Antibody-catalyzed oxidation of delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol.

Marijuana abuse continues to plague society and the lack of effective treatments warrants concern. Catalytic antibodies capable of oxidatively degrading the major psychoactive component of marijuana, Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta9-THC), are presented. The antibodies generate reactive oxygen species from singlet oxygen (1O2*), using riboflavin (vitamin B2) and visible light as the 1O2* source. Cannabitriol was identified as the major degradation product of this reaction, demonstrating the ability of an antibody to catalyze a complex chemical transformation with therapeutic implications for treating marijuana abuse.