What is Tetrahydrocannabinol

Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants in the Cannabaceae family and generally has three species, Cannabis sativa, C. indica, and C. ruderalis. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol are well-known cannabinoids found in cannabis. The elucidation and characterization of the structures of cannabinoids used in the treatment of various diseases is one of the most important steps. Vibrational spectroscopy, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopies are spectroscopic techniques that have been important in characterizing the molecular properties and functional groups of cannabinoids. Over the years, this technique, which analyzes samples in a fast, environmentally-friendly, and non-destructive manner has shown great success in drug analysis and has led to great technological developments accordingly. This chapter presents a historical overview of the uses of cannabinoids in medicine, explains the applications of QR codes in the field of medical cannabis, and offers examples of characteristic vibrational wavenumbers of natural and synthetic cannabinoids using FTIR and Raman spectroscopies.