Adventures with THCJD: How much do we know about its production, structure and effects?

Adventures with THCJD
Adventures with THCJD

 

 

Known unknowns of THCJD

THCJD (tetrahydrocannabidiol) is a cannabinoid identified in the 1940s by Roger Adams and named THC-Octyl, THC-C8. In the cannabis jungle, you will nowadays come across the designation THCJD and the claim that it is a brand new cannabinoid. How did this come about? Is it due to information isolation in the wild? A complex and difficult to penetrate ecosystem? Ignorance? Forest gnomes? Only a select few probably know the answer to this question, and so there is no choice but to accept it or to continue searching on our own.

THCJD production: natural origin?

Before you head out into the jungle to hunt down THCJD, be warned. Although this cannabinoid is supposedly found in small amounts in the cannabis plant, detecting it is as difficult as finding an ant lost in the rainforest. The efforts made may not lead to a satisfactory result, and therefore other methods than direct extraction from the cannabis plant are chosen to meet the needs of the market and the production of THCJD products. THCJD is produced from more readily available precursors such as CBD.

How complex is the path from CBD to THCJD? First, the cannabis plants must be grown and harvested. From the harvested plants, a team of scientists then extracts the CBD isolate, the purest possible form of cannabidiol, in the laboratory. Catalysts are then brought into the process to rearrange the molecules to produce THCJD. Although nature was the starting point, the laboratory treatment follows, making the THCJD produced in this way a semi-synthetic cannabinoid.

 

THCJD and its research in the laboratory

THCJD vs. THC

The designation THCJD leads us to the more familiar psychoactive cannabinoid THC. You must be wondering what these two cannabinoids have in common and how they differ from each other. THCJD is a homologue of THC, which means that both compounds have similar chemical structures and properties.

The main difference lies in the length of the alkyl side-chain. Delta-9-THC has a side chain consisting of five carbon atoms, THCJD of eight. This small difference in structure can mean a big difference in potency or effects. The longer the liana, the higher and further it will carry the intrepid adventurer. And the longer the chain, the more potent the cannabinoid can be.

What are the effects of THCJD?

The main thing you must be wondering, and why you've embarked on a THCJD expedition, is undoubtedly the effects. How does this cannabinoid affect the body and mind? We'll probably disappoint you a little, but we know about as much about the effects as we do about the rare white jaguars that hide in the dense rainforest vegetation. The main reason for this is that no scientific studies have yet been published on THCJD. However, since we are not completely new to the cannabinoid jungle, we do know something.

For starters, let's recall that the effects of cannabinoids are based on interactions with CB1 and CB2 receptors in the endocannabinoid system. CB1 receptors are abundant in the brain (in the central nervous system), especially in those areas responsible for regulating mood, memory, pain perception and appetite, among other things.

And it is the activation of the CB1 receptor that can cause the 'high' that is so typical of THC, for example. Because THCJD has an extended chain, it is thought to be even more active at the CB1 receptors, and thus the psychoactive effects may be many times stronger.

Risks of THCJD

THCJD appears to have the potential to induce feelings of relaxation or euphoria, but there is also a risk of side effects typical of psychoactive cannabinoids, for example:

  • dry mouth
  • red eyes
  • headache
  • impaired coordination
  • increased heart rate
  • memory problems
  • anxiety
  • paranoia

Even if you're following the same path as other adventurers, remember that cannabinoids affect everyone a little differently depending on the specific product, dose, method of consumption, as well as your age, weight, sensitivity to the substance or metabolism.

So while one explorer may experience a state of deep relaxation, pleasurable excitement or bliss in the jungle, another will get lost on the trail, plagued by unquenchable thirst and paralysed by the fear of being chased by a herd of hungry wild beasts.

 

What are the risks of THCJD - increased heart rate

Final recommendations for all adventurers

Several THCJD products are now available here and abroad in various concentrations and flavours, and more are likely to follow soon. In e-shops you can find THCJD vape foams, cartridges, gummies, tinctures, hash, pre-rolls and flowers with THCJD distillate.

Although we already know quite a bit about the cannabis plant, there can be plenty of pitfalls lurking in the jungle of new compounds. Some products containing semi-synthetic cannabinoids may be contaminated with heavy metals, solvents and other undesirable substances.

We don't know much about the cannabinoid THCJD because scientific groups are only at the beginning of their research. How to deal with it? If you don't have any experience in this area yet, prefer the more familiar cannabinoids such as CBD, CBN or CBG.

When you encounter an unfamiliar animal on your expedition, you also have to be cautious when getting to know it, and sometimes you'll find it's better to avoid it altogether. Even when trying unfamiliar substances, you should be careful and always keep your health and safety in mind. Choose reliable vendors and start with a low dose if you want to try THCJD and other little-studied cannabinoids.

Before embarking on your own THCJD journey, remember that any expedition into the unknown requires caution and respect for the forces of nature you will encounter.

 

Original text: Michaela Mádlová, translation by AI


 

Photo: Shutterstock

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