WHAT IS THCA?
Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) is a type of chemical called a cannabinoid in the cannabis plant that may have potential medicinal use. It's also popular because you can heat it to change it into another type of cannabinoid, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or delta-9 THC.
There’s a lot of buzz around THCA because people use it to get high. You can get THCA from buying hemp, which isn’t under the same controls as marijuana. Then, after heating it up, you can convert it into THC and get high. People use this method if they can’t access marijuana or if it’s illegal where they live.
The difference between marijuana and hemp is how much THC they contain. Hemp is defined as having less than 0.3% of THC while marijuana contains more. Hemp doesn’t have enough THC to cause a high, but it does contain THC.
The health benefits and risks tied to THCA aren’t fully understood, at least when it comes to published medical research. A few studies have explored THCA from a medical standpoint. While more research is needed to fully understand the effects of THCA on the body, it may be a promising area of study for future medical treatments.
THCA comes in different forms:
- The actual flower of the plant
- A patch
- Diamond crystals
It’s also popular in edible forms, like gummies. You can also eat the buds raw.
Cannabis flowers or buds, which contain THCA, are another way to get THCA. You can vape or smoke the THCA flower. When THCA is marketed in flower form, it can be sold as hemp if the buds meet the 0.3% THCA federal limit. Some people eat the flower for medicinal purposes.