It is unknown exactly how THCA imparts its beneficial effects. Some scientists report that the reason THCA is not psychoactive is that it does not cross the blood-brain barrier and therefore cannot attach to cannabinoid receptors in the brain, however, THCA appears to stop seizures for some patients which questions this hypothesis. Every high-THC strain that has not yet been decarboxylated contains THCA, and these cannabinoid levels are particularly high as a live or freshly harvested plant. Weed Overdose: What Happens When You Take Too Much? At Leafly, we're on a mission to strengthen the industry. THCA Crystalline: This is a concentrate that’s almost pure (95%) THCA. THC is, of course, famous for its psychoactive properties. The trick – and the cause of so much confusion – is that THCA turns into psychoactive THC when exposed to sufficient heat. As the plant dries, THCA slowly converts to THC. Instead, it contains tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, or THCA. THCA is a non-psychoactive chemical found in raw cannabis. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait for more studies to substantiate all of the above benefits before we can fully understand what THCA means for the future of cannabinoid-based medicines. Hopefully, research will sort out these and other questions about the mechanism of action of THCA. Testen op het THCA-gehalte in een wietmonster geeft de breeder een nauwkeurig beeld van de kracht. THCA is the raw, non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in cannabis and converts to THC when it’s dried and heated (which is why you need to decarboxylate or heat your weed to make edibles). Research shows that 22% of THCA in an olive oil extract will convert to THC after 10 days at 77℉, and in an ethanol extraction under the same conditions, 67% of the THCA will convert to THC. Even though many cannabis enthusiasts already know that inhaling and ingesting cannabis has a wealth of therapeutic properties, there are many surprising benefits of keeping the plant raw. Instead, THC is mostly present in the cannabis plant as a different compound called tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA). ⚖️ Is THCA Legal? Some products are marketed specifically for their THCA content such as Present Naturals and Mary’s Medicinals transdermal patches. The psychoactive and psychedelic qualities of this nut exist due to those seed-protecting compounds. Head over to Leafly | Social impact. Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) is the most abundant non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in cannabis. This may be due to the more robust terpenoid profile of an unheated preparation as certain terpenoids are lost when the flower is heated. A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, or psychotropic drug is a chemical substance that changes nervous system function and results in alterations in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, or behavior. THCA is the most abundant of all the cannabinoids, with a unique compound that's non-psychoactive and medically beneficial. by Tibi Puiu. cognition or affect.” THCA, like its better-known cousins CBD and THC, has numerous medicinal benefits. Every patient must use trial and error to find the best results for their particular condition, but certainly, THCA has numerous medicinal effects that may benefit patients with seizures, nausea, inflammation, neurodegenerative disease, and cancer. Research shows that THCA has many medicinal properties. THCA is not psychoactive—it does not activate CB1 cannabinoid receptors in the brain. THCa is Non-Psychoactive. By submitting this form, you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from Leafly and you agree to Leafly's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. THCA is a unique compound because it’s not only non-psychoactive and medically beneficial, but it’s the acid form of THC that’s found in the raw cannabis plant. All THCA preparations contain at least some trace amount of THC, as well as other cannabinoids and terpenoids, so it is difficult to know if THCA is the compound that is conveying the beneficial effects. The human body cannot convert THCA to THC. How Different Are the Two Types of Marijuana? I also have treated a patient with Alzheimer’s disease who, on just THCA alone, showed remarkable improvement. THCA occurs in all cannabis strains that possess THC. Anecdotally, low doses appear to be effective and combination with other cannabinoid preparations seem to give patients good results. THCA fungeert als belangrijke biomarker voor wat betreft cannabistesten. : affecting the mind or behavior psychoactive drugs THC is the principal psychoactive ingredient in marijuana In order to make psychoactive THC from THCA, one needs to heat it. THC stands for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-9-THC). A number of studies have shown conflicting results. This conversion of THCA to THC is called decarboxylation. Here are some of the potential benefits studies have started to unveil: Other possible medicinal avenues supported by patient stories include insomnia, muscle spasms, and pain. My patients using THCA have not reported any unwanted side effects. This is when you would experience the feeling of euphoria. So what is THCA, what does it do, and who should use it? THCA is tetrahydrocannabinolic acid. THCA is not psychoactive in animals even at high doses, and psychoactivity in humans is not reported. In an animal study, low doses of THCA prevented nausea. This post from marijuana.com turns the spotlight on this non-psychoactive cannabinoid. THCA will also convert to THC when stored at room temperature. We’ll email you updates on local dispensary deals, new products, and industry news. What is THC: the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana THC has beneficial health outcomes but also carries risks. At temperatures over 176℉, 70-95% of THCA rapidly decarboxylates. Check Out These Recipes and Guidelines, Everything you need to know about rolling papers, explained, Cannabis college enrollment spikes during COVID-19, How does cannabis get its color? Unlike THC, THCa — much like both CBDa and CBD — produces no psychoactive "high" or related euphoria. Interestingly, patients report that THCA is effective at low doses, certainly lower than those of CBD. It’s shown to have anti-inflammatory, neuroprotectant, anti-nausea, and anti-cancer properties, containing significant therapeutic potential. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main psychoactive component of cannabis, which is one of the 483 known compounds in the plant, including at least 65 other cannabinoids, including … Learn more about our use of cookies in our Cookie Policy and This can lead to intoxication, which is often the main reason people choose to take psychoactive drugs. What Is THC? THCA preparations in oil are more stable than those in alcohol, and these products should be refrigerated to minimize conversion to THC. In an animal study,  low doses of THCA prevented nausea. She's spent 7+ years researching cannabis products, spreading patients’ stories, and exploring healthy ways of integrating cannabis into daily life. Enter your location to see results closest to you. 溺 Where Can I Find THCA? More research is needed but this cannabinoid is showing that it, like the other cannabinoids, is mother nature’s gift. We use cookies to enable essential features of our site and to help personalize your experience. In one animal model of seizures, THCA had anticonvulsant effects. THCA is synthesized in the trichomes of the cannabis flower when its precursor, CBGA (cannabigerolic acid), is exposed to an enzyme called THCA synthase. It is a cannabinoid molecule in marijuana (cannabis) that's long been recognized as the main psychoactive ingredient—that is, the substance that causes people who use marijuana to … Psychoactive, also called psychotropic, is a term that is applied to chemical substances that change a person's mental state by affecting the way the brain and nervous system work. Researchers report that THCA is difficult to isolate from THC — remember that it is an unstable molecule that converts to THC fairly easily — so it is unclear if the result from the study (for instance, the cessation of nausea) is from THCA or from THC. July 31, 2017. I will first talk about the negatives. Let's see what the science says about it. I have treated a number of pediatric patients suffering from treatment-resistant epilepsy with THCA, either as single cannabinoid therapy or in combination with CBD and/or THC. and Privacy Policy. A psychoactive drug or psychotropic substance is a chemical substance that acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it alters … THCA is a cannabinoid that until recently has been closely compared to THC. What is THCa, and how does it relate to THC? Arthritis and other chronic pain patients have reported good results with the use of THCA, often in combination with other cannabinoids such as CBD, THC, and CBDA. Heat expedites this conversion in a process known as decarboxylation, a fancy word that describes what happens when you smoke or vaporize flower. THCA was found to be an effective neuroprotective and antioxidant in a research model of Parkinson’s disease. However, an unknown biosynthetic machinery and difficulty in chemical synthesis hinder the therapeutic use of kavalactones. This can be done by smoking or vaporizing raw flower, baking edibles, or heating cannabis in a process known as decarboxylation. Bailey is a senior content manager at Leafly, specializing in strains and health. THCA is the non-psychoactive precursor to THC, and will not convert until the plant is decarboxylated. Marijuana Infused Alcohol: An Ancient Mexican Family Remedy. Here’s why some strains turn purple. You're not old enough to use Leafly. Source: Know Your Medicine: THCA | Marijuana, Filed Under: Marijuana News & Information Tagged With: Cannabinoid, cannabis compound, CBD, decarboxylation, nonpsychoactive, THC, THCA, © Copyright 2015-2019 Halycon Publishing LLC, How To Make Edibles & Cannabutter With Only 2 Grams Of Weed. While THCA is the more accurate label for flower that hasn’t been decarboxylated, they essentially mean the same thing if you assume the consumer intends on smoking, vaporizing, or heating the product in some way. One of these cannabinoid compounds is THCA (Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid), which contains its own variety of medicinal properties and therapeutic effects. The process ensures all the THCA has been converted into THC so you can experience the full psychoactive effects. Cannabis, also known as marijuana (Spanish pronunciation: [maɾiˈxwana]) among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the Cannabis plant used primarily for medical or recreational purposes. In its raw form, marijuana actually contains very little psychoactive THC. In order for THC to become psychoactive, it needs to be heated. We won’t share this without your permission. Want to Try Cannabis Juicing? CBD, by contrast, is known for having next to none. THCA, or tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that occurs naturally in cannabis plants. The Science of THCA How Does THCA Work? By accessing this site, you accept After 25 months at room temperature in glass bottles with very little light exposure,  approximately 20% of the THCA converted to THC. While this cannabinoid may not get you high, it certainly has many medical benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-emetic, and neuroprotective properties. Darn! But while the psychoactive effects are similar, Spice can be anywhere from five to 10 times more potent. It appears from recent research that THCA does not attach significantly to the cannabinoid receptor. Rather, it produces cannabinoids in an acid form, synthesizing tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA). What is decarboxylation, and why does your cannabis need it? It’s worth repeating that THCA is not psychoactive, and, in order to break it down into THC, it must be exposed to heat. THCA, or tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, is a non-psychoactive compound found in raw and live cannabis. Products like these deliver THCA’s benefits without the risk of psychoactive effects, and as THCA gains traction, we’re likely to find more products like this emerging. As you already know, THC is the chemical compound that gives you a euphoric high when you smoke or ingest weed. THCA has a larger molecule than THCA and doesn't fit as nicely into our CB1 or CB2 receptors, which is why it doesn't get us high. So why does THC get us elevated and THCA doesn't? We do not share your location with anyone. However, legislation in some countries classes THCA as a prohibited analogue to THC. If you’ve purchased lab-tested cannabis, you may notice that the most abundant cannabinoid is either THC or THCA, either of which can stretch between 10-20% on average. You’ve heard of THC, and while they may sound similar, THCA has very different properties. This is best used as an edible, being sprinkled onto foods or portioned into pills or capsules to be swallowed. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime. What we know so far is that THCA is the precursor to THC, but it doesn’t produce a psychoactive effect until it’s heated up. But what are THCA’s properties if it isn’t converted to THC? Its main psychoactive principles, kavalactones, form a unique class of polyketides that interact with the human central nervous system through mechanisms distinct from those of conventional psychiatric drugs. THCA is less studied than THC or CBD because raw cannabis typically has not been used by most recreational users or medical patients. Privacy Policy. Unlike THC, THCA is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid found in raw and live cannabis. THCA, or tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, is a cannabis compound that is beginning to demonstrate therapeutic potential despite the infancy of its research. THCA is not psychoactive in animals even at high doses, and psychoactivity in humans is not reported. THCA also has been shown to have anticancer properties. Want to join forces, get informed, get involved? This can be done by smoking or vaporizing raw flower, baking edibles, or heating cannabis in a process known as decarboxylation. © 2021 Leafly Holdings, Inc. Leafly and the Leafly logo are registered trademarks of Leafly Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Early research suggests that … THCA is considered to be “thermally unstable,” meaning that it readily converts to THC (D9-tetrahydrocannabinol) when heated. Fresh, raw marijuana doesn’t contain THC; instead, it contains THCA. It’s rigid and crystal-like in texture, resembling crushed rock salt. The conclusion then must be that it has other mechanisms of action. The process of removing the carbon and oxygen molecules, known as decarboxylation, is done simply by adding heat, either through a drying or curing process or through combustion or vaping. THCA also has potent anti-inflammatory properties, inhibiting both COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes which block the production of prostaglandins, compounds that promote inflammation. THCA isolate is created by removing all impurities through a special refinement process, leaving a flawless THCA powder in its most pure and potent form. And it is because of these compounds that both negative and positive effects exist within the nutmeg seed. Put simply, psychoactive refers to an effect on one's mental processes, such as cognition or mood. As a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, THCA is not scheduled under the United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances. First of all, Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid is non-psychoactive, unlike its daughter THC. Ayahuasca/yagé is a psychoactive brew made from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines the term “psychoactive” as “affecting the mind or body.” At the World Health Organization, “psychoactive substances” are “substances that, when taken in or administered into one’s system, affect mental processes, e.g. When it’s heated, THCa actually changes into THC to give the plant its psychoactive properties. The health benefits provided by THCA are most well absorbed by the body through a raw method of consumption such as cannabis juicing. The reason is due to the three-dimensional shape of the THCA molecule. What to Do with Old Weed Discovered After Years? By providing us with your email address, you agree to Leafly’s privacy policy and terms & conditions. It is what comes before THC or tetrahydrocannabinol. And THCA isn't the only compound which changes with decarboxylation either; with cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerol (CBG), and tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) each having an alter-ego prior to their heating, which are CBDA, CBGA, and THCVA. THCA is not psychoactive—it does not activate CB1 cannabinoid receptors in the brain. Contrary to popular belief, THC is not the most plentiful chemical in marijuana.In fact, marijuana flowers hardly contain any THC at all. In recent years, scientists have discovered that THCA offers all of the THC benefits with none of the high. There isn’t enough research on THCA to definitively state what it can treat and with what degree of efficacy, but preliminary research and anecdotal evidence suggest that THCA will play a pivotal role in cannabis medicine as the industry propels forward. In order to make psychoactive THC from THCA, one needs to heat it. How to Get Rid of Red Eyes After Smoking Weed. THCA also inhibits TNF (tumor necrosis factor), another proinflammatory compound. Recently, many patients have been asking me if they should be using THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid), and if you have been paying attention, you may have seen products labeled “THCA” in your local collective. In its rawest form, cannabis doesn’t produce THC or CBD. Research shows that THCA has many medicinal properties. the Terms of Use Spirit Tripping With Colombian Shamans | Chris Allbritton | August 24, 2014 | DAILY BEAST. Non-psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) is one of the most abundant therapeutic compounds produced by raw cannabis plants. For this reason, raw cannabis parts are popularly juiced for their THCA benefits (sweet potato pear smoothie, anyone?). We're a long way from equity in cannabis. THCA slowly converts to THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive cannabinoid which is best known for its medical benefits this is the one and only difference between the two. 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