What’s the Difference Between THC and THCa?

For canna-conoisseurs who enjoy the classic experience of rolling blunts, finding good-quality marijuana can be quite costly these days.

Take a trip to your local dispensary and you will likely see a new product in the lineup – THCA weed.

It looks and smells like weed, but is somehow legal and often cheaper than normal bud.

Read on to learn about THCA vs THC and how it is an innovative approach to giving customers a quality product while staying within cannabis regulation.

Is THCA The Same as THC?

You’ll be forgiven for questioning what is the difference between THC and THCA because there is essentially no difference between them after you smoke either one.

Wait, so what is THCA? And does THCA get you high?

THCA is often advertised as THC without the high, but this isn’t accurate.

Simply put, selling THCA makes the most of a gap in regulations. As a raw product, it doesn’t contain any of the psychotropic compound THC. THCA has a carboxylic acid group (COOH) attached to its molecular structure which converts THCA into THC when heated.

Basically, if you put THCA hemp into a joint or a bong and light it, or bake it into brownies, it’ll give you the same high sensations as THC.

Studies suggest that it is possible to get the full plant benefits¹ of cannabis without the high using THCA if it is processed without heat. Some manufacturers create THCA juices and gummies that technically will not get you high but may result in a failed drug test.

THCA vs THC: Which Is Stronger?

This is an interesting question because THCA potency vs THC is very similar. When you smoke or vape THCA flower, the heat transforms THCA into THC through a chemical reaction process called decarboxylation to make you high.

Interestingly, time can also trigger this change. Even without heat, if you store THCA for long enough, it will slowly convert into THC as it slowly releases CO2. How fast this happens depends on temperature, moisture, and humidity, but cooler storage slows the process.

It’s worth noting that whether heated or otherwise, not all THCA converts into THC. Only 87.7% of it will convert, this is considered the industry standard rate.

Smoking freshly harvested "THCA flowers" provides a different experience than smoking older, fully matured buds. The high can last longer because of the additional chemical process that occurs before those happy high compounds (THC) flow through your system.

Also, because THCA is not regulated in the same way as Delta-9 THC, it means that you can legally purchase products that have a higher eventual THC content after heating. THCA side effects can include the normal things you would associate with getting too high, like dry mouth and anxiety.

So, is THCA safe? It is, as long as you purchase it from a reputable vendor and take it easy with the dosing.

For example, you can order a THCA flower strain with as much as 40% THCA. When smoked, 87.7% will convert into THC leaving you with buds that effectively contain 35% THC. In contrast, it is nearly impossible to legally purchase Delta 9 THC flower with a similar THC content due to current legislation.

Some people are looking for a profound chill, but if you want to keep tabs on your high, THCA can be difficult to predict. We suggest starting with a small amount if you’re canna-curious and don’t have previous experience with weed.

That, for us, is the biggest difference between THC and THCA.

At DELTA, we use Delta-9 THC in our entire product range because it gives us measurable and consistent results in potency so that we can rely on third-party testing and label our products accordingly. So whatever you see on the can is exactly what you get.

We’re all about elevating every moment but also knowing our comfortable limit. But there are always techniques you can try if you get a bit too high.

Is THCA Legal?

For now, THCA is legal at a federal level thanks to the Farm Bill² of 2018 which states that cannabis containing less than 0.3% THC by dry weight is classified as hemp, not marijuana.

THCA gets around the specific legislation for THC content in cannabis flower because it technically does not contain any. So when we mentioned the 40% THCA flower earlier, you can purchase it either online or from a dispensary and it is federally legal.

Although there’s a legal distinction between THCA vs weed, you might wonder, does THCA show up on a drug test? The answer is yes—especially if it's consumed in a way that involves heat, such as smoking.

Because of the huge rise in these types of cannabis products, the legal landscape seems to be always shifting so we suggest you always check on specific state-level regulations where you live.

Check out our previous article to learn more about the legal status of Delta-9 THC.

THCA vs Delta 9 – What’s Best For You?

If you want to know what gives you the best high (THC vs THCA) then you’ll be happy to hear that they are on par with each other. Ask a fanatic canna connoisseur and they might tell you different, but realistically the effects are the same.

The difference is more important when it comes to how you get high.

Because of federal legislation, Delta 9 THC is legal but only when it contains a tiny amount of THC – 0.3% by dry weight. That means that if you want to grind up some bud for a spliff, it will either contain a low quantity of THC (compared to marijuana) or include a combination of Delta 8 and Delta 10 to boost up the THC and give similar effects.

If you still love the ritual and taste of a joint, THCA flower is the way to go. As a raw product, it does not technically contain THC meaning that it is federally legal. But when activated by decarboxylation—heating or lighting it—smoking THCA effects are comparable to marijuana.

The thing is that you can’t get away from the overwhelming evidence that demonstrates how bad smoking is for your health. So when we are pushed to suggest the best way for you to get high, it has to be another way.

Cue DELTA!

Because we infuse Delta 9 THC into our drinks, we can create a product that still has a strong dose of THC while being federally legal so you get the best of both worlds – A clean, potent, and legal high without the stank of smoke.

And the best part is that you don’t need to do math to figure out how much THC you have consumed. Because Delta 9 THC is a consistent ingredient, we can state exactly how much THC and CBD are in each can of DELTA.

We have drinks to suit everyone with our DELTA Light range at 5mg THC per can and DELTA Cannabis Water at 20mg THC.

If you don’t believe us, try a can for yourself.