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THC acetate ester is a derivative of THC which has been found by the DEA as an apparent controlled substance analogue of THC. It was apparently made by extracting and purifying THC from cannabis plant material using a soxhlet extractor, followed by reaction with acetic anhydride in an analogous manner to how heroin is made from morphine. A similar case was reported in June 1995 in the UK and THC-O-acetate was ruled to be a Class A drug. THC acetate was also reported to have been found by New Zealand police in 1995, again made by acetylation of purified cannabis extracts with acetic anhydride. The acetylation of THC does not change the properties of the compound to the same extent as with other acetate esters (e.g. morphine vs heroin), as the parent compound is already highly lipophilic, but potency is nonetheless increased to some extent. This derivative of THC is interesting as one of the few analogues of THC to have been encountered as a recreational drug sold and used in a highly pure smokable form.
THC acetate ester was also investigated as a possible non-lethal incapacitating agent, as part of the Edgewood Arsenal experiments.
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