Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid

Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid
Skeletal formula of tetrahydrocannabinolic acid
Ball-and-stick model of the tetrahydrocannabinolic molecule
Clinical data
Other names2-Carboxy-THC; THCA, 2-COOH-THC
ATC code
  • none
Identifiers
  • (6aR,10aR)-1-Hydroxy-6,6,9-trimethyl-3-pentyl-6a,7,8,10a-tetrahydro-6H-benzo[c]chromene-2-carboxylic acid
CAS Number
PubChem CID
ChemSpider
UNII
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.216.805 Edit this at Wikidata
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC22H30O4
Molar mass358.478 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
  • CCCCCC1=CC2=C([C@@H]3C=C(CC[C@H]3C(O2)(C)C)C)C(=C1C(=O)O)O

Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA, 2-COOH-THC; conjugate base tetrahydrocannabinolate) is a precursor of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), an active component of cannabis.[1]

THCA is found in variable quantities in fresh, undried cannabis, but is progressively decarboxylated to THC with drying, and especially under intense heating such as when cannabis is smoked or cooked into cannabis edibles.[1]

  1. ^ a b Moreno-Sanz G (2016). "Can You Pass the Acid Test? Critical Review and Novel Therapeutic Perspectives of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid A". Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. 1 (1): 124–130. doi:10.1089/can.2016.0008. PMC 5549534. PMID 28861488.