There are over 120 different cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. The most abundant and well known cannabinoid is Delta 9. This is a psychoactive cannabinoid that creates the sense of euphoria that consumers aim for when they consume cannabis products. But there’s not just psychoactive cannabinoids within the plant. There are also non-psychoactive cannabinoids found within the plant. One of the most abundant non-psychoactive cannabinoids is known as Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA).

Effects

THCA is best known as an effective neuroprotectant. Research shows THCA is such an efficient neuroprotectant its being used to treat neurological disorders like MS, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease. Other benefits of THCA include stimulating appetite and relieving pain and inflammation, becoming an ideal cannabinoid for treating arthritis and seizures. This is similar to other cannabinoids, like CBG. They also help decrease the effects and advancement of neurological diseases like MS and Parkinson’s. Finally, research has shown that THCA has an effect on cancer cells, making new cells unviable and keeping cancerous cells from multiplying. 

THCA contains around two percent THC within it and attaches to CB1 and CB2 receptors in the brain. These receptors trigger the effects of cannabis and cannabinoids within the body. 

Potential Benefit

Unfortunately, not much research is available on cannabinoids in the United States. This is because of the Controlled Substances Act created by the DEA in the early 1970s. Under that new Act, anything that comes from the cannabis plant, whether it had psychoactive properties to it or not, would not be classified as a Schedule I drug, which is the heaviest classification. Because of this, many requests for research and grant funding have been denied. Most research on cannabinoids comes from outside of the US. But thanks to the Farm Bill passed in 2018 by the USDA, hemp is now a separate classification from cannabis.

As long as a final product contains less than 0.3 percent of Delta 9 within it, then it is legal to sell and consume among the general public. The cannabinoid THCA is structurally different from Delta 9, so it fits into this new definition of hemp. 

Right now, THCA is still in the research phase. There is still much to learn about this cannabinoid and all that it can do for humans further down the road. Right now, it shows great potential to be something life changing. But research is still to come.

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