As a general rule, any cannabis strain containing THC above 15% is likely to have a high percentage of THCA before decarboxylation. So if they don't share the same psychoactive properties, does THCA get you high like THC? The answer is no. It just doesn't produce the same intoxicating and mind-altering effects that THC produces. When you look at the label and packaging of a cannabis product, you'll see both the percentage of THC and the percentage of THCA.
The THCA percentage indicates the potential THC content of the cannabis strain. THCA has no effect, but THC does. That is the most significant relationship; THCA is the source of the psychoactive results of THC. When you vape, THCA is converted to THC, creating a transparent and highly cerebral effect.
THC is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis that produces the “feeling of euphoria”. THCA levels are exceptionally high in live or freshly harvested plants. Raw cannabis is a well-known superfood, and the parts that are extracted in juice can offer a higher amount of THCA. THCA is found in concentrates and, when crystalline, can be extracted and consumed in its purest form.
Since THCA is relatively new to the cannabis industry, there are quite a few THCA products available on the market, the most common of which are THCA-containing cannabis buds and raw cannabis. Decarboxylation can occur naturally when raw cannabis is exposed to light and heat or artificially when smoking, vaping, or applying THCA products. When buying different marijuana products, it's crucial to know the percentage of THC and THCA that the products contain. But keep in mind that research on THCA is still scarce and more studies are needed to delve into the benefits of THCA.
Let's say that the product you are thinking of buying at a dispensary does not indicate the percentage of THCA. While there are some theories that suggest that the human digestive system can convert THCA to THC, you're unlikely to feel significant effects from consuming THCA this way. This means that total THC levels never add up to the sum of the THC and THCA percentages, so don't think too much when trying to determine the amount of THC your product contains. THCA can't get you high, but you don't want to bake it at such high temperatures that you end up without THC and a little bit of THCA remaining.
The main difference between THCA and THC is that THCA does not have the same psychoactive properties as THC. And if you've been using cannabis products, such as cannabis flowers, you may be downloading THCA without consciously realizing it. In fact, if you want to get the psychoactive effects of marijuana, you need to decarbonize the THCA product you're consuming. While terpenes are not intoxicating on their own, they can affect the taste, aroma, and overall experience of consuming a cannabis product such as THCA.
However, product labels such as edibles and oils actually show the actual amount of THC that the product contains, since the THCA in the extract has already been converted to active THC.
