What’s the Difference Between THC and THCA?

Hey, we’ll be the first to admit it: There’s way too many abbreviations in the cannabis and hemp worlds. Between THC and HHC and CBD and all the others, it’s a lot to keep track of. But all that said, there’s one you’ll want to stay on top of cause it’s a big one: What’s the difference between THC and THCA?

The short answer is that THC is the cannabinoid most responsible for the euphoric “high” we get from cannabis. And THCA is the chemical precursor to THC, a natural compound that—while it doesn’t have any psychoactive effects—is linked to a number of health benefits on its own.

In today’s post, we’ll take a deep dive into the difference between THC and THCA, along with the many ways they’re similar. If you’ve ever wondered “is THCA the same as THC,” buckle up as we answer questions such as:

• What is THCA?
• How does THCA become THC?
• THCA vs THC: which is stronger?
• Is THCA legal? 

…and more. If you’re ready to learn everything about these special hemp compounds, let’s get rolling.

What Are Cannabinoids?

If you want to know what THCA is all about, we’ve got to back up a step to talk about the cannabinoids. They’re a family of compounds found in hemp and cannabis, and they deliver most of these plants’ psychoactive effects, health benefits, and of course that special euphoric high.

There are a lot of cannabinoids—over 100 at last count—and they all do different things for our bodies and our minds. But no matter which ones we’re talking about, they all interact with our body the same way: through specialized cells called CB1 receptors and CB2 receptors. They’re part of the endocannabinoid system, a network that helps us maintain important functions such as:

• Sleep
• Learning and memory 
• Metabolism
• Immune response
• Growth and development

Okay! Now that you have some idea of just what cannabinoids are, let’s get into the nitty-gritty around THCA itself.

What Is THCA?

As we mentioned a moment ago, THC is the cannabinoid that’s most directly responsible for the cannabis plant’s euphoric high. But THC doesn’t just appear out of nowhere: There’s a chemical precursor to THC, and that’s THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid). THCA is an acidic compound that transforms into THC through a process known as decarboxylation. Decarboxylation—or “decarbing”—sounds complicated, but it’s surprisingly simple. And here’s a hint: You already know how it works!

Is THCA the Same As THC?

At the atomic level, they do look very similar to one another. But THCA has an extra molecular carboxyl ring, and this is enough to keep it from binding to the CB1 receptors in our endocannabinoid systems—the ones which activate the psychoactive effects. No CB1 activation? That means no high.

So…how do you get rid of that carboxyl ring? It’s as easy as striking a match. No, really:  The heat from an open flame instantly decarboxylates the THCA in raw cannabis, allowing it to turn to THC. Now it can bind to those CB1 receptors, giving us that euphoric sensation we love cannabis for.

There’s other ways to decarboxylate THCA, too. Some THCA naturally decarboxylates during the growing process—more on that in a moment. You can read about this and the other techniques for decarbing at our in-depth explainer article: The Decarboxylation of THCA: What It Is & Why It Matters.

THC vs THCA: Potency, Benefits, and More

When they’re first learning about THCA, some people ask: “so…THCA vs THC: which is stronger?” But in actuality, the question is slightly off-base. Because while THCA does have some intriguing effects, they’re nothing like the intoxicating high from THC.

What about the process of converting THCA to THC? Is there a functional difference between non-decarboxylated THCA and decarboxylated THC? And while there hasn’t been a ton of research done on THCA yet, so far as we currently know there isn’t a significant increase or decrease in potency between the two compounds. The difference is that before THCA has been decarboxylated, its psychoactive qualities are just potential effects.

That raises a question: If THCA doesn’t bind with those CB1 receptors, is it doing anything for us? It is! While as we wrote a moment ago, there’s still not a great deal of science on THCA as a standalone compound, current studies suggest that THCA may help reduce inflammation, can help control seizures, and may offer anti-nausea effects as well. 

Of course, we should point out that THC also does more than simply get us high. Studies suggest that the cannabinoid imparts a number of medical benefits, including the potential to control pain, potentially improving sleep quality, and stimulate the appetite, among other possible benefits.

The Difference Between THC and THCA: Legality

There’s another very special THCA benefit that a lot of people don’t know about—though they should. Because while THCA is the precursor to THC, it doesn’t actually contain THC. And no THC means that THCA is federally legal. That’s thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill, which states that so long as hemp products contain .3% THC or less, they’re perfectly legal to sell and consume pretty much anywhere in the U.S. 

That said, while the majority of states follow the wording of the 2018 Farm Bill, some maintain more stringent restrictions on hemp products and have banned THCA. You should check our FAQ Page for the most current updates on state-by-state legality.

There’s one final catch: Remember a moment ago when we said that some THCA naturally decarboxylates during the growing cycle? Because of this, some THCA flower can’t legally be sold under the Farm Bill, because it contains more than the legal threshold. That’s why here at The Dopest, we only use cannabis or hemp strains that have been carefully selected, grown, and handled so as to minimize this natural decarbing. As a result,  they all test under the .3% THC threshold, making them 100% legal to sell—and ship—nearly anywhere in the U.S.

What About THCA Products?

How do you access THCA? The most common format you’ll find it in is THCA flower. If you’ve ever interacted with cannabis flower, it should look pretty familiar to you: Vibrant and chunky green buds with a fine dusting of silvery trichomes—the cannabis plant’s miniature “medicine factories.” But THCA actually comes to us in one of two formats: Grown from seed or infused with pure THCA crystals

The first approach—growing THCA flower from scratch—is actually the more challenging strategy. Because having too much THC would disqualify it from being sold under the Farm Bill, growers have to be extra-careful to ensure their plants don’t cross the legal threshold. The second method involves infusing fresh hemp flower with pure THCA. The process is straightforward: harvested and cured hemp flower is infused or coated with THCA crystals.

THCA crystals—often called THCA diamonds—are worth a mention on their own. They’re created by submerging cured flower in a gentle solvent. Once the THCA is dissolved in the solution, it’s allowed to slowly evaporate, leaving behind the characteristic crystals (or “diamonds”) of pure THCA. These crystals can be enjoyed on their own or added to other products to enhance their potency. And if you’re intrigued, check out our products here.

Explore THCA and Other Alt Cannabinoids

A lot of people are confused about the difference between THC vs THCA, and it’s not hard to understand why. But besides the similarities in their names—and the fact that they’re both cannabinoids derived from hemp or cannabis—THCA is the chemical precursor to THC. And while it doesn’t provide a euphoric high, it has an unusual feature. When it undergoes a process called decarboxylation, it changes on the molecular level. Now it’s THC, the cannabinoid most responsible for the cannabis plant’s psychoactive high.

Over and above this, THCA imparts some interesting health benefits of its own, like helping control seizures and inflammation. But what’s most important to know is that because non-decarboxylated THCA isn’t technically psychoactive, The Dopest is able to offer fast, safe, and 100% legal shipping of THCA products by mail.

Want to learn more about THCA? We can help with that. Visit our hemp blog, where you’ll find in-depth articles like our guide to the difference between THCA and HHC or our introduction to terpenes.