THCA offers a range of useful medicinal applications. The therapeutic value of THCA has been somewhat overlooked in favor of cannabinoids such as THC and CBD.
The benefits of THCA
include anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, anti-tumor, neuroprotective and antiemetic properties. The THCA molecule does not produce intoxicating effects because it does not fit into the brain's cannabinoid receptors.Therefore, any laboratory analysis of THCA that uses any technique that involves significant heat will generate THC in the process of manipulation and analysis. THCA synthase takes the central cannabinoid precursor, CBGA, and converts it into THCA, in addition to several other acidic cannabinoids. THCA is a highly unstable compound, making it difficult to observe and protect against THC contamination.
Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid
(THCA, 2-COOH-THC; conjugate-based tetrahydrocannabinolate) is a precursor to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), an active component of cannabis.THCA is rarely consumed directly, but its presence is usually tested when analyzing the presence of THC in cannabis or hemp-based products; some countries require that it be measured in such tests. The conversion of THCA to THC in vivo seems to be very limited, giving it a very mild efficacy as a THC prodrug. THCA is not federally planned in the United States, but it is possible that THCA could legally be considered an analog of THC and that its sale or possession could be prosecuted under the Federal Analogs Act. THCA is also sometimes encapsulated and taken as a supplement for a variety of diseases, although there are currently no established medical applications.
THCA is produced in trichomes, the small glandular hairs found on the surface of the cannabis plant. At this point, you may be wondering how to analyze the THC potency of a cannabis flower purchased at the dispensary if the THCA has not yet been decarboxylated.
THCA oil
requires the extraction of THCA at room temperature to ensure that the molecule is not converted to THC. THCA in its isolated form is available for purchase at some medical and recreational cannabis dispensaries in the form of white crystalline powder.However, it is possible that THCA could be considered an analog of THC and that its possession could be prosecuted under the Federal Analogs Act. In the past, it was thought that THCA was formed in plants by cyclizing cannabidiolic acid, but due to studies carried out in the late 1990s, it became clear that its precursor is cannabigerolic acid, which is oxidocyclated through the action of the THCA-synthase enzyme.
