Isomerization Of Cbd To Thc

[Kurresmack]

I know this is old news for the chem heads, but I know it's still not being used by the large percentage. It will only get more popular. Isomerizing cbd to turn into thc. Here is a method I found. This is a scary future, being able to produce pounds for pennies on the dollar.
I did not write this up, this is cited from https://chemistry.mdma.ch/hiveboard/methods/000479001.html

Cannabidiol to THC - simple
(Rated as: excellent)

Cannabidiol (CBD), the main cannabinoid constituent of fibre hemp has been converted (isomerized) to delta-9 and delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol employing a variety of conditions.
Many of these procedures require chemicals that are hard to come by such as dichloromethane (DCM) and boron trifluoride etherate.
The following is a simple and fast procedure for the synthesis of delta-8- or delta-9-THC from CBD:

Dissolve 1g of CBD in 10ml 0.005molar H2SO4 in glacial acetic acid.
Let solution stand at room temperature.
After 3 hours CBD has been converted into 52% delta-9-THC and 2% delta-8-THC.
After 3 days a mixture of 15% delta-9-THC, 54% delta-8-THC, 10% delta-8-iso-THC and 10% CBD has formed.
Work up:
Pour into water (100ml or more) and add cautiously with stirring (foaming!) enough sodium bicarbonate (15g should do) to raise the pH above 7. Extract with petrol ether, wash with water, evaporate solvent to get mixture of starting CBD and predominantly delta-9- or delta-8-THC with some other byproducts depending on the reaction time.
Can chromatograph on silica gel with 1 to 2% ether in petrol ether for purification.

CBD can also be converted into delta-9-THC with anhydrous ZnCl2 at 150° without solvent (perform reaction best in vacuum as product is sensitive to oxidation):

Heat 0.5g CBD with 0.09g anhydrous ZnCl2 under vacuum with stirring.
After 2 hours 40 to 50% delta-9-THC have formed.

So you just need to mix cbd and zinc chloride let it stand in a closed vessel with magnetic stirrer and then it's done? Is there no need for cleaning of the end product?

 

[b3lyp631g]

There are much cleaner syntheses with high yields of either d8 or d9 available, like 98%-100% yields of either from CBD isolate. I've overseen the d8 synthesis scaled from test-scale to 500 kg/wk cleanly and some companies I've seen are doing it with flow reactors.

I'm skeptical of the yield reporting THCv -- the varins have shorter alkyl chains hanging off a part of the molecule that isn't related to the CBD-d9THC-d8THC isomerization equilibrium at all. Imo whoever ran that COA misidentified an unknown peak in the chromatogram as THCv.

fwiw I'm a chemistry PhD and a research scientist dabbling in cannabinoids as a side thing

 

[b3lyp631g]

CBD converted to THC??? Thats not possible all conpounds are converted from CBGa Cannabigerolic Acid to either chemotypes (CBDa) or (THCa)


Bless up and keep on learnin' the facts are always helpful in keeping misinformation far away

You're confusing biosynthetic pathways in the plant with synthetic chemistry. You can very easily isomerize CBD to d9THC and even take it further to d8THC using pretty mundane synthetic organic chemistry. The product is exactly the same at a molecular level as a decarboxylated phytocannabinoid, it's just that you made it a different way.

 

[KineRevival]

Some results of some cbd to delta 8 and THCV through short path distillation.

This peaked my interest. I was able to convert 30% CBD to THC after a happy accident where vacuum was leaking. Any help to replicate this would be great!