THC-A PRE-ROLL

Description

WHAT IS THCA?

THCA stands for tetrahydrocannabinolic acid and it is the precursor to THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). When cannabis is growing it makes cannabinoids as carboxylic acids that most often convert into non-acidic compounds through a process called decarboxylation. Almost all cannabinoids start off in their acidic form which have differing structures and effects than that of their non-acidic versions.

WHAT DOES THCA DO?

THCA is considered non-psychoactive meaning you do not experience a “high” when imbibing it. This is due to the fact that THCA does not bind to CB1 receptors, the receptors that have a high binding affinity for THC. 

What Does THCA Do?

Cannabinoids tend to offer a startling array of potential benefits for people looking for relief of all kinds. While research is still being conducted into the scientific validity of the various anecdotal evidence regarding these unique chemical compounds, there have been plenty of encouraging results. 

What potential benefits does THCA offer, and what does the research say about them? We’ll look closer at the answers to these questions and more in this guide. 

Is THCA Psychoactive?

THC-A is so closely related to Delta-9 THC that it is easy to imagine it offering all the same psychoactive effects. But while it is true that it is almost exactly like Delta-9 THC, that carboxylic acid group makes all the difference. 

This acid group alters the way THC-A interacts with the endocannabinoid system, making it non-psychoactive. In other words, THC-A will not get you high the way THC will.

If THC-A were psychoactive, people might just eat their cannabis in a salad rather than smoking it or cooking it into edibles. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, so extra steps are needed to achieve those desired effects. 

Heat must be applied to THC-A for that carboxylic acid group to break off and allow the compound to convert into psychoactive THC. This process is known as “decarboxylation.” 

When you light a bowl, hold down the button on your vape battery, or heat weed at low temperature in the oven to make edibles, you are converting the THCA in your cannabis to THC through the process of decarboxylation. 

Products like tinctures and edibles contain active THC that has already been decarboxylated, which is why you can simply eat them and enjoy their effects. 

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THC-A Effects

There are various potential effects of THCA, regardless of whether you decarboxylate it into psychoactive THC or not. Unconverted THCA will not get you high at all, but it may be able to offer you several beneficial effects.

Increased Relaxation

Much like some other cannabinoids, such as CBD, THCA may have the ability to help you feel more relaxed and at ease. While some people state that they enjoy this benefit from THC, the intoxicating effects of cannabis can limit the times and places where you’re capable of enjoying it. THCA allows for that potential relaxation without any impairment. 

Discomfort Relief

Research into the ability of THCA to relieve physical discomfort is ongoing, but some studies point to the cannabinoid’s potential for such an effect. We previously mentioned the research that determined THCA may help the body respond to inflammation. 

Inflammation can cause various forms of physical discomfort, including joint aches, muscle soreness, and more. THCA’s potential to reduce it may mean that it can lessen your physical pain. 

Positive Mental Support

The ability of THCA to protect the mind has not only been researched, but it has also returned some fantastic results. A 2017 study published in the National Library of Medicine looked at the mind-protecting abilities of six different cannabinoids and found that “THCA shows potent neuroprotective activity.” 

Nausea Relief

Like a few other cannabinoids, THCA may have the ability to ease your stomach when you’re feeling queasy. In fact, it’s speculated that THCA may be even more effective than THC and other cannabinoids at providing this helpful benefit. 

Treating Seizures

There has been a fair amount of research into the ability of various cannabinoids to provide anticonvulsant effects, and the results for CBD were so positive that it earned its first FDA approval for an epilepsy medication called Epidiolex. Research into similar capabilities from THCA has returned some positive results as well. 

Other Effects

If you were to heat up an indica strain of  THCA cannabis to the point of decarboxylation, you would then open the door to an array of other effects, such as a sense of euphoria, increased relaxation, altered perception, a stimulated appetite, and more. 

If the strain of THCA cannabis were a sativa, you would experience many of the same effects, along with some decidedly different ones. Sativas are known to provide a burst of energy and creative thinking rather than the sedative, relaxed feeling Indicas are known for.