Although THCA is as old as cannabis itself, it’s only recently found its way into the limelight. And with its rising popularity, numerous misconceptions have sneaked in as well. We’ve already covered and debunked misconceptions about THCA’s psychoactive properties and whether or not it can make you high. We’ve also covered THCA’s overall effects and benefits but one important question that still needs to be answered is “what is a high THCA percentage”?
Does THCA percentage matter and if it does, what should you be looking for when purchasing THCA? Let’s find out.
What’s the Difference: THCA vs THC?
THCA or tetrahydrocannabinolic acid is one of the primary compounds found in the cannabis plant. It is also the precursor to THC and releases THC when it undergoes decarbonization through heating.
There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding THCA and THC but in a nutshell, THCA contains THC (along with other hemp plant compounds) but is non-psychoactive when freshly harvested. On the other hand, THC is derived from THCA through the process of decarbonization.
Related: What is the Difference between THCA and THC?
Another major difference (and course of confusion) is that while THC is derived from THCA, it is very different in terms of the effects it produces. In addition to this, THCA has only gone mainstream very recently so it’s not very common in other distillate, edible, and other forms while THC is.
The most common way to acquire THCA is to simply purchase fresh hemp flower buds or raw cannabis as both will contain THCA. The amount of THCA in that cannabis, however, depends.
Is 20% THCA lot?
THCA is often sold in the form of THCA-dominant seeds or in the form of hemp flower (raw cannabis). Reputed and trusted companies like Smoky Mountain CBD will mention how much THCA their seeds and hemp flower contain. But let’s focus on seeds first.
THCA seeds come in hundreds of variants, each slightly different but one common factor among all will be the THCA content. For instance, here at Smoky Mountain CBD, we’ve created our own high-quality strain of THCA-dominant seeds. These seeds are available as regular seeds and autoflowering seeds.
Both types are high-THCA seeds which mean the expected THCA yield is around 15-20+%. At 20%, THCA seeds start to reach their ceiling in terms of consistent results. There are also low and medium varieties. Anything above 25% can be expected to be extremely potent.
Note: THCA seeds are not for consumption but for growing. The THCA percentage for THCA seeds refers to how much THCA yield can be expected when the plant is fully grown.
Whether or not 20% is a lot depends on who you’re asking. Everyone is different and so is the way we metabolize cannabinoids. For some people, 20% might produce a mild high while for others, 20% might be near their limit. If you’re new to hemp products, it’s a good idea to start out slow.
A great choice is our Tennessee CBD Hemp Flower. This was carefully produced to create a mild high in low quantities so it’s great for beginners as the quantity can be scaled up without the potency getting out of control.
If you’re purchasing THCA in the form of raw cannabis and the label does not explicitly mention the THC percentage (as it does with Smoky Mountain products), then a simple way of calculating THC percentage from THC is:
THCA Percentage x 0.877 = Total Potential THC
Is THCP Stronger than THCA?
With THCA becoming more popular, we’ve seen a rise in questions regarding other hemp compounds such as THCP, the most common being “is THCP stronger than THCA?”.
And the answer is yes, THCP is a lot stronger than THCA. THCP (Tetrahydrocannabiphorol) is a very potent hemp compound that’s not readily available. In terms of psychoactive effects, experts say it can produce a high that’s up to 10 times stronger than that of THCA.
Is THCO Stronger than THCA?
Once again, the answer is yes, THCO is much more potent than THCA. Like THCP, THCO (tetra cannabinoid-O-acetate) is a natural hemp compound that has psychoactive properties up to 5 times stronger than THCA.
Important Note: Both THCP and THCO are relatively new compounds. Scientists and experts are still researching the effects of both. At the moment, there isn’t a lot of conclusive evidence about the exact potency of either. Exercise caution and as with any dietary supplements, consult your physician.
