Up to this particular point, you have probably heard about THC and even tried some form of it. However, you probably do not know anything about THCA, unless you are cannabis enthusiast. If that is not the case, you should learn a few things about this particular form of THC in acidic form, especially compared with its psychoactive precursive or THC.
The first thing that pops up to our mind when thinking about cannabis is THC, because it is a cannabinoid known for producing the euphoric buzz that we tend to love and understand.
You should visit this page to learn more about medical marijuana and cannabis altogether. However, the question is how does THCA fits into the puzzle? You should know that everything starts with it.
Only when you add heat to buds, you will cause the process known as decarboxylation, which transforms THCA into D9, which is essential to remember. To use simpler words, smoking flowers and vapes featuring THCA will provide you with the same effects as regular D9. So, we will provide you with similarities and differences between these two compounds.
Differences Between D9 THC and THCA
In ultimate perspective, the difference between THCA and THC comes to a simple letter, which is A and represents the acidic state and chemical composition. Acidic cannabinoids do not produce any psychoactive effects, which is vital to understand.
However, they come with wide array of benefits that will offer you a peace of mind. The main idea is that you can place the buds filled with THCA within the paper and the moment you use heat on it, THCA will transform into psychoactive THC, meaning you will experience intoxication, euphoria and everything that comes with weed consumption.
What is D9 THC?
You have probably seen numerous products in the last few years available on the market including gummies, edibles, soft drinks, and buds. These products are popular because they can offer you advantages of combined THC and CBD together, so you can get higher enjoyment and relaxation than you would by consuming each cannabinoid alone.
Due to loosening regulations and growing popularity, you should know that anyone can get hands on high-quality edibles by checking out local dispensaries or buying them online through different stores available in your state. Visit this website: https://search.cannabis.ca.gov/ to learn more about Cannabis.
So D9 represents the one cannabinoid responsible for making weed psychoactive, which is THC, because in the scientific community, it is known as delta-9-tetrahydrcannabinol. Manufacturers have found numerous innovative and legal ways to create high-end products using cannabinoids from both hemp and marijuana plants.
Today, you can find wide array of THC products found on shelves at dispensaries that come from hemp marijuana. However, due to emerging technology and innovation, you can produce the same compound from hemp, which is known as D9 THC. It is the same cannabinoid, only the source comes from a different plant.
We are talking about hemp, which is currently federally legal after implementation and passing the 2018 Farm Bill. The act allowed people to grow and sell hemp-based products including D9 THC and CBD edibles. The main idea is that hemp must be grown in a way where it has less than 0.3% of THC by dry weight.
Most D9 THC products feature either five or ten milligrams of THC, but you can also find more potent concentration. The amount of overall THC by percent compared with the weight of an edible, for instance, is still 0.3%.
That is why hemp-based D9 THC is federally legal, while the same compound found in cannabis plant is federally illegal.
What is THCA?
You should know that THCA is widely recognized as tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, which is non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in raw cannabis. Basically, the idea is that THCA cannot provide you with psychoactive effects the same as the ones mentioned above. At the same time, its essential building block of the entire plant.
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It is one of the most prominent discoveries, because the early studies have started a few decades ago, but we just started to learn more about it. The one thing is certain and that is its potential to be psychoactive the same way as D9. You can convert it into THC once heated through the decarboxylation process, which can happen in different ways:
- Sunlight exposure
- Room temperature exposure
- Heat exposure through cooking, vaping or smoking
As you can see, the moment THCA undergoes a heating process, it becomes a psychoactive cannabinoid we all know. Therefore, the question is whether it will turn into regular or D9 when smoked? And the answer is yes, THCA turns into D9 when smoked, and causes structure to change, which is vital to remember.
Decarboxylation requires heating or fire, meaning without high heat or fire, you cannot break the acidic form, meaning the cannabis will not feature psychoactive effects. In other words, if you consume raw cannabis, you will not experience the high as you would after adding it to joint or baking something with it.
Even though THCA is precursor to D9, these two compounds are not the same. Instead, they are considered as two different cannabinoids, which is vital to remember. We recommend you to avoid using them as interchangeably terms.
Instead, you should know that THCA is found in raw, live and regular cannabis buds, but it does not have psychotropic effects, meaning you will not experience mind-altering effects afterward. THC is more potent because it can produce the sense of high the moment after smoking. It can interact with our endocannabinoid system, meaning it will affect receptors.
Benefits of consuming D9 edibles are found here, which is vital to remember. Although you will not experience psychotropic effects after consuming buds in raw form, you should know that THCA can feature specific health benefits. Some evidences are suggesting that it has neuroprotective qualities, meaning you can manage underlying conditions.
Similarly, as other cannabinoids, it can help you with overall wellbeing and deal with inflammations across the body. At the same time, it is effective for people who have issues with nausea and low appetite, especially cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy.
