Last Updated on 6th February 2020

Scientists have just discovered a new cannabinoid compound that could be 30 times more powerful than THC.

The new cannabinoid, known as tetrahydrocannabiphorol (or THCP) was discovered by Italian scientists, along with a second previously unknown cannabinoid known as CBDP. Researchers believe that CBDP may be a cousin of cannabidiol, or CBD.

In their report which was recently published in Nature, a respected scientific journal, researchers stated that THCP induced a “THC-like cannabimimetic activity”. In a rodent study, THCP was shown to induce a trance-like state, decrease pain and slow down physical activity.

In test-tube experiments on human cannabinoid receptors, scientists found that THCP to be 33 times more active than THC. However, the potential effects of THCP on the human body are not yet clear.

Dr. Cinzia Citti, the lead researcher and post-doctoral fellow at Italy’s University of Modena and Reggio Emilia stated that “this means that these compounds have higher affinity for the receptors in the human body.”

“In cannabis varieties where THC is present in very low concentrations, then we can think that the presence of another, more active cannabinoid can explain those effects.”