Indopedia All Things Marijuana
Recently, many patients have been asking me if they should be using THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid), and if you have been paying attention, you may have seen products labeled “THCA” in your local collective. So what is THCA, what does it do, and who should use it?
What is THCA?
THCA is synthesized in the trichomes of the cannabis flower when its precursor, CBGA (cannabigerolic acid), is exposed to an enzyme called THCA synthase. THCA is considered to be “thermally unstable,” meaning that it readily converts to THC (D9-tetrahydrocannabinol) when heated. This conversion of THCA to THC is called decarboxylation.
THCA will also convert to THC when stored at room temperature. Research shows that 22% of THCA in an olive oil extract will convert to THC after 10 days at 77℉, and in an ethanol extraction under the same conditions, 67% of the THCA will convert to THC. After 25 months at room temperature in glass bottles with very little light exposure, approximately 20% of the THCA converted to THC. At temperatures over 176℉, 70-95% of THCA rapidly decarboxylates. The human body cannot convert THCA to THC.
What does THCA do?
THCA is less studied than…
