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UNDERSTANDING CANNABINOIDS

Kodiak

Mad Scientist
Veteran
Thanks for joining the discussion Sheriff Bart. Your posts made me dig deeper on the subject of THC synthesis and it looks like you were right. Seems like THC and CBD are not linked in the metabolic pathway but are actually produced independently of each other just like you said.

We based our earlier assumptions on outdated information, so I present this new diagram instead.

picture.php

The carboxyl group (-COOH) splits off from the acid compounds with age (curing) or when they are heated (smoked), turning them into the final products. THC later oxidizes into CBN, which is why we keep our buds in airtight jars.

Seems like the cannabinoids are so closely related that it is possible to turn CBD for example into Δ9-THC under laboratory conditions. This fact is however of little importance to us unless the same process actually takes place inside the plants naturally, which does not seem to be the case.​
 

Minilab

New member
wow, respect man, what an information!!!
my english ain't that good, but later on i'll try to contibute something to this topic.

picture.php



This last year i've worked with the cannalytics system.
Wit this glasplate-chromatografy method it's possible to seperate the different cannabinoids. (not all of them ,heheh)
i've exerimented and tested different kinds of skuff,icolator,aho-oil and cannabis samples, my main goals is to find out more about the (medical) use of canna products.

What you see on the picture is a report about a strain wich contains a lot of CBD.

And now', first; i'll read this topic and :smoke:

greetz Minilab
 

Minilab

New member
About the acids:
if you look to the glassheet, left below,
you see 5 lanes, vertical.
De spot below is the place were the extract is places.
So you see 5 lanes of different amounts of the same sample.
you see above the dot-spot are the acids.
The first 2 lanes on the left are heated, the other 3 not.

By heating it, about 150 degrees C., the acids are composed into the active cannbinoids, wich we consume.
In the first 2 lanes the active elements are more pronounced as you see.

greetz Minilab

ps. how is it possible that i can only see my own images ?
i couldn't find it with the search button.
 
Great write up, I learned a lot from it. One thing I noticed, you mention 'Newly formed and immature glands are opaque' and later say that immature glands are clear.
 

Stevius

Member
Great write up, I learned a lot from it. One thing I noticed, you mention 'Newly formed and immature glands are opaque' and later say that immature glands are clear.


Thanks for pointing out spindlywicket!
It was a spelling error, it happens very easily when typing such long texts. Anyway it has been fixed!

:wave:
 

Stevius

Member
Thanks to Sheriff Bart, it appears that those two different theories on THC synthesis presented before were not correct.

picture.php



So we are now presenting new theory which diagram was posted by Kodiak.
The new diagram and explanations are now included.

The guide is now updated!
 

Sheriff Bart

Deputy Spade
Veteran
ive got more papers to dig up and i am on spring break this week so if anyone has any papers they find online that they cant get full access to ask me and i will try and locate a copy (online or otherwise) to post or at least get the pertinent information from from the article
 

Kodiak

Mad Scientist
Veteran
Good stuff Bart, reading that paper gave me some new ideas.

They didn't provide any critical temps in the study but I have read that THCA decarboxylates most rapidly at 222°F (106°C), although it also converts into THC at a slower rate at lower temperatures. The cannabinoids in turn boil at temperatures ranging from 355-392°F (180-200°C), where THC is the last compound to evaporate.

These figures might be of interest to those who are cooking with cannabis.

I was also lead to believe that THCA is nowhere near as potent as THC and that most of the THC in the living plant is actually in the form of THCA, typically around 80-90% before decarboxylation.

The overall potency of the bud cannot increase once it has been harvested. The only thing that changes is the concentration of THCA vs. THC found in the bud at any given time. The THC content increases over time while the bud is cured, but so does the amount of CBN.

Slow curing does however bring out the scent and taste so what we are looking for seems to be a fine line.
 

hashit

Member
Excellent read!

Take's me back to Bio 2 when we were learning/studying about the nerve system. I find it very interesting that we have CB1 and CB2 receptors. Are there any more theories as to why we have these receptors?
 

Stevius

Member
As far as I understood, and I'm no biologist nor chemist, the sole purpose of these receptors is to bind cannabinoids.

So if you ask me, this fact should end all the discussions concerning whether or not cannabis should be legal.
 
C

ChynaRyder

the sole purpose of these receptors is to bind cannabinoids.

So if you ask me, this fact should end all the discussions concerning whether or not cannabis should be legal.

Indeed...We were made for cannabis usage, and it was made for us. to deny the usage is to deny one the ability to fully utilize the biological tools with which we have been blessed.
 
I read that THCV alters THC activity at the receptor, it said something about being less stoned. It is an antagonist and people usually conceive that as limiting agonist, seeing antagonist as the anti-drug drugs and agonist as the drug abusing drugs. Truth is antagonists alter agonist responses, THCV to me is like the non-sedative CBD. It promotes clarity to the response of THC, which I find CBD does as well with it's anti-psychotic effects as long as not to sedating which I find extremely rare.

Interesting to read that Pakistani strains have THC, I wouldn't have seen that in such an Indica. Now with Nepali strains, that doesn't surprise me but still something new.
 

Mr. Charlie

Member
Truth is antagonists alter agonist responses, THCV to me is like the non-sedative CBD. It promotes clarity to the response of THC, which I find CBD does as well with it's anti-psychotic effects as long as not to sedating which I find extremely rare.

This seems to make sense to my experience also. I think this is what happens in tinctures that result in more of a euphoric high than a stony high. The THCV balances the sedative properties of THC allowing a more upbeat vibe. This is my theory.... which is open to more input!
 

daves4usc

Member
...sooo if THC is in decline once the resin glands start to turn amber then why do so many people insist on taking thier crop only after a certain amount of amber can be seen. Just curious.

Also, thanks for taking the time to post all of this info!! Rep to you
 

Kodiak

Mad Scientist
Veteran
...sooo if THC is in decline once the resin glands start to turn amber then why do so many people insist on taking thier crop only after a certain amount of amber can be seen.

Mainly because that also means that most of the other trichomes are sure to be cloudy and not clear.
 
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