Δ-8-Tetrahydrocannabinol

Δ-8-Tetrahydrocannabinol
Clinical data
Other names	Δ8-THC; Δ-8-THC; Δ8-THC; δ-8-THC; (−)-trans-Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol; (−)-trans-Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol
Drug class	Cannabinoid receptor agonists
ATC code	None;
Legal status
Legal status	US: Disputed;
Identifiers
	IUPAC name 6,6,9-trimethyl-3-pentyl-6a,7,10,10a-tetrahydrobenzo[c]chromen-1-ol;
CAS Number	5957-75-5 ;
PubChem CID	2977;
ChemSpider	553592;
UNII	B49D0HH807;
KEGG	C22741;
ChEMBL	ChEMBL46518;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID20878586 ;
ECHA InfoCard	100.165.076
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C21H30O2
Molar mass	314.469 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
	SMILES CCCCCC1=CC(=C2C3CC(=CCC3C(OC2=C1)(C)C)C)O;
	InChI InChI=1S/C21H30O2/c1-5-6-7-8-15-12-18(22)20-16-11-14(2)9-10-17(16)21(3,4)23-19(20)13-15/h9,12-13,16-17,22H,5-8,10-11H2,1-4H3; Key:HCAWPGARWVBULJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N;

Δ-8-Tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8-THC, Δ⁸-THC) is a psychoactive cannabinoid found in the Cannabis plant. It is an isomer of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-THC, Δ⁹-THC), the compound commonly known as THC, with which it co-occurs in hemp; natural quantities of ∆⁸-THC found in hemp are low. Psychoactive effects are similar to that of Δ⁹-THC, with central effects occurring by binding to cannabinoid receptors found in various regions of the brain.

Partial synthesis of ∆⁸-THC was published in 1941 by Roger Adams and colleagues at the University of Illinois. After the 2018 United States farm bill was signed, ∆⁸-THC products synthesized from industrial hemp by acid-catalyzed cyclization experienced a rise in popularity ; THC products have been sold in licensed recreational cannabis and medical cannabis industries within the United States in California, Pennsylvania, and medicinally licensed in Michigan and Oregon. According to a March 2024 study, 11% of US twelfth graders in the study had used ∆⁸-THC over the past 12 months.