Does THCA Flower Get You High?

This question truly has a curious yes and no answer to it depending on what happens to the THCa flower before it is consumed.

A lot of people are familiar with THC for its high-inducing effects. While Delta 9 THC is the most common cannabinoid associated with giving users that euphoric feeling, Delta 9 THC wouldn't exist without THCa.

Some people are under the impression that THCa will not get you high under any circumstances – this is false. In its raw form, cannabis flower does contain Delta 9 THC but in very small amounts, but it does in fact contain high amounts of THCa. Who is consuming cannabis flower in its raw form in the first place? We’re usually either smoking or vaping it. When you heat cannabis flower that contains high amounts of THCa, the THCa then converts into Delta 9 THC. This is known as decarboxylation. Ever wonder why you have to heat or "bake" raw cannabis flower before infusing it into edibles? This step is used to decarboxylate the cannabis flower, converting THCa into Delta 9 THC, in order to get the effects you are looking for.

THCA vs. THC – An Education

The first step is to learn more about it as a molecule.

Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa) is the main ingredient in most raw cannabis flower genetics. When heated or burned, the little “a” (the acid part) goes away, leaving you with Delta 9 THC, commonly referred to generally as just "THC.” This is the carboxyl group elimination we referred to earlier.

In other cannabis genetics, CBDa is the primary ingredient and when heated or burned, the little “a” (the acid part) similarly goes away and the compound left is simply CBD. The pre-decarboxylated form of CBD or THC (aka THCa or CBDa) may have its own benefits if consumed raw. However, if someone wants to use THCa for the purpose of getting high, the flower will need to be activated via heat or combustion methods to transform it into Delta 9 THC.

THC is a broad term that refers to all the different kinds of THC in the cannabis world. Before Delta 8 came into the picture, the term THC was used to refer to real cannabis flower, of which the primary ingredient is THCa just waiting to be heated and activated into Delta 9 THC. The term THC used to always refer to cannabis edibles that have always been Delta 9 THC or THCa in cannabis flower waiting to be converted into Delta 9 THC.

When Delta 8 THC became more mainstream in the hemp industry, it gave the word "delta" a bad wrap. That’s often why you may hear the term “Delta 9 THC” and think it is synthetic or not the real deal. Rest assured that Delta 9 THC is just good old, natural, and regular THC that we all know and love.

Hemp Generation: For THCA Products You Can Rely On

Hemp Generation is here to provide you with the most authentic, accurate representations of cannabis products on the market. Looking for flower? Not sure where to start? Check our our vast selection of THC strains! Our goal is to prioritize education and long-term wellness for everyone so they can find lasting, sustainable ways to help their bodies and minds thrive. Looking for edibles? We have done the decarboxylation process to convert the THCa into Delta 9 THC and formulated edibles at 10mg a piece which you can find here. Want to consume raw THCa without converting it into delta 9 THC? Try eating raw flower or check out our THCa Diamond concentrates which can be consumed raw as well without having to deal with the bitter taste of raw flower.

Have any questions? Need more information? Please feel free to contact us at 919-371-1528 or email us at sales@hempgeneration.com. You can also connect with us through LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.