Glossary
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Definition
THC (TetraHydroCannabinol)
The main active compound in cannabis, responsible for most of its effects (especially euphoria).
THC is one of the 60 contained in the flowering heads and leaves of cannabis. It is the main compound in the plant and has the greatest effects on the body, acting on the brain and some other organs (testicles, intestine, bladder, etc.) to produce mental and physiological effects (thirst, red eyes, etc.).
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The psychoactive effects of cannabis result from the attachment of THC to a specific receptor type, CB1, mainly present in certain areas of the brain (cerebellum, cortex, hypothalamus, etc.). When THC stimulates these receptors, it disrupts perceptions, emotions, motricity and appetite. However, the psychoactive effects of THC are modified by the other in cannabis (e.g. cannabinol and cannabidiol). While the effects of THC are known to be euphoriant, the properties of cannabidiol are more relaxant. That is why some countries allow the prescription of cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical products to treat pain in certain serious diseases (multiple sclerosis, cancer, AIDS, etc.).
