THCa flower has become really popular. Any cannabis product with THCa is a great choice and has its own unique features just like any other cannabis product out there. People prefer this option for the potency.
When you use the fresh flower, there is no THC, which is the cannabinoid that causes psychoactive effects. That only comes if you heat the flower in some manner and put it through decarboxylation.
A lot of people pose the question how is THCa flower made, and it’s a great question. How is it produced and what creates this cannabinoid selection for you to enjoy in the cannabis industry? In this guide, we will break that down for you as well as cover various properties, uses, and effects of THCa. Stay tuned!
understanding THCa flower
THCa translates to tetrahydrocannabinolic acid. That’s quite the mouthful, which is why we just say THCa. Take note that it is an acid. The best way to describe THCa is that it’s a precursor to tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. THC is where cannabis products get their psychoactive effects. This is what ultimately causes the high feeling that some people enjoy.
THCa flower in raw form doesn’t have any of that. There are no intoxicating effects like with your typical THC and that’s what sets it apart.
Now, when THCa is heated or goes through a decarboxylation process, it actually converts to THC. So that means if you put THCa content in a vape, you’re going to convert it and get THC in the end. There are other methods out there that will decarboxylate THCa flower as well. Just know it’s the heat that causes the conversion to THC.
There isn’t an actual THCa flower. When people refer to THCa flower, they are just referring to cannabis flower that has been cultivated in such a way as to preserve as much THCa content as possible, creating a cannabinoid profile that is designed to provide potential benefits.
That being said, THCa flower can come from just about any type of cannabis plant or flower with proper cultivation techniques. It’s just that particular cannabinoid content and it has to be in its raw form or processed into a concentrate with absolutely no heat treatment.
a look at the cultivation process
Since you’re not looking for a specific type of plant for THCa flower, let’s take a close look at the cultivation details to better understand how THCa flower is made.
Genetics
Growing environment
Harvesting
You already know, we’re breaking down these topics even further below.
genetics
While every hemp flower has the possibility of hosting THCa, there are some cannabis strains out there that are known to have much higher levels of THCa, which can translate to high THC levels. Cannabis sativa and cannabis indica are both incredibly common and well-known hemp products that can contain high THCa content.
Depending on the priorities of the grower, they may specifically look for genetics that are going to provide high doses of THCa. The truth is that a lot of producers look for this quality even if they plan to turn that product into something that is heated. The reason? Because it’s highly potent either way.
In terms of cultivation, a focus on THCa is going to mean that the cultivators look for these particular genetics before they even start planting and growing. Then, they are going to grow it in such a way to stimulate the cannabinoid profile.
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growing environment
That leads us into the growing environment. Creating optimal growing conditions is a big part of how THCa flower is made and how much THCa can be harvested from hemp plants. Any type of cannabis focus is going to require some very careful growing habits. It is really easy to ruin the cannabis buds or ruin cannabinoid content such as THCa. That’s the last thing we want.
Of course, growers and producers are aware of the value of the growth stage. Those who handle this professionally will have all of the tools to be successful. Growing for optimal THCa requires adequate lighting, nutrient supply, watering, air circulation, and controlling things like temperature and humidity levels in the growing area. They might even need to consider the climate or weather in their area to determine alternative measures that might need to be implemented for optimal growing.
Each of these details will be important for healthy plant growth and the development of these cannabinoids.
harvesting
And finally, we have the harvesting process. What happens when you harvest any kind of plant or flower? It gets plucked, picked, pulled, cut, etc. When someone is raising a plant rich in THCa, the optimal harvest time is when the trichomes become fully developed at the flowering stage.
This is when the grower is going to begin harvest the raw cannabis plants. Those trichomes are a huge indicator and this prime time will impact how much THCa is available from the plant as well.
In case you didn’t know, it’s the delicate trichomes of the flowering stage that contain much of the cannabinoid profiles and terpenes, particularly of THCa. The flowers should be harvested with care to prevent damaging or losing any of the desired elements.
processing and preserving THCa flower
Once those lovely flowers are harvested from the cannabis plant, there is more crucial work to be done for consumers like us to then enjoy the THCa products. Remember that in its raw cannabis form, there is no THC from the THCa flower. If you use an extraction method with heat, this will quickly change. Some people DO this because they want the highly potent side of THC that comes from decarboxylation of THCa.
There are also those of us who just want the potential health benefits without the psychoactive effects and that is where avoiding heat will be very important. With that in mind, high-quality THCa flower typically goes through minimal processing, but there are different methods.
First of all, using a solventless approach is really the best option, no matter what the desired end result is. Flash-freezing the cannabis flower right away is a really great way to preserve all of those most desired elements using a cold extraction method. Then, you can proceed with extraction however you want.
There are also options for a curing and drying process, which is also fine. It’s a common choice to create dry herbs for THCa. During the drying and curing process, all of the excess moisture is drawn out of the plant matter and the flavor, potency, and robust nature are still preserved. The quality of the THCa flower remains intact when dried and cured properly.
Where most products in the cannabis industry go through extensive processes or extraction, that is not usually the case here.
use and consumption
We know the backstory; now how do we get from that to something we can use or consume? By the time a cannabis consumer gets the product, it is either in a concentrated form or in a dry herb form. You can take that material and apply it to your application of choice.
Remember that if you use heat, such as vaping or smoking, you are going to convert the THCa into THC in the process. There is nothing wrong with that if it’s what you want. We just want to make sure you understand this. And if you want to enjoy the THCa benefits without them converting to THC, then you probably want to use something like cannabis gummies or a tincture instead.
These are the most common choices for consumption methods:
Smoking: uses heat to combust the materials so that you can inhale them. Smoking does apply heat, which will activate THCa and convert it into THC.
Vaping: a vape pen or vape cart has a heating element that heats liquid concentrate or dry herb into a vapor material. You then inhale the vapor into your lungs for the desired effects. Again, this applies heat and will convert THCa into THC.
Edibles: Edibles and tinctures are a great way to enjoy THCa without the intoxicating side effects from heat. However, you can’t bake brownies (heat) so it will need to be ingested as a tincture or injected into something like gummies.
effects and benefits
Finally, let’s talk about the effects and benefits of THCa flower. Here’s what it is known for:
Potential therapeutic benefits
Mild, limited psychoactive effects
High potency
THCa is a preferred choice for medicinal benefits, pain relief, and other similar ailments. The reason is because it is so potent. It’s very powerful in this way and thought to offer a great deal for antiemetic properties, neuroprotective properties, anti-inflammatory, chronic pain, and more.
THCa in raw harm has limited to no psychoactive effects because it is the acidic precursor to THC. This makes it a nonpsychoactive compound. Just remember that heat will change that. Which brings us to the final benefit, which is the product being highly potent. If you use it raw, it is highly potent for therapeutic properties. If you use it decarboxylated, it is highly potent for THC purposes.
conclusion
How is THCa flower made? It’s simple! It’s simply one part of the cannabis plant and it can be harvested and processed to create a lot of different things. Understanding what leads to the end result and how to use it for your needs is what is really important here. Explore and enjoy.
