THCB: definition, discovery, study and legal status

We talked about it last week when we introduced you to THCH, here is another new discovery in the vast world of cannabinoids: tetrahydrocannabutol or THCB.

 

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Is it natural? What are its effects and potential benefits? How did researchers discover it? As usual, we tell you everything you need to know about this newcomer!

THCB: What is it?

Tetrahydrocannabinol is a naturally occurring secondary cannabinoid, like THCH, THCP, and CBDP . Like them, THCB was discovered in 2019 in Italy on the same strain: FM2.

 THCB was only found in trace amounts in the plant. It is present in infinitesimal quantities, well below 0.1%. This leads to two things: the classification of this compound among secondary cannabinoids, and the impossibility of extracting the compound directly from the plant for commercial production.

This last point therefore implies that THCB can be classified among semi-synthetic cannabinoids, because it exists in nature, but is necessarily the result of synthesis.

How is THCB created?

THCB is created in the laboratory through synthesis. It is the product of a chemical process called terpenation. This process involves a chemical reaction of a terpene with a chemical precursor. Simply put, the molecules present in the terpene combine with those of the reactant to produce tetrahydrocannabutol.

In short, and to simplify as much as possible, it's a bit like the addition of dihydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O) forming H2O by chemical reaction: water.

Difference between THCB and THC

To better understand the uniqueness of this new compound, it is necessary to compare it with a well-known compound: THC.

THCB has a butyl side chain, hence its name tetrahydrocannabutol, unlike THC which has a pentyl side chain. This means that the side chain of the molecule does not have the same number of carbon atoms. A picture is worth a thousand words, so here's how it manifests:

 

 

This Butyl chain differentiates THCB from THC, which implies different effects explained by a different impact on endocannabinoid receptors.

 

 

Potential medical applications of THC-B

Currently, as studies are still in their preliminary stage (1), the effects of THC-b have only been tested on mice. In these mice, THCB has shown the following properties:

• Anti-inflammatories,
• Analgesics (pain relievers)
• Anticonvulsants

However, as you might expect, these properties have yet to be demonstrated in humans. That being said, the observed similarities suggest that it functions in a manner quite similar to other molecules in its family, and its properties and potential medical applications therefore appear to be essentially the same.

Is THC-b legal?

This compound was legal for a while for the simple reason that it wasn't prohibited. The health authorities responsible for assessing the risks associated with its consumption have decided to ban the compound as of June 3, 2024.

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Sources:

1. Linciano P, Citti C, Luongo L, Belardo C, Maione S, Vandelli MA, Forni F, Gigli G, Laganà A, Montone CM, Cannazza G. Isolation of a High-Affinity Cannabinoid for the Human CB1 Receptor from a Medicinal Cannabis sativa Variety: Δ⁹-Tetrahydrocannabutol, the Butyl Homologue of Δ⁹-Tetrahydrocannabinol. J Nat Prod. 2020 Jan 24;83(1):88-98. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.9b00876. Epub 2019 Dec 31. PMID: 31891265.