Dr. John W. Huffman, an organic chemist at Clemson University, synthesized analogues and metabolites of Delta-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal active component of cannabis. JWH-018 was one of the originals and is one of these analogues, with studies showing an affinity for the cannabinoid brain (CB1) receptor five times greater than that of THC. Cannabinoid receptors are found in mammalian brain and spleen tissue; however, the structural details of the active sites are currently unknown.

On December 15, 2008, it was reported by the German pharmaceutical company THC Pharm that JWH-018 was found as one of the active components in at least three versions of the herbal blend Spice, which has been sold as an incense in a number of countries around the world since 2002. An analysis of samples acquired four weeks after the German prohibition of JWH-018 took place found that the compound had been replaced with JWH-073.

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-from-tosylate-xtal

JWH History