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Δ9-THC (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol)

From the cannabis plant.

From the cannabis plant. The 3D structure of the molecule, how it was discovered, and how it relates to the cannabinoid receptors; at three levels for Everyone, Students and Experts, with sources.

MoleculePubChem 16078Last updated:

What's on this page?

Interactive 3D · real anatomy and real data

Where in your body are the cannabinoid receptors?

About 1.4 MB to download.

Level
Reproductive organs

Regions

How to read it Choose a region, or tap a glowing point on the map.

  • Solid light is the CB1 receptor, a ring is CB2. Each region has its own color; the color only tells regions apart.
  • The strength of the light is the receptor gene level measured in human tissue (Human Protein Atlas). That is why the liver’s point is dim: a healthy liver has few receptors.
  • With the layer selector above you can also see other receptors, the enzymes that make and break down endocannabinoids, and the liver enzymes that break down CBD and THC.
  • Every piece of information shows its source and the type of evidence (human, animal, cell). You can change the reading level above.
  • Drag to rotate. Use the + and − buttons to zoom; on a computer, Ctrl or ⌘ with the scroll wheel, on a phone, two fingers.

C21H30O2 · 314.5 g/mol · PubChem 16078

THC is the main mind-altering (psychoactive) component of cannabis. Its chemical structure was described in Israel in a 1964 paper published by Yehiel Gaoni and Raphael Mechoulam. It switches on the body's CB1 and CB2 receptors, but only partly, not at full strength. Pertwee 2008ReviewGaoni and Mechoulam 1964Chemistry labMechoulam 2014ReviewLu and Mackie 2016ReviewMcPartland 2007ReviewFelder 1995Cell / labPubChemComputer model

Student level

THC and CBD have the same formula (C₂₁H₃₀O₂): the same atoms arranged differently, which makes them isomers. In THC the third, oxygen-containing ring is closed; in CBD it is open. THC is a partial agonist at CB1 and CB2; the response it produces varies with the number of receptors in the tissue, the receptor's signaling efficiency and the endocannabinoid release at that moment. Like anandamide, it is described as a low-efficacy agonist. Pertwee 2008ReviewGaoni and Mechoulam 1964Chemistry labMechoulam 2014ReviewLu and Mackie 2016ReviewMcPartland 2007ReviewFelder 1995Cell / labPubChemComputer model

Expert level: method notes and numbers

THC and CBD have the same formula (C₂₁H₃₀O₂): the same atoms arranged differently, which makes them isomers. In THC the third, oxygen-containing ring is closed; in CBD it is open. THC is a partial agonist at CB1 and CB2; the response it produces varies with the number of receptors in the tissue, the receptor's signaling efficiency and the endocannabinoid release at that moment. Like anandamide, it is described as a low-efficacy agonist. Pertwee 2008ReviewGaoni and Mechoulam 1964Chemistry labMechoulam 2014ReviewLu and Mackie 2016ReviewMcPartland 2007ReviewFelder 1995Cell / labPubChemComputer modelMcPartland 2007 (meta-analysis of 211 studies): mean Ki 25.1 nM at human CB1 and 35.2 nM at human CB2; no significant difference between the two human receptors, but a difference between human and rat CB1 (25.1 and 42.6 nM). Felder 1995: at cloned human receptors, THC was equally potent at CB1 and CB2. Gaoni and Mechoulam 1964 has no PubMed record or abstract; the citation was verified by DOI. Mechoulam 2014: the isolation and structure elucidation of the main plant cannabinoids took place in the 1960s and 1970s.

The 3D shape on the map is the structure computed by PubChem (not measured). PubChemComputer modelKim 2013Computer model

Identifiers and citation

IUPAC name
(6aR,10aR)-6,6,9-trimethyl-3-pentyl-6a,7,8,10a-tetrahydrobenzo[c]chromen-1-ol
InChIKey
CYQFCXCEBYINGO-IAGOWNOFSA-N
Formula and weight
C21H30O2 · 314.5 g/mol

How to cite: cbd.school editorial team. Δ9-THC (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol). Endocannabinoid system 3D map, cbd.school. Last updated October 24, 2026. https://cbd.school/learn/endocannabinoid-system-map/molekuller/thc/

Molecule identifiers from the PubChem (NCBI) record; 3D shape is the conformer computed by PubChem. The map, text and downloaded images are CC BY-SA 4.0. An independent expert review has not been done yet. All licenses

Other pages of the map

Overview: what the endocannabinoid system is, the feedback brake at the synapse, CBD's targets, lesson mode, data and licenses.

Sources

Show 8 references
  1. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound database: anandamide (CID 5281969), 2-AG (CID 5282280), Δ9-THC (CID 16078), cannabidiol (CID 644019), cannabinol (CID 2543). Formula, molecular weight, IUPAC name and InChIKey are values computed by PubChem. A 3D conformer exists only for THC, CBD and CBN; it is not experimental but a model computed by PubChem. PubChem does not generate conformers for anandamide and 2-AG, which have more than 15 rotatable bonds. Accessed October 24, 2026. Source Computer model
  2. Kim S, Bolton EE, Bryant SH. PubChem3D: conformer ensemble accuracy. J Cheminform. 2013;5(1):1. PMID 23289532 · doi:10.1186/1758-2946-5-1 Computer model
  3. Pertwee RG. The diverse CB1 and CB2 receptor pharmacology of three plant cannabinoids: delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol and delta9-tetrahydrocannabivarin. Br J Pharmacol. 2008;153(2):199-215. PMID 17828291 · doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707442 Review
  4. Gaoni Y, Mechoulam R. Isolation, structure, and partial synthesis of an active constituent of hashish. J Am Chem Soc. 1964;86(8):1646-7. · doi:10.1021/ja01062a046 Chemistry lab
  5. Mechoulam R, Hanuš LO, Pertwee R, Howlett AC. Early phytocannabinoid chemistry to endocannabinoids and beyond. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2014;15(11):757-64. PMID 25315390 · doi:10.1038/nrn3811 Review
  6. Lu HC, Mackie K. An Introduction to the Endogenous Cannabinoid System. Biol Psychiatry. 2016;79(7):516-25. PMID 26698193 · doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.07.028 Review
  7. McPartland JM, Glass M, Pertwee RG. Meta-analysis of cannabinoid ligand binding affinity and receptor distribution: interspecies differences. Br J Pharmacol. 2007;152(5):583-93. PMID 17641667 · doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707399 Review
  8. Felder CC, Joyce KE, Briley EM et al. Comparison of the pharmacology and signal transduction of the human cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors. Mol Pharmacol. 1995;48(3):443-50. PMID 7565624 Cell / lab