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THCP: A Cannabinoid With Two Extra Carbons
Definition
Seven carbon atoms. That is the whole structural headline of THCP, or tetrahydrocannabiphorol, a cannabinoid first documented in cannabis in December 2019 with a side chain two carbons longer than the one on THC [1]. Cibdol does not sell it, so what follows is plant chemistry with nothing attached to it.
Ten lines on a compound from 2019
| Detail | What the 2019 record says |
|---|---|
| Full name | Tetrahydrocannabiphorol, shortened to THCP in the December 2019 report [1]. |
| First documented | December 2019, in work led by Cinzia Citti. Before that, the compound had not been documented in cannabis at all [1]. |
| Plant source | An Italian medicinal cannabis variety. That was the material the research group worked through [1]. |
| Side chain | Seven carbon atoms, a heptyl chain, reported in plant material in 2019 [1]. |
| Origin of the name | The two extra carbons. THC carries five in the same position, THCP carries seven, and the name follows that difference [1]. |
| Acidic form | Described in the same paper alongside the neutral compound. THCA is the familiar example of that acid-and-neutral pairing [1]. |
| Why chain length | Chain length has been a long-standing question in cannabinoid structure and activity work, and the 2019 report sits inside that tradition [1]. |
| Receptor data | In binding assays, CB1 affinity for THCP came out markedly greater than for THC under the same conditions. That is the part of the paper which drew attention later [1]. |
| How it turned up | As an analytical exercise. The 2019 work was detection and characterisation first, not a hunt for something to put in a bottle [1]. |
| In the Cibdol range | Absent. No catalogue product of ours is formulated with it, and we do not sell it. |
| Status of this page | A chemistry answer to a chemistry question. We have worked with cannabinoids since 2014, and nothing here is the opening move of a sales pitch. |
Two carbons and the name that follows
Cannabinoids share a backbone. What changes from one to the next is often the tail hanging off it, the side chain. On THC that chain runs five carbons. On THCP it runs seven, a heptyl chain, and those two extra carbons are exactly where the longer name comes from [1].
Chain length is not a fresh curiosity either. It has been a long-standing question in cannabinoid structure and activity work, which is one reason a seven-carbon version reported in real plant material got noticed at all [1].
Found by looking closely, not by shopping for an ingredient
The route in was analytical. A group led by Cinzia Citti worked through an Italian medicinal cannabis variety, pulled the mixture apart and characterised what was in there. Until that point, the compound had not been documented in cannabis [1].
The December 2019 paper described two related things: the corresponding acidic form and the neutral compound. THCA is the familiar case of that pairing, the acid sitting behind a neutral cannabinoid [1].
Worth keeping the order straight. Detection and characterisation came first, in a laboratory, on one variety of plant material. The receptor work followed inside the same publication, and it is the part most people quote now [1].
Numbers do the job better than adjectives here. Five carbons against seven, one variety, one report [1]. None of it started from a product brief.
THC and THCP, column by column
| Point of comparison | THC | THCP |
|---|---|---|
| Side chain length | Five carbons, the reference point the 2019 comparison worked against [1]. | Seven carbons, described as a heptyl chain in plant material [1]. |
| What the name points at | The abbreviation already familiar in cannabinoid literature, used as the comparison compound [1]. | Tetrahydrocannabiphorol, named for the two additional carbons on that chain [1]. |
| Acidic counterpart | THCA, the familiar example of an acidic cannabinoid form in the plant [1]. | The corresponding acidic form, reported next to the neutral compound in 2019 [1]. |
| Documented in cannabis | Not the subject of the report; it was the yardstick inside that work [1]. | December 2019, by the research group led by Cinzia Citti [1]. |
| Material behind the data | Present in the same analysis as the compound being compared against [1]. | An Italian medicinal cannabis variety, analysed by that group [1]. |
| CB1 binding, 2019 assays | The baseline figure, measured under the same test conditions [1]. | Affinity markedly greater than THC in those same assays [1]. |
| Type of evidence | A laboratory binding measurement, read as such [1]. | The same kind of measurement, from a characterisation paper [1]. |
| Why anyone compared them | Five carbons made it the obvious structural benchmark [1]. | Two more carbons on an otherwise familiar shape [1]. |
| In our catalogue | Not a compound we formulate with. | Not sold, and not part of any Cibdol formulation. |
Where our own shelf sits
We do not sell THCP. No product in the Cibdol catalogue is formulated with it, and this page is not the run-up to one.
Our range is built on cannabinoids with clearer regulatory footing: CBD, CBG and CBN. That is where the formulating and the batch analysis go, and CBD has been the daily work in Basel since 2014.
The 2019 paper is a solid piece of plant chemistry [1]. It is also a laboratory characterisation of one compound from one variety, and reading it that way stays closer to what it says than reading it as a shopping list.
So the answer here is chemistry, and it stops where the chemistry stops.
- THCP is a cannabinoid with a seven-carbon side chain, documented in cannabis in December 2019 [1].
- The material came from an Italian medicinal cannabis variety, analysed by the group led by Cinzia Citti [1].
- The same 2019 report described the acidic form beside the neutral compound, the way THCA sits behind THC [1].
- Binding assays in that work put CB1 affinity for THCP markedly above THC under identical conditions [1].
- Our formulations use CBD, CBG and CBN, each batch independently analysed so you can check the contents before you order.
Frequently Asked Questions
4 questionsWhere does the P in THCP come from?
How new is THCP to cannabis science?
Can I buy THCP from Cibdol?
Which cannabinoids does Cibdol actually work with?
About this article
Luke Sholl has been writing about cannabinoids, CBD, and the broader benefits of nature since 2011. His background includes first-hand cannabis cultivation experience spanning the full seed-to-harvest lifecycle across so
This wiki article was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by Luke Sholl, CBD & wellness writer. Editorial oversight by Joshua Askew.
Medical disclaimer. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before use of any substance.
Last reviewed August 29, 2026
References (1)
- [1]Citti, C. et al. (2019). Scientific Reports. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-56785-1
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