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THCA

Best Way To Smoke THCA

THCA is one of these cannabinoids present in virtually all cannabis strains, yet most people don’t seem to know about it. This is one of the most important cannabinoids contained in the cannabis plant.

This is because if you are looking for any strain that has Delta-9 THC, what you’re really looking for is a strain that contains THCA. In case you have no idea what THCA is, we will explain this below.

That said, for those who do know what THCA is or have just been introduced to it, a problem can be knowing how to consume it. There are a few different ways to smoke or vaporize THCA, plus it can also be ingested.

Today, we want to figure out what exactly THCA is, what forms it comes in, and what the best ways to smoke those various forms are. Let’s get to it and find out what the best way to get that THCA into your system is.

Key Takeaways

  • THCA is the most abundant cannabinoid found in cannabis which is generally non-psychoactive.
  • THCA should not get you high, yet has many possible benefits.
  • If heated up and decarboxylated, THCA turns into THC, which gets you high.
  • Most people prefer dabbing or vaporizing THCA crystals, diamonds, and sand.

What Is THCA?

THCA is a cannabinoid found in the vast majority of cannabis plants. THCA stands for tetrahydrocannabinolic acid. THCA is formed as cannabis plants mature. It starts with CBGA or cannabigerolic acid. This is the first cannabinoid that cannabis plants produce, which then through a variety of processes, turns into all of the other cannabinoids, and in today’s case, we are referring to THCA.

THCA has THC right in the name. Indeed, THCA is essential to the THC content of any cannabis plant. This is because THCA is the acidic precursor to THC. Without THCA, there would not be any THC. When you purchase any kind of cannabis and it says that it has a certain amount of THC, that is technically wrong. Realistically, this refers to the THCA level contained in that cannabis plant. This is because all THC starts as THCA.

THCA has to be converted into THC through a process known as decarboxylation. Decarboxylation is when a certain amount of heat is applied to the cannabis bud, therefore converting THCA into THC. The reason why this is also important is because THCA on its own is generally not psychoactive or intoxicating. Therefore, if you were to consume THCA without first heating it or decarboxylating it, it would usually not produce any kind of notable high.

Your state of mind would not be altered, not like with regular Delta-9 THC. This is what makes THCA so unique. On one hand, you can consume it raw, by ingesting it without first heating it up or decarboxylating it. This provides you with a wide variety of potential benefits that THCA on its own is thought to have. There are plenty of possible benefits you can reap, all without getting high or being intoxicated.

THCA may act as a neuroprotective agent against neurodegenerative diseases, it may act as a sleep aid, it can relieve pain and inflammation, and it may be able to prevent or treat nausea from occurring.

However, if you heat and decarboxylate that THCA, it turns into THC, which then produces a notable high. Specifically, it turns into regular Delta-9 THC, which is associated with producing a relatively strong cerebral high and body high. This is the substance that intoxicates you. Don’t get confused though, because THCA and THCV are two different things!

Best Way To Smoke THCA

To be clear, if we are talking about smoking THCA, this means we are talking about converting it into Delta-9 THC, which gets you high. Yes, it is possible to smoke THCA by adding it to your joints, bong bowls, and other combustibles.

What we are really talking about here is vaporizing. One of the best ways to consume THCA is by vaporizing it. This could be in a dab rig or in a specialized vaporizer that is compatible with this type of cannabinoid extract. Vaporizing is generally the preferred method. The best thca vapes are considered to be a option to consider rather than smoking, especially as far as the respiratory tract is concerned.

Furthermore, vaping also tends to give you a bigger bang for your buck, with more of the compounds being activated, inhaled, and sent through your bloodstream. That said, what exactly the best way to consume THCA depends on the form of THCA, which could be crystals, diamonds, sand, or even flower.

Also worth noting is that THCA does not need to be inhaled at all. You can always just consume it by mixing it in with your favorite drinks or foods. If you do this, you’ll be able to reap all of the potential medical and therapeutic benefits of this cannabinoid, without getting high or being intoxicated.

However, you could also decarboxylate the THCA by turning it into an oil or butter, or simply by heating it and baking it into edibles. In this case, it would produce a psychoactive high due to the decarboxylation process. Keeping all of that in mind, let’s move on and talk about some of the best ways to smoke or vaporize THCA. If you’d rather just have some regular Delta-9 THC, take a look at our Botany Farms Delta-9 Mango Gummies.

How To Smoke THCA

No matter the form of THCA, many people choose to smoke it via combustion. This is especially the case if you have some of the finer or less coarse versions of this cannabinoid extract. For instance, if you have THCA sand or THCA crystals, which are fairly fine, you could easily roll these into a joint along with your favorite cannabis or hemp flower.

You can always put these THCA extracts onto your bong bowl or pipe bowl as well. You could probably even put them inside a little one-hitter pipe. All of these methods will produce perfectly fine results, and you should get high.

However, as mentioned above, many people prefer vaporizing or dabbing their THCA, as it’s considered healthier. It also tends to produce a better result, notably a better flavor and a stronger high. Generally, much less of these substances are wasted through vaporizing when compared to smoking. To find out what the exact preferred methods are, however, it is worth looking at the different types of THCA extracts.

Best Way To Smoke THCA Crystals

First, we have THCA crystals, otherwise known as crystalline THCA. This is when the THCA extract is combined with hexane and acetic acid, which are solvents that dissolve away the terpenes, lipids, fats, and all other cannabinoids. This separates the THCA.

A reactionary or rotary vessel is then used to apply heat, motion, and pressure to the substance, which leaves behind just the (almost) pure THCA. There is a process known as chromatography, which removes any remaining unwanted compounds.

It’s then put through a reactionary vessel or rotary machine again, at which point you are left with THC molecules that are connected or bonded to each other in the form of a crystalline structure.

These THCA crystals look like coarse sugar. It is possible to break them down into finer powder if necessary. This would allow you to add those crystals into your joints, pipe bowls, or bong bowls.

If you are on the go, you can always try adding some small THCA crystals into your refillable vaporizer cartridges. If you are at home and want a better vaporizing experience, you can dab those crystals as well. That said, picking up THCA crystals, especially if they are fairly small, can be somewhat difficult.

Best Way To Smoke THCA Diamonds

Technically speaking, THCA crystals and THCA diamonds are virtually the same things. The THCA cannabinoid is first extracted from the plant matter, separated from the other compounds, and then subjected to pressure, motion, and heat, followed by chromatography. The process of making THCA diamonds is the same, more or less, as for making THCA crystals, and the result is virtually the same as well.

Both are extremely potent, nearly 100%, and they both have the appearance of small crystals or coarse sugar. However, depending on who is making them, the diamond form may be a bit larger than the crystal form. In terms of how these diamonds are best smoked, their size is a determining factor, and they can be quite sizable.

The number one preferred way of smoking THCA diamonds is to dab them, or in other words, to vaporize them using a dab rig. These diamonds are very easy to pick up with regular dab tools, maybe vaporized very easily and efficiently, and they produce a fantastic result as well.

They hit you quite hard when vaporized in a dab rig. In many cases, these diamonds may be too large to put inside a refillable vaporizer cartridge. Some people may choose to break them down into much smaller chunks and then put them in bongs, pipes, or joints, but the dab rig is the preferred method here.

Best Way To Smoke THCA Sand

We then have what is known as THCA sand. THCA Is made out of raw cannabis or hemp flower, and it may have been flash-frozen before it is processed. Here, the raw flower is ground up into a very fine powder and then sifted through extremely fine mesh screens. This separates the coarse plant matter from the resin, otherwise known as the crystals, trichomes, or resin glands.

For those of you who don’t know, the trichomes or resin glands are those crystally white structures you see on the outside of your cannabis buds. This is where the vast majority of cannabinoids, in this case THCA, are contained. These trichomes or crystals, particularly once they have been sifted and separated, are referred to as kief.

Because very finely sifted kief looks kind of like crystals or grains, it is often referred to as sand or THCA sand. Because this sand is so fine and powdery, it’s also quite versatile. Every method of consuming THCA that we have discussed today is a viable option for this THCA sand. You can easily roll this substance into your joints or just sprinkle some of it on top of your bong bowl.

It’s also a prime candidate for vaporizing, particularly in your portable and refillable vaporizer cartridges. It’s so fine that it vaporizes very well and leaves behind virtually no residue. For this reason, it also makes for a good option for dabbing in your dab rig. It really comes down to a matter of personal preference here more than anything else.

Best Way To Consume THCA Flower

Remember that THCA flower is just regular cannabis flower that hasn’t been decarboxylated yet. THCA just hasn’t turned into THC yet. The best way to smoke this is by just rolling it into a joint or putting it into your bong.

Where To Buy THCA & Delta-9 Online

Of course, the best place to buy both THCA and Delta-9 THC online is right here at Botany Farms. For instance, our own Botany Farms Delta-9 THC Blue Raspberry Gummies, and these Delta-9 Watermelon Gummies, are both super popular.

Final Thoughts: Best Way To Smoke THCA

The bottom line is that THCA really is a fantastic cannabinoid. You can consume it without heating it, therefore providing you with potential therapeutic benefits, all without getting you high.

You can also heat it up or decarboxylate it, which will provide you with the potential benefits of THC, plus you will get high as well.

As far as THCA crystals, diamonds, and sand are concerned, generally speaking, dabbing or vaporizing are both preferred. Remember that these THCA extracts and products can be extremely potent, so it’s always best to start slow.

Best Way To Smoke THCA: Frequently Asked Questions

Let’s just quickly answer all of your most pressing questions about THCA before we wrap things up for the day.

What Is A High THCA Percentage?

Although this is somewhat subjective, anywhere between 10% and 15% is moderate, between 15% and 20% is fairly high, and anything over 20%, or even over 25%, is extremely potent. There aren’t many strains of cannabis out there that have over 30% THCA or THC.

What Does THCA Do To The Brain?

THCA is believed to be an effective neuroprotective agent. It may be able to protect against neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and more. It is also thought to help stimulate the appetite, reduce nausea, and much more.

How Do You Activate THCA Powder?

To activate THCA powder, you need to decarboxylate it. Simply bake it in the oven at 220 degrees Fahrenheit for around 30 minutes. You want to give it a little bit of a stir around the halfway mark as well. Be sure not to leave it in the oven for much longer, and don’t raise the temperature higher, or else you will destroy the cannabinoids.

What Do You Do With THCA Crystals?

The best thing to do with THCA crystals is either to dab them in a dab rig or to vaporize them.

What Type Of High Is THCA?

Technically speaking, THCA itself does not get you high at all, or at least it should not. This is not considered a psychoactive or intoxicating substance. Only when it is heated up and decarboxylated does it turn into THC, at which point it can produce both a cerebral and body high.

What Does THCA Turn Into When Heated?

When heated up, THCA turns into Delta-9 THC, which is the regular type of THC that most of us are familiar with in reference to cannabis. Check out some of the best THCA hemp strains right here!

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