushing your body to its limits, and your ECS steps in to level out your mood while you do so.⁴ THC is molecularly similar to anandamide and binds to the same CB1 receptor found throughout your central nervous system.

An influx of THC into your system may cause you to feel euphoric or blissful since it binds to the same receptors as anandamide. To take it a step further, anandamides bind to the CB1 receptor and may inhibit the release of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) enzymes, allowing making them more bioavailable within your body.⁵ Different types of THC may also release small amounts of dopamine that cause you to feel high.⁶

Both THC and CBD bind to the receptors found throughout the ECS and mimic naturally occurring endocannabinoids. They both work with the ECS to potentially help the body stay leveled out and may produce a number of potential therapeutic effects.

Potential Benefits of THC

While we’re not going to go too in-depth about the potential benefits of THC in this article, there are a few common effects you should be aware of. Just keep in mind that THC isn’t meant to be used to prevent, cure, or treat any illness. There is still a lot of research to be done to solidify the potential benefits of THC gummies and other related products, so always talk to your doctor before taking any supplements, including THC, CBD, or other cannabinoids.

Disclaimers aside, THC is best known for its intoxicating and psychoactive effect that causes you to feel high. These effects may alter your perceptions, including your relationship with pain or feelings of stress.⁷ Some evidence suggests that it may be helpful against:

minor aches + pains⁸
muscle spasms⁹
anxiety (in small doses)¹⁰
difficulty sleeping¹¹
lack of appetite¹²
nausea¹³
eye pressure¹⁴
PTSD¹⁵

Delta-9 THC vs. Delta-8 THC

While delta-9 THC can be found in many THC products at medical and recreational cannabis dispensaries, you may also find delta-8 THC on the same shelves.16 Many people who don’t live in a state with recreational marijuana or access to medical marijuana often opt for delta-8 THC instead of delta-9 THC since it’s derived from hemp.

Under the 2018 US Farm Bill, hemp products that contain no more than 0.3% THC are legal on a federal level. However, the verbiage of the legislature is a little vague, making it possible for some cannabinoids to be synthesized from other cannabinoids, like CBD, and sold as natural hemp products, like delta-8 THC.

Delta-8 is often considered ‘diet weed’ since it feels like delta-9 THC and offers the same potential effects but feels slightly less effective. It’s made by chemically altering CBD molecules and transforming them into delta-8 THC. Unlike delta-9, it has a chemical bond on its eighth carbon chain instead of its ninth. This minor difference makes it slightly more difficult for delta-8 THC to bind to the CB receptors in your ECS. It will still cause you to feel high and offers the same potential effects as THC, but it often feels half as potent as the delta-9 THC found naturally in hemp and cannabis.

All of that considered, delta-8 THC products are mostly synthetic. Delta-8 THC isn’t a naturally occurring cannabinoid, and many states have moved to ban it for its similarities to THC.

Delta-9 THC vs. CBD

Delta-9 THC and CBD are both cannabinoids found in cannabis and hemp, and they both interact with the ECS to promote a handful of different, potentially therapeutic effects. The main difference between the two is that CBD won’t cause you to feel high, and THC will. More or less, they both offer similar potential benefits and still need more research to determine their long-term safety and efficacy.

If you want to experience many of the benefits of cannabis without getting high, you might want to opt for CBD products like CBD gummies. On the other hand, if you want to experience some of the potential benefits of feeling high, you may enjoy low doses of THC.

To recap, THC…

will cause you to feel intoxicated or high
may alter your perceptions, which might make you feel euphoric, upbeat, and less pain
may make you feel more hungry or less nauseated
may cause side effects, like anxiety, paranoia, cottonmouth, or dry eyes¹⁶

…and CBD

won’t cause you to feel intoxicated or high
interacts with the ECS to trigger it into causing effects instead of causing effects on its own
may help the ECS with inflammatory responses, anti-convulsive effects, balancing appetite, and regulating sleeping and waking cycles
doesn’t alter your perceptions or mask pain
may soothe or relax you with virtually no side effects¹⁷

Learn more about the psychological effects of CBD.

Exploring Cannabinoids With Lazarus Naturals

Whether you’re exploring cannabinoids for their effects or potential benefits, you can count on Lazarus Naturals for sustainably sourced, lab-tested, and hemp-derived CBD and THC products that are made to work— made for all.

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