THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the primary psychoactive compound found in cannabis. It is a compound that occurs naturally in the cannabis plant. Thus, THC in vapes is only of natural origin.
It is vital to understand that adding THC to vapes is prohibited, as it is a controlled substance under the Drug Misuse Act. So, the only THC that can be in vapes is that which cannot be removed from the full spectrum cannabis extract.
Legally produced vapes are never meant to experience a high. They contain small amounts of THC. Even at these small amounts, it can influence the endocannabinoid system in the body. It can also contribute to the entourage effect. However, it cannot cause a high or addiction. So, all legal and high-quality THC vape pens only contain THC of natural origin.
There Are Different Kinds of THC
It is also worth understanding that there are many sub-types of tetrahydrocannabinol. Thus, there are Delta-9 THC, Delta-8 THC, THC-O Acetate, THC Distillate, THC Isolate. However, high-quality THC vape pens mainly contain Delta-9 THC in dosages below 1 mg per vape pen or cartilage.
When it comes to Delta-8 THC, it is a bit different with different properties. Since it resembles THC, it is also illegal in the UK. However, it is also a natural compound and may be present in very minute amounts in a vape pen. It is vital to remember that UK law says that legal vape pens or containers should not contain more than 1 mg of THC or compounds that might decay to THC and have a similar kind of activity. So, 1 mg is the limit for total THC and THC-like compounds (1).
THC-O Acetate is a synthetic form of THC, and it is illegal to add it to vape pens. THC distillate and isolate are purified forms of THC. Again, adding those purified forms to the vape pen is prohibited by law. So, legal THC vape pens only contain what was naturally present in the full spectrum cannabis extract. This explains why THC vapes are so safe and have added health benefits.
Of course, legally produced vape pens may contain some other compounds that might be very close to THC, like THCV, but again, those compounds are in tiny amounts. Additionally, not all compounds that resemble THC have similar properties or decay to THC. So, legal vapes have to undergo stringent testing to ensure that they meet the nation’s legal standards.
To sum up, vapes produced and sold legally in the UK mainly contain Delta-9 THC, which is often referred to simply as THC. Such vapes only contain THC of natural origins. Thus, they do not contain synthetic THC. Further, producers do not add any THC to the vapes. THC that is present in the vape pens occurs naturally in the full spectrum cannabis extract.
High-quality vape producers try to make products that contain natural cannabis extract. They do not add other kinds of synthetic substances with mind-altering properties. So, always buy products from trusted brands and online platforms.
References
- The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 [Internet]. King’s Printer of Acts of Parliament; [cited 2024 Jul 16]. Available from: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/3998/regulation/2/made