tetrahydrocannabinol
n.
A chemical substance ( C21H20O2 ) which is produced by the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa), and is the physiologically active agent of dried preparations of that plant, called variously marijuana, hashish, ganja, hemp, etc.; also called THC . It causes the euphoric effect for which the preparations are smoked or chewed. It is used in medicine in a purified form as an antiemetic (an antinausea agent), especially in conjunction with chemotherapy of cancer. It occurs primarily as the Δ 1 -3,4-trans isomer, also called Δ 9 -THC , with small amounts of the Δ 6 -3,4-trans isomer detectable at about 1%. It is a controlled substance, classified as a hallucinogen, and its possession or distribution is illegal in almost all states of the United States.
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