Suppose you have learned a few things about cannabis or decided to visit a legal dispensary in a state in US. In that case, you probably understand that the essential and most important active ingredient in the cannabis plants are known as cannabinoids.

At the same time, the one that creates a psychoactive effect and provides you with pleasure you wanted in the first place is known as delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. However, cannabis plants feature other cannabinoids apart from THC. Another option important for us is a precursor compound to THC or THCA, which is known as tetrahydrocannabinolic acid.

This particular precursor is gaining traction in the last few years as well as popularity. If you wish to get the best option on the market, we recommend you to shop here, which will provide you a peace of mind and further enjoyment.

However, you should understand the difference between THCA and THC before embark into this world. As mentioned above, THC is highly psychoactive and leads to intoxication after consuming a weed in a form of smoking, vaping or eating.

It means that it is responsible of producing feelings of relaxation and euphoria, among other things. Compared with other options, you should know that THCA does not feature natural intoxicating properties, but you will still receive the well-known benefits of consumption.

Another important consideration is that it must undergo a specific chemical reaction known as decarboxylation after which THCA will transform into THC. Still, when you get hemp or cannabis with THCA, you are entering legal gray area, meaning places where THC is banned, cannot make legal actions when you possess THCA buds or flowers.

In further article, we will talk about further distinctions and ways to understand THCA and THC. Stay with us to learn more about it. Let us start from the beginning.

What is THCA?

When you enter a cannabis dispensary, you will notice that every single strain and batch of cannabis flower, pre-rolls or packs, concentrates and edibles feature a market THC content in form of percentage on label and next to it.

Since THC is essential part of the experience, it can have different effects on specific people, which is why states have added regulation that they should know how much cannabinoid each strain has before buying. By checking this, you can learn more about Idaho hemp regulations.

Still, you may get surprised to learn that despite what labels state, most products available in the dispensaries do not feature any THC levels. They instead feature THCA. Of course, when you light the buds from a joint and smoke it, you will ingest THC, but in the raw form, THC is still non-existent.

We have mentioned above that THCA is precursor to THC, meaning it is a basic building block. The additional A in the name states that we are talking about acidic compound and nature produces it through different enzymatic reactions. The facts are that cannabinoids such as CBG and CBD feature acidic precursors as well known as CBGA and CBDA.

Even though we are talking about similar components, you should know that THCA comes with an additional carboxyl ring. That is a reason it cannot bind with our CB1 receptors from endocannabinoid system, which means when we consume cannabis buds in raw form, the consumption will lack intoxication.

THC vs. THCA

THCA is precursor to THC, which is an essential factor that creates a meaningful difference in effects and what you will get with each compound. Cannabis plant does produce much active THC. Instead, it produces high levels of THCA. When it comes to raw cannabis, it features high levels of THCA that will get broken down by passage of time and sunlight into THC.

The biggest difference between cannabis and hemp plants lies in the amount of THC present when tested. The laws are regulating that hemp plants must not feature more than 0.3 levels of Delta-9 THC by dry weight. Enter this link: https://doa.vi.gov/industrial-hemp-commission/ to learn more about industrial hemp.

If you wish to get THC from THCA, cannabis must go through a chemical process known as decarboxylation. We are talking about a process that exposes THCA to heat, which is a catalyst that breaks it down into THC. One way to do it is by making tinctures or edibles at home by placing raw flowers in the oven at a set temperature.

Another common and mostly used way is applying heat to a joint with a raw cannabis inside with a lighter or vaporizer. When creating edibles, for instance, THCA will slowly convert into delta-9 THC, while in the second, the conversion will happen instantly as soon as flame hits the plant and you start ingesting.

Another way of converting THCA into THC is by leaving raw flowers at ambient temperatures, and as it dries and gets exposed to light, it will undergo natural decarboxylation process.

THCA will turn into a regular THC when smoked, because you will expose it to sufficient heat. The moment you apply heat, the carboxyl ring will be removed, meaning the THCA will lose its acidic aspect and become THC.

If you have tried a regular cannabis, you probably know about the THC effects. You will notice the relaxing body high and mind euphoria that will help you deal with stress, while the sativa can help you ensure focus, clarity and creativity.

However, THCA when consumed in raw form without undergoing decarboxylation does not feature intoxicating effects. Consuming the flowers in raw form is not appealing option, because you may upset your stomach. However, you can use it for different purposes such as cold press juice, which will prevent intoxication, while you can enjoy therapeutic benefits.

When it comes to benefits, you should know that THC has potential to help you sleep, reduce pain and provide you with numerous interesting effects.

Although it is not intoxicating, you may experience nausea-reliving, anti-inflammatory effects, which are good for people who have chronic issues and deal with therapies. If you do not want to experience high, but still reap benefits of THC, you can use THCA in different forms, which will offer you a peace of mind.