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What Is THCJD?

Published November 08, 2022
What Is THCJD? - Secret Nature

THCJD is a cannabinoid so mysterious that it still hasn’t ever been officially discovered by cannabis researchers. Even the very existence of THCJD is a matter on which we simply must accept the word of manufacturers, who claim this cannabinoid was discovered alongside THCH in 2020 and offers anywhere up to 20 times the potency of THC.

What is THCJD, what does this cannabinoid do, and can you buy it online? Find the answers in this guide.

What is the cannabinoid THCJD?

The full name of THCJD is apparently “tetrahydrocannabioctyl” even though neither this term nor its acronym appear in any scientific literature. Producers of this rare cannabinoid claim that it is an “octyl cannabinoid,” meaning its side chain contains eight carbon atoms.

It’s this unique structure that enthusiasts link to THCJD’s increased effects compared to normal THC. Since no research has been conducted into THCJD as of yet, however, it’s hard to speculate about any relevant factors ranging from its potency to its safety.

How is THCJD made?

According to internet lore, THCJD is inherently a natural cannabinoid. Like so many natural cannabinoids that inconveniently aren’t available in marketable quantities in cannabis, though, THCJD must be converted from another cannabinoid. That’s all assuming THCJD even exists, though.

When was THCJD discovered?

According to various sources on the internet, THCJD was discovered in the course of the 2020 Italian study that led to the discovery of THCH. Nowhere in this study — or in any published research, for that matter — do we find any mention of “THCJD” or “tetrahydrocannabioctyl,” however.

Any readers who are aware of research into THCJD are encouraged to pass it along. At present, however, it’s unclear if THCJD actually naturally occurs in cannabis at all. It’s possible that THCJD is simply a substance that appeared by accident during the tinkering with cannabinoids that’s necessary to create delta 8, delta 10, and other commonly synthesized cannabis compounds.

What does THCJD do?

Proponents of this alternative form of THC claim that THCJD offers the same sort of effects as conventional THC but with “19 times the potency.” Without any scientific research to back up such claims, we’re not sure where these numbers came from.

There’s a considerable online following surrounding the mysterious cannabinoid THCJD, though — it even has its own Subreddit. Some of the learned Redditors who have assessed this cannabinoid, though, have come to similar conclusions as those you’ve read above.

One poster, for instance, who goes by the handle “u/ezemia” published a post in August of 2022 criticizing proponents of THCJD, claiming that instead of being a unique compound, THCJD is actually the same thing as THC-octyl or JWH-138. Users go on to debate whether any cannabinoid can actually be a “full CB1 agonist,” as is often claimed in connection with THCJD.

Tl;dr: According to Reddit, THCJD doesn’t do anything because it doesn’t exist.

How is THCJD different from THC?

If the marketing hype is to be believed, THCJD is what’s known as an “eight-carbon” THC variant, indicating that it has eight carbon atoms in its alkyl chain, which would lead to the highest-potency cannabinoid ever produced if true. For context, scientists believe that part of the reason THCP is so potent is due to the two extra carbon atoms in its tail.

Normal THC only has a five-carbon tail, which seems to limit its affinity for your brain’s intoxicating CB1 receptors. Since THCP apparently offers something in the range of 33 times the potency of normal THC, the addition of another carbon atom over THCP’s seven would theoretically make THCJD even more potent than THCP. Why, then, is THCJD marketed as only 19 times more potent than THC?

Is THCJD better than THC?

No, there’s no indication that THCJD is any better than THC — especially since it may not even exist. Any THCJD products currently available on the internet are very likely to be fraudulent, which will certainly lead to a disappointing experience and could even expose you to serious danger.

Those cannabinoid products that are furthest to the fringe of the market pose the most danger. As the fringiest of fringe cannabinoids, THCJD is deserving of an ample dose of caution.

Is THCJD synthetic?

Yes, you can assume any THCJD products you find on the internet are fully synthetic. There’s no clear indication that THCJD even naturally occurs in cannabis — and for that matter, there’s no clear indication that THCJD can even be made synthetically, either. So, more than just assuming they’re synthetic, you might also want to assume any THCJD products you come across are also fake.

Is THCJD safe?

Out of all the cannabinoids you can currently buy online, THCJD is likely the most unsafe. With all other cannabinoids we’re aware of, there are at least a handful of scientific studies to fall back on that at least prove their existence. 

While creating something along the lines of what THCJD is described as is theoretically possible, available information on this cannabinoid is conflictory and confusing. For now, simply avoid THCJD.

Is THCJD legal?

Since it might not even be a cannabinoid at all, the substance known as THCJD is in a unique legal space as a compound. The federal government has signaled over the last few years that it is unlikely to expand its definition of “marijuana” beyond delta 9 THC ever again, so both isomers (compounds with the same atoms but different structures) and metabolites (versions of compounds that occur due to digestion) of THC are considered to be safe — for now.

THCJD would first need to be demonstrated to either naturally occur in cannabis or derive from another cannabinoid to be considered to have anything to do with THC, marijuana, or hemp. For now, it’s best to consider THCJD to be in its own fringe category of probably fraudulent cannabinoids.

Can you buy THCJD online?

Yes, unfortunately, it’s possible to buy products marketed as “THCJD” online. A variety of small and unscrupulous brands with practically zero transparency have recently started virulently marketing THCJD products via social media, resulting in an uneducated rush to buy this wild-card cannabinoid.

Even though you can, you probably shouldn’t buy THCJD online. There’s no indication that the product you’re buying even has anything to do with cannabis.

What types of THCJD products are there?

So far, we’ve only seen THCJD vape carts and disposable vapes offered online. THCJD product offerings will only expand if this cannabinoid gains a degree of legitimacy it currently sorely lacks.

The bottom line: Should I try THCJD?

Is THCJD currently something you should try? The answer is definitively “no.” With THCP and other “boosted” forms of THC already available, what’s the point of THCJD in the first place?

Beyond its inherent lack of relevance, there’s reason to doubt the very existence of a cannabinoid called “THCJD.” We call on the scientific community to investigate this “octyl THC” to determine once and for all if THCJD is truly genuine.

THCJD FAQ

Make sure you aren’t fooled by THCJD by reading the FAQ section below:

1. How potent is THCJD?

THCJD is commonly marketed as being “19 times” more potent than THC, but there are no sources to back up this claim, just as there are no sources to even back up the very existence of THCJD. We suggest that you avoid trying THCJD as a misguided attempt to judge its potency for yourself — the safety of this pseudo-cannabinoid has not been established.

2. Is THCJD natural?

No, despite claims that it was discovered alongside THCH in 2020, there is no indication that THCJD is a natural cannabinoid. In fact, the substance known as “THCJD” is most likely the synthetic cannabinoid known as JWH-138, one of many synthetic cannabinoids developed by the John W. Huffman group over the last few decades. 

3. Is THCJD stronger than THCP?

No, even the marketing geniuses behind the fraud that is THCJD don’t claim that this cannabinoid is stronger than THCP, the strongest-ever cannabinoid discovered to date. The most potent THCJD is ever claimed to be is 19x the potency of THC.

4. Can you buy THCJD distillate online?

While there are plenty of THCJD vapes available online, we aren’t aware of any products marketed as “THCJD distillate.” Since these products would most likely be fraudulent anyway, it’s most likely a blessing in disguise.

5. Is THCJD the same as THCB?

No, THCJD is nowhere near the same thing as THCB, also known as tetrahydrocannabutol. Unlike THCJD, THCB genuinely was discovered by the same research group responsible for the discovery of THC. These two natural cannabinoids are dissimilar, though, since THCB appears to offer the same potency as THC while THCP is much more potent than both.

6. What’s the buzz about THCJD on Reddit?

The Reddit hive mind has developed a distinctly unfavorable view of the substance known as THCJD. Led mainly by a user named u/ezemia, various Redditors have chimed in with their reactions to questions regarding THCJD posted on the popular r/altcannabinoids Subreddit. Individuals who have looked into this subject seem to be in agreement that THCJD is a harmless scam at best and seriously dangerous at worst.

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