THC

American

[tee-eych-see] / ˈtiˈeɪtʃˈsi /

abbreviation

Pharmacology.

tetrahydrocannabinol: the primary psychoactive component in marijuana, hashish, and other preparations derived from cannabis plants, especially Cannabis sativa, or produced synthetically.

Marijuana potency in these dispensaries is anywhere from 15 to 30 percent THC.

THC British

abbreviation

tetrahydrocannabidinol: the active ingredient in cannabis, giving it its narcotic and psychoactive effects

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of THC

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Although a few participants using products that combined THC and CBD reported slight improvements, these changes were too small to be considered clinically meaningful.

From Science Daily • Jan. 19, 2026

“We’re now looking at a potential 0.4 milligram per container THC limit, which effectively would outlaw full-spectrum chapstick, pet treats — I mean, a lot of things that are not necessarily psychoactive,” Gilkey said.

From Salon • Nov. 25, 2025

Industrial hemp products and nonintoxicating CBD oils under the THC limit would remain legal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 12, 2025

Grinspoon, Hoffhine, and Ty all agree that potency limits aren’t the answer, but they also find that the market focus on THC is misguided.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2025

The THC program worked about 30 times faster than it would have done using the standard algorithm.

From Underground by Dreyfus, Suelette

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023