Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, or THCA, is a phytocannabinoid. The cannabis plant has more than 100 compounds, and scientists are still finding more.
It is thought to be the cannabinoid that came before the better-known THC.

As the cannabis plant grows, it gets bigger and starts to make buds.
As the buds grow, the cannabinoids and terpenes in them change.

CBGA is the first compound to form. It is called the “mother” of all cannabinoids.
The THCA compound is made with the help of an enzyme called THCA-synthase and the CBGA.
CBDA is also made when CBGA breaks down into CBG and CBDA.
The well-known compounds THC, CBD, and CBG have acidic forms called THCA, CBGA, and CBDA.

As the plant ages, heat from the sun and oxygen from the air slowly remove carboxyl groups, turning these compounds into CBD, THC, and CBG.
Some of the cannabinoids may still be in very small amounts.
The compounds will then need to go through the process of decarboxylation to be fully active.
This will make sure that the THC binds to the CB1 and CB2 receptors in the brain and body in the right way and cause the relaxing effects that THC is known for.

IS THCA HEMP FLOWER LEGAL?

Under the 2018 Hemp Farm Bill, it is legal to make THCA flower from hemp grown in the United States.
It is not a federally banned substance because the Agricultural Improvement Act (Farm Bill) legally took hemp plants and seeds off the list of controlled substances kept by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

CAN I GET HIGH FROM THCA?

Raw THCA doesn’t make you feel good in any way when you eat it.
The carboxyl ring in the THCA molecule keeps it from binding to CB1 receptors in the brain and CB2 receptors elsewhere in the body.

But when THCA is heated, like when it is vaporized, smoked, or dabbed, or when it is used in cooking, it changes into THC through a process called decarboxylation.
As it changes into THC, it will bind to CB1 receptors and make you feel lifted.

WHAT ARE SOME GOOD THINGS ABOUT THCA?

Many of the clear benefits of THCA have not yet been found.
There are more studies being conducted than ever before and THCA has shown its legitimacy as a beneficial and useful cannabinoid.

Like many other cannabinoids, THCA has been shown to have high levels of anti-inflammatory, anti-seizure, and anti-nausea properties.

Recent studies have shown that THCA may be useful for treating Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.

How are THCA and THC different from each other?

A thing that comes before another is called a “precursor.”
The first one or, if you like, the parent. THCA is a building block for THC.

THCA is one of the three main cannabinoids that are acidic.
Over time and with exposure to heat and oxygen, THCA changes into THC.

This is how their acidic forms turn into CBG, CBD, and THC.

WILL THCA SHOW UP ON A DRUG TEST?

Most drug tests look at chemical substances, also known as analytes.
There is always a chance that cannabis compounds will show up as positive on a drug test.
If you are going to be tested or are tested often, you should stay away from THCA.