What is the difference between THC and THCA

When joining the captivating world of cannabis for the first time, one can feel somehow overwhelmed due to all the specific, even scientific terminology. Besides, all the chemical processes that often occur with these plants may seem all a mystery. Thus, some of the most common questions are about what THC is and why it produces a high when it’s consumed.

In order to solve all your questions about tetrahydrocannabinol and its origins, we’ll explain in this article the connection between THC and THCA, two of the most abundant compounds found in cannabis plants. This article is intended for expanding our knowledge about this fascinating world.

What is THCA?

You may already know what THC is, but do you know what THCA is and what do these compounds have in common? 

THCA stands for ‘tetrahydrocannabinolic acid’, which can be considered the precursor of THC, ‘tetrahydrocannabinol’. In other words, THCA is the previous stage of THC and it’s exclusively found in fresh, raw cannabis; this chemical compound is transformed into THC by drying, cooking or simply heating the parts of the plant that are THCA-rich.

This way, the molecular structure of THCA is modified when it turns THC. On the other hand, THCA is commonly found in cannabis or hemp-based products that have been screened, not heated, and it’s the major constituent in resin concentrates such as hashish and hash.

Differences between THC and THCA

It’s true that it may seem that THC and THCA are the same thing, and technically they are. They both come from the same plant and their chemical structure is almost identical, but they still have different properties since one of them has been “mutated” through a chemical process. 

Thus, we could start saying that THCA hasn’t got the psychoactive effects that THC has as that well-known ‘high’ is obtained from combustion, for example, when smoking weed. That’s why THCA is exclusively found in the fresh cannabis plant, while THC is born when decarboxylated.

Yet, as THCA is a weak activator of the CB1 and CB2 receptors, it may provide some soothing and neurological effects;  while THC is a stronger activator of CB1 receptor, which has a direct influence on the brain and the nervous system, providing different benefits such as relaxation, easing sleep, promoting appetite, etc.

THCA benefits

At the present, there are no established medical applications with THCA, however, it is sometimes encapsulated and taken as a supplement for some illnesses and conditions. In fact, some of the uses are: helping with weight loss, relieving joint and muscle pain and easing nausea.

It may seem that THCA doesn’t have any real benefits because all the medicinal and therapeutic properties are released when this compound is transformed into its psychoactive version. That’s why tetrahydrocannabinol is used for treating multiple diseases as it relieves most of the symptoms in cancer or Parkinson’s disease among others.

How to take THCA

THCA can be obtained by extracting the resin of the cannabis flowers without using any heating source. So, the best way to consume this compound is in pure crystalline extracts, which can be added to edibles, drinks or even mixed with oils and tinctures or creams, as long as they are not warm.

Remember that applying heat may result in a chemical change of the molecular structure of this compound. That’s why THCA and THC are considered different despite having the same origin.

Is THCA legal?

In regards to the legal status of THCA, this substance is not scheduled by the United Nations and either at a federal level in the USA as it is not a “drug”.

However, it could be considered an analog of THC, so it is better to check the current laws of your country, state or province in order to not commit an offense and accidentally get in trouble.

Now you know a little bit more about chemistry and the difference between THC and THCA. In summary, both compounds are related since THCA is the previous stage of THC before being heated. We hope this article helped to better understand the cannabis terminology and the basic properties of these similar but different cannabis substances.