THC Pills Review: Are They Safe to Use?

THC, or scientifically known as Tetrahydrocannabinol, is the substance in the cannabis plant that contains psychoactive cannabinoid and is responsible for the euphoric “high” feeling you get while smoking pot. People, in search for more powerful cannabis potency, are constantly looking for ways to increase the THC levels in the plants they are growing, because higher potency is what sells better on the market these days. However, strains of cannabis can contain somewhere from 15%  to 28%  THC and some people don’t find this enough, which is when the production of THC pills comes in handy. Especially with their content of up to 90% active THC. That sounds promising, right? But before you start googling where to buy THC pills, let me tell you more about what they are, how they are made, and the effects of the pills on you from the first moment you take them.

What is THC in the first place?

The tetrahydrocannabinol in the THC pills is the naturally-occurring chemical in cannabis that needs heat to activate and work on your euphoric state of mind. When it exists in the raw cannabis plant it is known as a non-psychoactive substance called THCA and it will not get you high until you heat it up first. The reason is that this THCA needs decarboxylation in order to add CO2 and turn it into an active THC that you find in your THC pills. Pro tip, when preparing ganja edibles or THC pills, make sure to do it through the hot-oven route because that is the surest way to activate your THCA. Any other way has proven to destroy your cannabis used in the process.

What are the THC pills?

Yellow capsules via Pexels.

Now that you know a bit more about the isolated THC, let’s talk THC pills in-depth. Namely, they are made by extracting the natural cannabinoids and mixing them with a good fatty oil and storing it all in gelatin capsules. Sounds pretty simple, right? Well, don’t let that fool you because if you’re new in the world of THC pills, there is a lot of confusion going on because these pills are often (and unfortunately) confused for Marinol and Dronabinol which are just synthetic versions of the THC pills. With these two being the legal versions of THC pills, choosing the right (natural) THC pills can be a bit stressful because not a lot of people know the difference. However, worry no more! Here I’ll clarify all that dilemmas and questions you have going on regarding these pills and tell you how different their effects from smoking weed are. Because knowing the good and the side effects as well as how to take them is crucial for optimal results. So, read on!

How do THC pills work?

With them being 90% pure THC in content, these pills can sure knock off even the most experienced stoner as taking them in capsules ensures the fastest absorption into the body instead of being released in the lungs and then absorbed into your bloodstream from there. So, they are excellent for quickly and effectively addressing any physical discomfort that the patient is feeling due to certain illness. Plus you don’t get that annoying red-eye effect from them. However, there are also side effects when too many THC pills are taken such as fast heart rate, anxiety, discomfort in the chest, shortness of breath, and dizziness. The quick effectiveness isn’t the only thing these pills are preferred for though. Another medicinal reason that makes people take THC pills is the lack of byproducts or carcinogens that arise when THC is lighted up when smoking marijuana. Namely, it has been discovered that when THC and the other natural chemicals in cannabis are exposed to fire (during the smoking) they release a plethora of other chemicals and byproducts that aren’t necessarily good for your health.

Beyond Recreational Use

As we have mentioned before, THC pills contain about 90% active THC which is why they host plenty of health-related effects. For instance, in 2013 there was a study on THC conducted that proved that vaporized THC was able to eliminate neuropathic pain while having minimal adverse effects that were generally well-tolerated by patients afterward and were gone in a short amount of time. Furthermore, for people with acute nausea, it has been discovered that THC combined with CBDA is an excellent cure, in a 2015 study. And the most promising study was done recently this year that proved that whole plant extracts of THC as well the isolated form of it are able to significantly reduce tumor growth. So much, that it made scientists organize a whole bunch of studies that should take place in the next year to further investigate these magnificent results. Furthermore, other experiences and studies done across the globe continue to put THC into the spot for treating brain injury, insomnia, PTSD treatment, appetite stimulant, a good muscle relaxant, a stress reliever, and so on.

It is worth noting though, that despite the favorable effects of THC pills being constantly proven by different studies, there are differences between isolated THC and the THC that is smoked from the whole marijuana plant.

THC vs. the whole plant

Weed blunt via Unsplash.

The reason why it is so popular from all the other chemical in cannabis is that the THC is the most extensively researched cannabinoid. However, there are benefits that need to be attributed to other (approx. 100) cannabinoids, all contained in the natural plant with their unique healing effect. Out of these, the CBD is the next more closely examined cannabinoid and for those who dislike the THC’s psychoactive effects, it is the one to go with for therapeutic efficacy. It is even known that the CBD is the one that decreases the side effects of THC such as paranoia and anxiety when taken together from the whole plant.

Bottom line is that THC pills, when used for healing are totally fine and even more preferred than the whole plant, however, their best use is a combination of smoking and taking them occasionally to quickly reduce and chronic pain. On the other hand, as a recreational use, I’d say it’s better to stick to the whole goodness of the plant and leave the THC pills for when you need them the most.