Social media buzz and advertising claims have painted the cannabis derivative THC-O-acetate (THC-Oac) as a substance capable of delivering psychedelic experiences akin to LSD or psilocybin mushrooms. However, a recent study led by researchers at the University at Buffalo and published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs presents a different narrative, debunking these claims through scientific inquiry.
The rationale for this research was anchored in the burgeoning interest and market proliferation of this compound, which emerged in the wake of the 2018 Farm Bill in the United States. This legislative change catalyzed a revival in cannabinoid chemistry and innovation, with THC-O-acetate standing out due to its alleged psychedelic properties, as touted by media, manufacturers, and users’ discussions online.
Despite the widespread claims that THC-O-acetate could induce psychedelic experiences akin to LSD or psilocybin mushrooms, there was a conspicuous absence of scientific evidence to support such assertions. The research team recognized a critical gap in empirical knowledge regarding the psychoactive effects of THC-O-acetate.
“THC-O-acetate has been getting a lot of attention because people are saying it’s stronger than regular THC and there are these claims that it produces psychedelic effects. We wanted to study this and see, is there really a psychedelic cannabinoid? Can we find evidence that THC-O-acetate has this effect? And the answer is, not so much,” said lead author Daniel J. Kruger.
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To gather this data, they turned to the very communities where interest in THC-O-acetate was most vibrant: online forums and discussion groups dedicated to cannabinoids and their use. Participants were screened to ensure they met specific criteria: they had to be 18 years of age or older, reside in the U.S., and have consumed products containing THC-O-acetate.
The study’s final sample included 267 participants. These individuals, on average, were 29 years old and predominantly male (87%). Geographically, participants hailed from 38 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, with the largest contingents coming from Texas and Tennessee.
The team utilized an online survey tool, Qualtrics, to design and distribute their questionnaire, which was crafted based on previous instruments used in cannabis and psychedelic research. The survey covered a range of experiences associated with THC-O-acetate use, from cognitive and emotional effects to specific sensations like euphoria or altered perceptions of time. It also included questions from the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ), a tool commonly used in the study of psychedelics to assess experiences of transcendence, ineffability, and positive mood alterations.
The researchers found no evidence that THC-O-acetate induces an experience akin to classic psychedelics. Participants reported experiencing moderate levels of relaxation, euphoria, and pain relief, which are effects typically associated with cannabis use rather than the profound perceptual and cognitive alterations characteristic of psychedelics.
The reports of cognitive effects were on the lower end of the spectrum, with participants noting mild to moderate difficulties in concentrating and short-term memory, alongside a slightly altered sense of time. The experiences of anxiety, visual hallucinations, and paranoia were also minimal.
The MEQ scores across its four dimensions — mystical, positive mood, transcendence of time and space, and ineffability — were significantly below the threshold for a complete mystical experience. This indicates that, on average, participants did not encounter the profound, often life-changing experiences frequently reported with classic psychedelics. Even among those who had previously used psychedelics, the reported effects of THC-O-acetate were evaluated as less intense, further debunking the notion of THC-O-acetate as a potent psychedelic.
The direct inquiry into whether THC-O-acetate usage constituted a psychedelic experience yielded telling results: a majority of participants perceived it as either not at all (40%) or only slightly (39%) psychedelic. This perception was consistent irrespective of whether participants had prior experience with classic psychedelics, suggesting a broad consensus on THC-O-acetate’s psychoactive profile.
These findings collectively suggest that the narrative surrounding THC-O-acetate’s psychedelic potential may be more fiction than fact. Participants’ experiences pointed to a psychoactive profile more closely aligned with traditional cannabinoids than with the transformative and often intense effects of psychedelics.
Kruger suggested three potential reasons why some users report psychedelic experiences with THC-O-acetate: expectations influenced by hearsay or literature, an intensely high sensation misinterpreted as psychedelic, or the presence of contaminants in the product. The possibility of contamination is especially concerning from a public health perspective.
“People have to be careful,” Kruger explained. “It’s possible that some of these extreme effects are the result of some sort of contamination, and that’s one of the real dangers of these products if you don’t really know what’s in them.”
“Cannabis still has this weird mix of policies where it’s illegal at the federal level, so we don’t have national regulations, certainly not the kind of testing you’d have with a prescription drug,” he noted.
The study, “THC-O-Acetate: Scarce Evidence for a Psychedelic Cannabinoid,” was authored by Daniel J. Kruger, Carlton CB Bone, Meredith C. Meacham, Charles Klein, and Jessica S. Kruger.
