comparing THCa vs delta-9 THC

It seems like the cannabis industry has a million and one terms and acronyms that are hard to keep straight. Things like THCa, THC, Delta-9, and other terms can quickly be confusing if you aren’t familiar with them.

Hell, even cannabis enthusiasts struggle to keep it all straight sometimes. It’s completely understandable considering how much there is to know. It’s a diverse industry. But the key is to know that they really are all different and mean different things. 

In this guide, we’re going to focus on THCa vs. Delta-9 THC. They are both popular selections and yet they are vastly different compounds. They are typically used for very different purposes. Read on to better understand the differences. 

THCa is just a precursor to THC

Alright, you have THCa, which is tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, and then you have THC, which is tetrahydrocannabinol. It’s a mouthful either way, but they are different. You see, THCa is considered the non-psychoactive precursor to THC.

In its raw form, freshly harvested or processed without any heat, it’s highly potent for the cannabinoid profile. However, that potency is related to medicinal benefits. In that form, it has no psychoactive compounds, which is what a lot of users like about it. 

On that same note, THCa can go through a decarboxylation process and that converts the compound into THC. When heat is applied to the THCa cannabinoids or even to extracted concentrate, it becomes highly potent with psychoactive effects because it becomes THC in high doses. 

For those who like the medicinal benefits of THCa, it does offer a wide range of potential benefits. The benefit to using this rather than typical cannabis or THC products is the fact that you can experience relief from things like inflammation, neurological issues, chronic pain relief, anxiety, and more with the use of THCa and you don’t have to get high while you’re doing it. 

There is a lot of research that suggests THCa is specifically helpful for anti-inflammatory, antiemetic, and neuroprotective properties. It’s a common choice for medical marijuana because of this. 

Now, where does that have anything to do with Delta-9 THC? We’re glad you asked! When you use decarboxylation to convert THCa into a THC product, you suddenly have Delta-9 THC. Voila — it’s basically a magic trick.

So while they are very different, you can turn THCa into Delta-9. Decarboxylation can happen during processing to make a Delta-9 product. Or, you can take a pure THCa product and heat it through smoking, vaping, or cooking processes and achieve pretty much the same thing. 

delta-9 in all its psychoactive glory

Then we have Delta-9. In case you weren’t aware, you can also find Delta-8 and Delta-10. Those are similar to each other, but not really very similar to Delta-9 so just keep that in mind. The official name for Delta-9 THC is Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol. Obviously, THC is short for that very long word that is hard to pronounce. We prefer the nickname here. 

Delta-9 can be used for therapeutic benefits, but with those effects of cannabis you’re also going to experience the psychoactive effects as the cannabis interacts with your endocannabinoid system. Delta-9 THC will make you high and it can provide relief for things like anxiety and chronic pain. Most people who use Delta-9 products do so because they want the high feeling that comes with it. 

This is where THCa vs. Delta-9 sees the most significant difference. THCa has nonpsychoactive effects while Delta-9 THC has them and stimulates cannabinoid receptors intensely.

The endocannabinoid interaction particularly may affect CB1 receptors in your brain or nervous system. As a result, Delta-9 THC can provide euphoric feelings and affect your mood, perception, and cognition too.

Delta-9 THC certainly can be potent in its own way. It has its own cannabinoid profile. The potency is going to depend on the cannabis strain that it comes from.

Some cannabis strains have much higher potency than others, and this particular detail might impact the psychoactive experience while using Delta-9 THC. Some strains are much lower and will only produce mild effects in this category. 

If you’re going to use Delta-9 THC, you should be aware of the psychoactive properties and the fact that it can vary. Understand how you plan to use it and the effects you want to experience. All of this will matter when it comes to dosing guidelines. 

THCa vs. delta-9 THC: the full comparison

Alright, we’ve talked in detail about both of these to give you an overview of just what they are. But the comparison doesn’t end there. We shared a lot of information, but let’s break it down into specific sectors to compare these two cannabis products. 

We’re going to compare these things: 

Psychoactivity

Medical potential

Consumption methods

Catch the breakdown below. 

psychoactivity 

The psychoactivity detail is probably the most substantial difference between these two compounds. There is a significant difference in the effects, but there are also ways to experience intoxicating effects from both THCa and Delta-9 THC. It’s all about how you use it or how it gets processed that you need to be aware of. 

As far as psychoactivity is concerned, THCa doesn’t have those effects on your body. When it interacts with you, there are no intoxicating results.

Now, while that is true, you should also know that if you choose to heat THCa in any way, then that changes substantially. Heating it through decarboxylation processes or using it for vaping or smoking is going to turn it into Delta-9 THC. Suddenly, you have a very potent substance that is going to alter your psychoactivity strongly. 

On the other hand, Delta-9 THC is known for its psychoactive effects and it’s the most common reason that people use this particular option. It will alter consciousness and induce a range of experiences that may vary depending on how your body responds to the products. 

medical potential

Alright, onto the medical side. It is safe to say that both THCa and Delta-9 THC provide some medical benefits. They have therapeutic potential, but it just might not be the same across the board. The thing is they are known for different therapeutic benefits and reliefs because of how they interact with the endocannabinoid system. 

So, here’s the breakdown of what they are really known for to make it easy. 

THCa

Anti-inflammatory

Chronic pain treatment

Neuroprotection

Neuro damage relief

Antiemetic properties

Delta-9 THC

Analgesic

Antiemetic

Anxiolytic 

Notice that they both have medical potential benefits from them, they are just far different. If you plan to use something for medical purposes, get to understand what will best provide for your individual preferences.

Those words are not all common so just for clarification. Antiemetic is typically used to reduce or prevent nausea and vomiting. Much like the name sounds, anxiolytics are used to help reduce anxiety.

Everything else is pretty self-explanatory. However, if you are unsure, let Google be your friend. A medicinal cannabis user should choose their product based on the therapeutic outcome they are hoping to achieve with the use of cannabis plants. They should also consider the psychoactive potential and how it may affect them. 

consumption methods

Finally, let’s talk about consumption. If you want to use THCa for the therapeutic benefits and you don’t want to experience psychoactive effects with use, then you will need to be very cautious about how you consume it.

On that same note, you also need to be cautious about what you purchase. Check to see if the concentrate or product you purchase has undergone any type of decarboxylation or heat treatment. 

To consume THCa without heating it, you’re going to need to use a tincture, edible, or something similar that doesn’t require heat to make it work or make it usable. Raw cannabis plants and products are the best choices when you want to avoid getting high while also enjoying the medicinal effects. 

Now, if you want the psychoactive effects of THCa and the potency that it can provide, then you can dab or vape your THCa instead. These are great options, just know that they do alter the overall side effects that you might feel from consumption. 

And then we have Delta-9 THC, which you can enjoy pretty much any way you like. Most of the time it’s processed down into either a resinous material or a cannabis concentrate.

It can also be in dry herb form for smoking purposes. You have a lot more flexibility because the way that you consume Delta-9 THC is not going to alter how it affects you. It’s pretty much the same across the board. 

That means that you can smoke Delta-9 THC, vape it, ingest it, or find another suitable solution that works for you. Vaping and edibles are probably the most common choice for Delta-9 THC. 

conclusion 

In this guide of THCa vs. Delta-9 THC, you find that they are really quite different. However, with heat, THCa can become Delta-9 THC so be aware of that.

They have unique uses and potential therapeutic benefits. As a cannabis user, you should be aware of the potential side effects so you can use them knowing exactly what you are dealing with. 

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