How and when was THCP discovered?

THCP was first shown to the world on 30th December 2019 via an open-access Scientific Reports journal titled, “A novel phytocannabinoid isolated from Cannabis sativa L. with an in vivo cannabimimetic activity higher than Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol…”.

The title, alone, is enough to make even the most casual cannabis users’ ears prick up in curiosity.

What is this new cannabinoid? How was it discovered? What does this mean for the entire cannabis landscape as a whole?

THCP was discovered by accident

The study was conducted by a team of Italian researchers. They used advanced mass-spectrometry and liquid chromatography technology on a natural (not synthetic) cannabis sample (FM2) provided by the Military Chemical Institute in Florence, Italy.

The mass-spectrometry and liquid chromatography analysis allowed the researchers to analyze the plant matter precisely. During this process, THCP was found by chance. A total accident.

THCP is thirty times more effective than THC at binding with CB1 receptors

Once the shellshock of discovering a new cannabinoid subsided, the team recognized THCP as almost identical to THC…with a twist.

You see, naturally-occurring cannabinoid molecules have alkyl side chains. Alkyl side chains are strings of carbon atoms.

If you look at a chemical structure diagram of THC or CBD, the alkyl side chains look like the tails attached to an animal.