If you don’t spend every day reading cannabis news, as we do at The Hemp Doctor, it can feel like every day has a new cannabinoid for us to play with. The trick to staying on top of cannabis news? Follow The Hemp Doctor blog or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news on the greatest products.

Today, we’re talking about THCA, another cannabinoid that we think is going to become very important in our drive to overall wellness. These five facts and a few bonuses at the bottom will help you have a better understanding of THCA and why you should try it.

1. What is THCa Flower?

THCA is tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, the acidic version of THC, tetrahydrocannabinol. THCA exists naturally in cannabis and is the precursor to the THC we all know and love. Basically, all cannabinoids are born from a cannabolic acid and then become their individual cannabinoids.

THCA is where the THC cannabinoid is born from and this means that it has many of the same wellness properties of THC and a few of its own. THCA is known for providing a full body experience, encouraging you to your greatest relaxation point.

2. Can THCA become THC?

Even after it’s harvested and processed THCA can continue to convert to THC. This is a process called decarboxylation. To put it simply, carbolic acid, which is carbon dioxide, is released from the molecule and removes the acidic part of the THC.

THC is more bioavailable and psychoactive than THCA because of this process. And in fact, if you wanted to make your flower more potent you could decarboxylate it yourself.

Decarboxylation happens with heat and time, and in some ways, that’s what happens when you smoke hemp with THCA in it. The heat decarboxylates the hemp. If you want to cook with THCA-infused hemp, you’ll want to make sure you heat the hemp while doing so. So if you’re adding it to a salad dressing for example, bake it briefly in the oven first.

3. Where is THCA most commonly found?

THCA is most common in raw cannabis plants, particularly young ones. It’s extracted from live plants that have not yet been dried yet. THCA comes from CBGA, which we’ve discussed before as the “mother” or source of all cannabinoids.

Once it’s born from CBGA, THCA lives in the plant until it’s dried or heated, turning the molecule into THC. If you want to know more about CBGA, we’ve written about it extensively here.

4. Does THCA have benefits?

So far, what we know is that THCA has the same benefits as THC, however, if consumed before the decarboxylation processes, THCA is non-intoxicating. This is great for people who want to benefit from the effects of THC without getting high.

For the average user looking for intoxication and effects, decarboxylation, so smoking, vaping, heating, or drying the THCA will turn it into THC. This will give you that familiar high with all of the benefits of both worlds.

5. Will I test positive on a drug test?

We don’t like to say no when it comes to a drug test in case there’s a unique metabolic circumstance with an individual, but we can say definitively yes, with this one. If you consume THCA, you will test positive for THC on a drug test.

As mentioned above, the process of heating the hemp will decarboxylate the THCA into THC, introducing that into your system. It’s what is responsible for your high.

Bonus Facts: Is THCA Legal?

THCA is federally legal, which is different from the wide legalization that something like tobacco or alcohol receives. In 2018 the Farm Bill made all products from hemp legal as long as they contain less than 0.03% THC by weight. That means that as long as the THCA content is less than 0.03% of the overall weight, it’s federally legal.

However, some states have specific rules and laws. While we do our best to stay up-to-date on what’s legal or what’s not, we often recommend buyers beware. Check the hemp laws in your state for products such as THCA to make sure you’re compliant when ordering.

We also recommend that if you’re traveling check the laws of places you’ll transit through and your final destination to avoid any potential problems.

If you’re curious about the history of hemp and how it became legal, The Hemp Doctor has you covered with our blog.

What THCA products do we offer at The Hemp Doctor?

We’ve got a variety of THCA flower and prerolls including Buttermilk Cookies THCA, Gelato THCA, Italian Ice THCA, Lemon Punch THCA, Ice Cream Cookies THCA, and Pineapple Express THCA. See here for everything we have to offer!

While we primarily offer flower and pre-rolls at the moment, subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on products we may roll out in the future.

Why order pre-rolls instead of flower?

Some people may be wanting to experiment with THCA and are not sure how to start. A pre-roll is a pre-measured joint that allows users to try a single strain or a blend. Some people who struggle to roll joints, due to mobility or dexterity issues, can utilize pre-rolls to enjoy THCA without the challenge of preparing it for consumption themselves.

It also allows you to start with a smaller sample or a unique blend you wouldn’t be able to create yourself at home. If you’re interested in learning how new blends are made, or how to make a weed salad for yourself at home, read more here.

Novel Cannabinoids at the Hemp Doctor

At The Hemp Doctor we’re extraordinarily proud of our selection of traditional and novel cannabinoids. Whether you want to use CBD as part of your wellness routine, experiment with THC for greater relaxation, or have fun with our HHC options, we have you covered at The Hemp Doctor.

The most important thing is keeping you safe, that’s why all of our products are tested and we make the lab results available on the website for all to see. Hemp is our passion, and it’s important to us that our clients use these products safely and that we provide the safest products.