THCA is considered non-psychoactive, meaning that you don't experience a “high” when you drink 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. THCA is short for tetrahydrocannabinol acid, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid. It is one of hundreds of chemical compounds in the marijuana plant.
THCA is the acidic form of THC, but unlike THC, it doesn't produce a euphoric effect. Contrary to what some absurd comedies want you to believe, eating raw marijuana isn't going to get you high. No matter how much potential freshly harvested raw cannabis has, there is virtually none of the plant's most famous and intoxicating cannabinoids, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). However, there is a large amount of tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), an inactive compound found in the trichomes of living cannabis plants.
THCA itself is not considered potent at all, as it has limited or no psychoactive effects. However, heating it up by cooking, smoking, vaping, or other methods converts it to THC. Since crystalline THCA can be sold in very high concentrations, applying one of these methods to THCA to convert it to THC can have very powerful effects. When submerged in olive oil, 22% of the THCA is converted in 10 days at 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius).
THCA and THC levels will help you determine how potent a product is and what type of experience awaits you. After harvest, high levels of THCA begin to be converted to THC due to exposure to heat and oxygen during curing, processing, and storage. Although THCA itself is not psychoactive, it is still considered part of the cannabis plant and is converted to THC if constantly exposed to heat. The most significant difference between THCA and THC is that THCA does not cause intoxicating effects due to its distinctive molecular structure.
Since THCA is already primarily converted to THC and vaporization takes even more charge, this is an effective method of consuming intoxicating cannabis. When a flame is used to smoke dry, cured buds, the high degree of heat applied over a short period of time quickly converts THCA to THC. Many companies also produce THCA tinctures and topical products to be taken as a regimen, such as vitamins or a massage product after strenuous activity. So what is THCA? Read the following guide and then head to Cannabis & Glass in Spokane, Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake, Washington, to buy products that contain the cannabinoid.
If you are looking for flowers, vape carts or concentrates, you should check the THCA number. Like THCA, these cannabinoid acids are not activated until they go through the decarboxylation process and are capable of interacting with the human ECS. Therefore, alternative methods of consuming cannabis or extracting cannabinoids should be used that avoid heating or curing cannabis flowers to preserve their THCA content. Although THCA has no intoxicating effects, some consider fresh, raw, unheated cannabis to be a superfood.
