Some research suggests that THCA may have anti-inflammatory properties and help reduce inflammation both in real environments and in a laboratory.
Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid
(THCA) is the most abundant non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in cannabis. The health benefits of THCA are better absorbed by the body through a raw consumption method, such as cannabis juice. THCA works to relieve inflammation and pain and is an ideal cannabinoid for treating the symptoms of conditions such as arthritis and seizures.Both cannabinoids have a similar chemical structure with different functions. Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid is a cannabinoid derived from CBGA, the “mother of all cannabinoids”, which forms as the marijuana plant matures. Because THCA has an extramolecular carboxylic ring, the cannabinoid cannot bind to receptors in the brain to generate the euphoric effect of THC. At higher concentrations, THCA can also activate TRPV4, a heat-sensitive receptor, and TRPA1, a receptor that mediates the spicy flavor of spices such as mustard and cinnamon.
The therapeutic potential of THCA is all the more remarkable since this compound is more easily available than THC or CBD due to the ubiquity of the raw marijuana plant. However, unheated THC is known as THCA, and it comes from raw and unprocessed cannabis plants and does not produce euphoric effects, but it can have several health benefits. The present study suggests that the anti-inflammatory activity of cannabis extracts in the epithelial cells of the colon is due to a fraction of the extract that contains THCA. However, there is no research to indicate that TRPM8 inhibition prevents nausea or reduces seizures, so this does not explain the clinically observed effects of THCA.
Sulak's article states that higher doses of THCA generally did not improve the response, and one patient worsened after increasing the dose of THCA. Another study suggested that THCA was a much weaker antioxidant than THC or CBD and that THCA is only mildly neuroprotective at equally high doses. If you smoke, cook, drink or vape cannabis, you should look for products with a high amount of THCA. Two studies on inflammation revealed that THCA does not inhibit COX-2, an inflammatory enzyme blocked by ibuprofen and aspirin, and that high doses of THCA were needed to obtain an anti-inflammatory effect.
The isolate can then be prepared by purifying the raw extract so that it is almost just THCA (normally with a purity greater than 98%). Interestingly, the effect of THCA in the Guelph study was prevented by blocking the CB1 cannabinoid receptor.
