Medical uses of THC

According to a study published recently in the British Journal of Pharmacology, a cannabis-derived THC compound could be used to treat Huntington's disease and other neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases.

Researchers have found that THCA, the acidic precursor of THC, reduces inflammation and serves as a neuroprotective agent in the analysis of cannabis compounds in animals. In a study, the compound improved motor function and prevented brain degeneration.

“I think we have something here that is very interesting,” Gaetano Morello, co-author of the study, told Leafly. Morello is a cannabis researcher and naturopathic physician at the Comprehensive Chronic Disease Program at B.C. Vancouver Women's Hospital and Health Center.

What is THCA?

THCA is a natural cannabinoid found in the raw and live marijuana plant. As the plant dries out, THCA is slowly converted to THC. Heat rapidly accelerates this conversion in a process known as decarboxylation, which is what happens when cannabis is burned.

Unlike THC, THCA does not have psychoactive properties, making it a promising medical ingredient for patients who want to treat a health condition without experiencing any psychoactivity, according to author Eduardo Muñoz from the University of Córdoba in Spain, in writing.

“When you take away that psychoactive effect and you have all these other positive effects,” said Morello Lifty, “you really have something very unique and very special.”

Similarity to CBD

In this sense, THCA may be similar to cannabidiol (CBD), another non-psycho-like cannabis compound that has been used medically to reduce inflammation and is being studied as a potential neuroprotector. The researchers found that THCA is released from CBD and cannabihyol (CBG), positively affecting the PPARγ receptor in the brain, which regulates lipid metabolism and glucose homeostasis. This led them to believe that THCA has a unique property, Munoz said.

The results of the study, the authors noted in their article, qualify THC “as a leading framework for the development of new drugs to treat (Huntington's) and possibly other neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases.

Real world applications

Co-author Morello is a principal scientist at Emerald Health Bioceuticals, a San Diego-based company developing a THCA-based drug to treat patients with pain and cognitive dysfunction such as brain fog and memory loss. The product could be ready within two years in Canada once clinical trials are completed. "Currently, I have a two-year waiting list," Morello said. “Many (patients) have been in treatment for 10 to 20 years without success... They have tried everything.”