THC and THC-A: BREAKING DOWN THE DIFFERENCE

January 15, 2019

Ever crack open that fresh bag of funk from after a Kush 21 trip and read the white label? Your average pothead might squint to see some unfamiliar lingo at first. Your eyes start to wander, looking for familiar words when you stumble on the age-old term “THC”.

Even your grandmother knows that weed isn’t weed without THC nowadays. Then you read a few lines and see the term “THC-A” right next to it and get a little stumped. THC? THC-A? What’s the difference? “I thought there was only one!”, you say. But before you jump in your car and demand a non-refundable refund, let’s break down the difference between the two.

THC and THC-A in Marijuana

WHAT IS THC?

THC, short for tetrahydrocannabinol, is one of over 100 cannabinoids inside of cannabis. THC is the psycho-active ingredient within cannabis that gets you high, which mirrors the effects of anandamide, a natural chemical in the human brain, but alters the function of brain waves, changing it’s process to communicate.

If you were to compare getting high to eyesight, THC would be the sunglasses. Affecting your thoughts, pleasure, memory, coordination, and sensory perception, THC can definitely impair your average day. *We at Kush 21 do not encourage driving or operating machinery while indulging.* THC is also beneficial to one’s health, helping those to treat depression, epilepsy, eating disorders, and many more mental and physical issues, making it’s uses both recreational and medicinal.

THC and THC-A in Marijuana

SO IF THC IS WHAT GETS YOU HIGH, WHAT EXACTLY IS THC-A, YOU ASK?

 THC-A, tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, is a compound within cannabis that is basically THC in it’s beginning stage. During the drying and curing process of marijuana plants, THC-A transforms into THC. Heat then brings it ten-fold, so as you light up and begin to smoke, you are activating your THC. No phone plan needed.

Research on THC-A is in it’s early stages, but some properties that have been discovered within include; anti-inflammatory for lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, anti-emetic treatment for nausea, anti-proliferative treatment battling prostate and pancreatic cancer, and neurodegenerative treatment for Parkinson disease.  Although still a new discovery, studies on THC-A and it’s benefits to cannabis use are being revealed day by day.

Now when you visit Kush 21, you can ask your favorite budtender to check out the label on your next purchase and it won’t be as confusing as reading the ingredients on your energy drink.

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*All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

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