What is the Strongest Legal Cannabinoid?

For many people, the point of consuming cannabis is to get high. That said, there are dozens upon dozens of different cannabinoids out there, each with different levels of potency. It seems as though cannabis just keeps getting stronger as the years go on.

THC-P, THCA, Delta-9 THC, Delta-8 THC, HHC, and many more, but which of these is the strongest? Keep reading to find out!

Today, we identify the strongest legal cannabinoid, and see how it stacks up against other legal cannabinoids. Our objective today is to help you find the strongest cannabinoid, so you can experience a high like never before.

Key Takeaways

• There are well over 100 different cannabinoids found in cannabis.
• There are different types of cannabinoids, including those that occur in cannabis, as well as those found naturally in humans.
• There are cannabinoids, such as THC-P, which are far more psychoactive than Delta-9 THC. There are also non-psychoactive cannabinoids.

If what you are looking for is a massive selection of legal cannabinoid products, whether THC-P, HHC, Delta-8 THC, and so on, Botany Farms is the place to be. Not only is the selection huge, but the quality of the products is top notch, combined with affordable prices.

What are Cannabinoids?

Cannabinoids are natural substances in cannabis. They interact with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which spans the central and peripheral nervous systems.

Cannabinoids interact with the ECS to produce a wide variety of effects. These cannabis compounds can affect a variety of physiological and psychological processes, particularly related to inflammation and pain, memory, mood, appetite, sleep, and more.

The most common cannabinoids are THC, the cannabinoid that makes you high, and CBD, a  popular non-psychoactive cannabinoid lauded for its potential therapeutic benefits.

Types of Cannabinoids

There are actually three main types of cannabinoids, and surprisingly, not all of them are found in cannabis. Let’s explore.

Phytocannabinoids

The most common type are phytocannabinoids. Phytocannabinoids are found in cannabis and other plants that grow on this planet. Of course, cannabis is a prominent source of phytocannabinoids.

Interestingly, phytocannabinoids aren’t produced by the cannabis plant, but rather are activated by a series of events.

For instance, one of the major compounds in cannabis is THCA, the acidic precursor to THC. THCA must be decarboxylated (by heating), to convert it into THC, the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis.

Endocannabinoids (Endogenous Cannabinoids)

Although the word ‘cannabinoid’ is often associated with cannabis, there are other types of cannabinoids, such as endocannabinoids.

Endocannabinoids are produced in the human body, with the name being a shortened form of endogenous cannabinoids. So far, researchers have discovered anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglyerol (2-AG) as the major endocannabinoids.

The ECS is specifically designed to process cannabinoids. However, the human body creates its own cannabinoids, i.e., endocannabinoids. They’re designed to help the body regulate a variety of processes, including responding to stress and much more.

Synthetic Cannabinoids

Finally, we have synthetic cannabinoids. These do not occur in cannabis or the human body. Synthetic cannabinoids are created through chemical processes in laboratory settings. Depending on how they are produced, synthetic cannabinoids may be some of the most potent compounds around.

How Do Cannabinoids Work?

As mentioned above, when you consume a cannabinoid, it interacts with your body’s ECS.

The  ECS has two types of receptors: CB1 and CB2 receptors. The ECS regulates many processes and functions in the human body, including memory, pain, appetite, mood, and more.

When it comes to phytocannabinoids, such as THC, CBD, and others, these mimic natural cannabinoids in the human body. They also bind with CB receptors, ultimately altering the functioning of the ECS.

CB1 receptors are found mainly in the central nervous system, whereas CB2 receptors are found mainly in the immune system and various areas of the brain.

Generally, your body functions quite okay without external cannabinoids. However, supplementing your endocannabinoids with phytocannabinoids has been shown to supercharge the ECS, increasing its performance. Think of this as topping your fuel tank with V-Power!

What Makes a Cannabinoid Potent?

The potency of a cannabinoid is determined by how it binds with the endocannabinoid receptors in the human body. This is also known as binding affinity. The stronger the binding affinity of a cannabinoid, the more potent it is. For psychoactive cannabinoids, this translates to intense highs.

For instance, the activation of CB1 receptors in your brain is responsible for the high that you get from cannabis. For example, THC (Delta-9 THC) has a strong affinity for  CB1 receptors, hence the high.

However, there are non-psychoactive cannabinoids like CBD. CBD is thought to have a much lower affinity for the CB1 receptor, which explains why it does not make you high! But it makes up for this deficiency by having a high affinity for the CB2 receptors. These receptors are largely involved in pain and inflammation processes.

In sum, the binding strength of a cannabinoid determines its potency. However, the cannabinoid’s concentration also matters. The higher the concentration, the stronger the effects!

Which Cannabinoid is the most Potent?

Now that we know what cannabinoids are and what makes them potent, let’s take a look at the most potent ones out there.

THCA

THCA stands for tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, and it is the precursor to THC (Delta-9 THC). THCA is not the most potent cannabinoid. In fact, it is not even psychoactive!

In its natural form, THCA’s molecular structure is such that it cannot bind with some endocannabinoid receptors. For instance, THCA is non-psychoactive which means it doesn’t bind to the CB1 receptor.

However, when heated, THCA turns into THC. In fact, this is how Delta-9 THC forms. Therefore, if you were to consume raw cannabis that has not yet been processed in any way, you won’t get high! Raw cannabis contains THCA, not THC.

As soon as you decarboxylate THCA, which happens when you smoke or vape cannabis, it turns into Delta-9 THC, therefore making you high. And yes, Botany Farms has plenty of THCA products available, such as this Crystal Candy THCA flower.

However, based on this, some people would say that THCA is not potent at all, because it doesn’t make you feel high, although it has potential therapeutic benefits.

THC-P

By far one of the most potent cannabinoids known to mankind is THC-P. THC-P was discovered in 2019 in a special strain of cannabis. In fact, this discovery was totally accidental. However, once discovered, scientists could not ignore the potential of THC-P.

According to studies, THC-P may be up to 33 times as strong as regular Delta-9 THC, with Delta-9 THC often being considered the baseline in terms of potency. This extreme potency can lead to strong highs, characterized by intense euphoria, a strong cerebral high, a potent body high, and more.

You can expect similar effects as with Delta-9 THC, but to a much higher degree. As a result, THC-P is not recommended for beginners due to its high potency.

The reason why it is so potent is because it has an alkyl side chain that features two more carbon atoms than regular Delta-9 THC. This greatly increases its binding potential with cannabinoid receptors. Be careful however, because super potent cannabinoids can be dangerous if not handled properly.

Delta-9 THC

Next is Delta-9 THC, the regular type of THC found in cannabis plants. Notably, Delta-9 THC is created when THCA is decarboxylated.

This is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis, and it’s what makes people high.

Something worth noting is that the alkyl side train of Delta-9 THC has five carbon atoms (THC-P has seven), hence why Delta-9 THC has a lower binding potential compared to THC-P.

With that being said, Delta-9 THC is perfectly potent, and will most certainly result in a notable high, especially if a cannabis strain is THC-rich. If you’re looking for some Delta 9, these Nano Delta-9 Microdose Gummies might be right up your alley!

THC-O

Next on the list is THC-O, otherwise known as THC acetate. This is a synthetic form of THC that is usually made in laboratory settings.

Delta-9 THC contains a hydroxyl group, whereas THC-O contains an acetate group, although both have the same number of carbon atoms in their alkyl side chains. Due to this slight difference, THC-O has a higher binding strength for CB receptors thought to be roughly three to four times stronger than regular Delta-9 THC.

Technically speaking, this means it would only take a quarter as much THC-O to achieve the same high as with Delta-9 THC. Although it’s not the number one strongest cannabinoid in the world, caution is recommended, as it only takes a little to feel a notable high.

HHC

HHC (hexahydrocannabinol) is created by combining Delta-9 THC with hydrogen molecules, a process known as hydrogenation. The addition of extra hydrogen atoms to Delta-9 THC results in the loss of some double bonds in Delta-9 THC, resulting in a lower binding affinity.

HHC is roughly 80% as potent as Delta-9 THC, or about 4/5 as strong. This means that it would take slightly more HHC for you to feel the same high as with Delta-9 THC. HHC tends to produce a fairly mild high, specifically focused on the body, along with a relaxed mental state.

Delta-8 THC

We then have Delta-8 THC, which is closely related to Delta-9 THC, a cannabinoid that has become very popular in the USA. They both have 5 carbon atoms in their alkyl chains, although the defining difference is that the double bond is located on the eighth carbon atom in Delta 8 as opposed to the ninth carbon atom in Delta-9 THC.

This difference is thought to explain why Delta-8 THC is less potent than Delta-9 THC.

Current data indicates that Delta-8 THC has a much lower affinity for cannabinoid receptors, resulting in a less pronounced high. It is estimated that Delta-8 THC is roughly 30-60% as potent as Delta-9 THC.

Due to its limited potency, it is often considered ideal for beginners. It produces a fairly mild high that is more than ideal for people who don’t have much experience. If you’re a beginner looking for something mild, check out the awesome selection of Delta-8 products right here!

Delta-10 THC

The final cannabinoid worth mentioning here is Delta-10 THC. Delta-10 THC has one defining feature when compared to the other forms of THC. This is that the double bond is located on the tenth carbon atom, as opposed to the ninth carbon atom with Delta-9 THC, or the eighth carbon atom in Delta-8 THC.

Delta-10 THC doesn’t have the best affinity for cannabinoid receptors, and is thought to be about half as strong as Delta-8 THC, or about a quarter the strength of Delta-9 THC.

This means that Delta-10 THC is even better suited for beginners, due to its relatively low potency. We’d recommend trying something like this Delta-10 THC Vape Cart. Another cannabinoid we didn’t even mention here is Delta-7 THC, although it is also worth looking into!

Non-Psychoactive Cannabinoids

All the cannabinoids discussed above are psychoactive (except THCA), which means that they get you high. However, there are also non psychoactive cannabinoids in cannabis, so let’s take a look at some of the most common right now.

THCV

THCV, also known as tetrahydrocannabivarin, is another non-psychoactive compound in cannabis. One of the defining features of THCV is that its alkyl side chain consists of only three carbon atoms. This is thought to result in a lower affinity for cannabinoid receptors.

Although this cannabinoid may have potential therapeutic benefits, it has an extremely low binding affinity and is generally not known to produce a psychoactive high. Some users suggest that large quantities of this cannabinoid may cause a mild high, but that’s as far as it goes.

CBN

Another non-psychoactive cannabinoid is cannabinol or CBN. CBN has more double bonds, but fewer hydrogen atoms than Delta-9 THC. This might explain its low binding strength with cannabinoid receptors. CBN is mildly psychoactive, so you won’t get a notable high from it, although it may have potential benefits especially for sleep and pain.

CBD

CBD or cannabidiol, is the most abundant non-psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis (hemp). CBD is often praised for its potential therapeutic and medical benefits for improving mood, sleep, appetite, pain, and many more.

CBG

Finally, we have CBG or cannabigerol. Interestingly, it may actually reverse or counteract some of the psychoactive effects of other cannabinoids. This one is non-psychoactive and one of the least potent cannabinoids in cannabis.

In other words, if you consume a psychoactive cannabinoid, and then consume CBG, it might actually bring your high down.

Just like with other non-psychoactive cannabinoids, CBG is not potent when compared to the psychoactive cannabinoids, although it does have a variety of potential therapeutic benefits.

Strongest Cannabinoids – Frequently Asked Questions

Let’s answer some of your most frequently asked questions about the strongest cannabinoids in the world.

Is THC-P Stronger than Delta-9?

Yes, THC-P is around 33 times as potent as Delta-9 THC.

Is THC-P Stronger than THC-JD?

Yes, THC-P is stronger than THC-JD.

Is Delta-9 Stronger than THCA?

THCA is non psychoactive, and is converted to Delta-9 THC through decarboxylation. Therefore, Delta-9 THC is stronger than THCA .

Where to Buy Potent Cannabinoids Products Safely Online

If you are looking to buy potent and legal cannabis products online, then Botany Farms is the place to go. Botany Farms has one of the largest selections of cannabinoids, including the ones we’ve talked about here, and more.

All Botany Farms products have been tested to ensure optimal safety and quality, while also ensuring that they are perfectly legal to consume. Between the vapes, edibles, and  raw flower, Botany Farms has a massive selection of cannabinoid products to choose from.

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