THC hemisuccinate (Δ⁹-THC-O-hemisuccinate, Dronabinol hemisuccinate) is a synthetic derivative of

tetrahydrocannabinol Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a cannabinoid found in cannabis. It is the principal psychoactive constituent of ''Cannabis'' and one of at least 113 total cannabinoids identified on the plant. Although the chemical formula for THC (C21H30O2) de ...

, developed in the 1990s. It is a water-soluble

prodrug A prodrug is a pharmacologically inactive medication or compound that, after intake, is metabolized (i.e., converted within the body) into a pharmacologically active drug. Instead of administering a drug directly, a corresponding prodrug can be ...

ester In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an acid (either organic or inorganic) in which the hydrogen atom (H) of at least one acidic hydroxyl group () of that acid is replaced by an organyl group (R). These compounds contain a distin ...

which is converted into THC inside the body, and was developed to overcome the poor

bioavailability In pharmacology, bioavailability is a subcategory of absorption and is the fraction (%) of an administered drug that reaches the systemic circulation. By definition, when a medication is administered intravenously, its bioavailability is 100%. H ...

of THC when taken by non-inhaled

routes of administration In pharmacology and toxicology, a route of administration is the way by which a medication, drug, fluid, poison, or other substance is taken into the body. Routes of administration are generally classified by the location at which the substance ...

. In medical applications it has mainly been formulated as

rectal The rectum (: rectums or recta) is the final straight portion of the large intestine in humans and some other mammals, and the Gastrointestinal tract, gut in others. Before expulsion through the anus or cloaca, the rectum stores the feces te ...

suppositories.

References

Benzochromenes Cannabinoids {{cannabinoid-stub

See also

References