What is THCA Flower and why all the hype? 

What is THCA Flower and why all the hype? 

*In this blog post when we refer to THC we are referring to delta 9 THC. We are not referring to any of the synthetically produced THC cannabinoids such as delta 8, 10, 12, 4, 2.

First, let’s examine THCA. THCA is the precursor cannabinoid to THC. This means that THC comes from THCA when it is decarboxylated. Decarboxylation is a chemical reaction which releases a carboxyl group and releases CO2. I was not a science major either so don’t feel bad if you have no idea what that really means. What is important is that THCA and THC are different. THC gets you high and THCA does not. THC is federally illegal and THCA is legal.

So how do I buy legal THCA Flower and convert it to THC so I can get high?

You Smoke It! Yes, you can decarboxylate your THCA flower by just lighting it up! 

Popular opinion is that this is a loophole and who knows how long it is going to last. But, it is here now so time to acquaint yourself with THCA Flower.

What is the difference between THCA Flower and weed that I would buy from a plug or dispensary?”

And the answer is NOTHING! Both hemp and marihuana are “cannabis”. When a cannabis plant grows, the cannabinoids are mainly in their acidic form, THC is THCA, CBD is CBDA etc. Sometimes in the plant’s life cycle some of the cannabinoids will decarboxylate and sometimes they will not. So, you can have a plant that is all THCA with no THC. Or it can be a combination of both THCA and THC. For example, Gary Payton is both a THCA strain and a THC strain you can buy in a dispensary.

How is THCA Flower legal?

First, THCA Flower may not be legal in every state. There is an argument (in some states) to be made about “potential total THC”. Potential THC is determined by using the conversion formula of: THCA x .87 + THC. If that number is above .3% THC then that cannabis or cannabis product cannot be sold as hemp. The question is, which state or federal regulations do you choose to follow? 

Federal Farm Bill

The federal farm bill defines hemp as follows: the product derived from the plant, or the plant itself must contain less than .3% THC on a dry weight basis. However, it does not say anything about THCA. So, if a cannabis plant is 28% THCA with zero THC it can be classified as hemp. On the other hand, smoking 28% THCA flower will get you lit. It is the EXACT same as smoking flower with about 25% THC, remember our conversion formula. Furthermore, whenever you see the THC percent listed on a strain, it is most likely incorrect. This is because the majority of the THC is THCA and 28% THCA does not equal 28% THC!

THCA Flower or Delta 8 Flower?

States that follow USDA hemp regulations use “total potential THC” but not all states use the USDA regulations. When you think about it, more than half the states have marijuana programs which is still federally illegal so why not follow the regulations that allow THCA flower to be sold as hemp. Well, that is what everyone seems to be doing and it killed the delta 8 flower game which should have never been a thing to begin with. We hated spraying our beautiful CBD flower with delta 8 THC distillate and would much rather sell THCA flower because at the end of the day…. THEY BOTH GET YOU HIGH! Except one is natural (THCA Flower) and one is synthetic (Delta 8 Flower). There are other differences, but I am not going to waste either of our time going over them because delta 8 flower is NOT as good as the real thing.

My point being, you can now buy legal weed online but who knows how long it will last.