Saskatchewan, Canada: The cannabis metabolite 11-hydroxy-THC (11-OH-THC) possesses psychoactive properties that are equal to or greater than those of THC, according to preclinical data published in The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.
Canadian investigators compared the activity of THC and 11-hydroxy-THC in mice. They reported that 11-hydroxy-THC “displayed equal or greater activity than the parent compound THC.”
The study’s authors concluded: “The THC metabolite 11-OH-THC likely plays a critical role in the bioactivity of cannabis. … These data provide critical insight … that will inform the interpretation of future cannabinoid research and represent a model for how THC consumption and metabolism may affect cannabis use in humans.”
11-hydroxy-THC is one of two primary metabolites formed following cannabis consumption. It is distinct from 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC, which is not psychoactive and may remain detectable in blood or urine for extended periods. Greater quantities of 11-hydroxy-THC are produced following oral cannabis ingestion than by smoking cannabis flower, which is among the reasons why cannabis-infused edible products are often associated with greater psychoactive effects as compared to herbal cannabis.
Full text of the study, “The intoxication equivalency of 11-hydroxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (11-OH-THC) relative to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol,” appears in The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. Additional information is available from NORML’s white paper, ‘Marijuana: A Primer.’
