You’ve probably heard of Tetrahydrocannabinol, the famous THC. The substance is responsible for marijuana’s psychoactive effects, and it’s the first cannabinoid that comes to mind when thinking about adult cannabis use. With the growth and development of the cannabis market, new technologies are being used to isolate the active and even develop strains with high concentrations of it. A perfect example is Kurvana’s purple punch strain. But is this necessarily a good thing for the end consumer?
When we talk about this subject, we need to take it easy and analyze several aspects. For example, the more THC there is in a sample, the less of it is needed to get high — that is, to achieve the desired effects. However, use without proper care can be problematic for different reasons!
In this article, we will help you understand if more THC is better.
What is THC, and how does it work?
Tetrahydrocannabinol, delta-9 THC, or just THC, is the main intoxicating psychoactive component present in cannabis.
It acts on our endocannabinoid system and is a partial agonist of the CB1 and CB2 receptors, present in the central nervous system and immune cells, respectively. THC triggers CB1 receptors in various brain structures, causing the psychoactive effect. In addition, THC stimulates the brain’s release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that causes feelings of euphoria.
But that’s not all it does: as you may know, marijuana has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. However, scientific research into its use to alleviate and treat ailments is still relatively recent. And while it’s still widely demonized for its high-stimulating properties, THC (alone or in combination with other cannabinoids) can play a crucial role in treating conditions like:
- Inflammation;
- depression;
- Multiple sclerosis and muscle spasticity;
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS);
- Migraines;
- Glaucoma;
- nausea;
- Acute or chronic pain;
- Little appetite;
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD);
- Insomnia;
- Seizures;
Small doses of THC already have medicinal benefits, and you don’t need a pump of the substance to feel its effects! As with any medicine or medication, its secret lies in the dosage – which must be well balanced.
How much THC is too much THC?
In the cannabis flower, the THC percentage can range from less than 1% to more than 30% in some cases. In the case of hashish and cannabis concentrates, this level can increase exponentially, reaching between 40 and 80%.
A good rule of thumb when judging THC content is to keep the following in mind:
- Low: <10%;
- Medium: 10% to 20%;
- High: 20% to 30%;
- Very high: more than 30%.
In the legal market (and even in the irregular market), products with high or very high levels of THC ended up becoming fashionable.
But more THC means getting high, right?
Not really!
A THC percentage does not equate to a stronger iron. And this is a very common question – after all, it seems logical that, since THC is responsible for making you feel “high”, a greater amount can potentiate this effect.
Cannabis is not that easy. While you may crave high-THC products, a higher THC percentage doesn’t make a difference in how high or high you’ll get.
What matters more than the percentage of THC is the full spectrum of compounds found in the cannabis product — in particular other cannabinoids and terpenes. Other phytocannabinoids include cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerol (CBG), and cannabinol (CBN), to name a few. The most common terpenes include myrcene, beta-caryophyllene, and limonene.
There are around 500 known substances in the plant, and each of them can influence the overall consumption experience associated with a particular cannabis product, in what is known as the Entourage Effect.