If Jerry Seinfeld were into cannabis, you might hear him ask, “What’s the deal with THCa?”

You’re more likely to be familiar with the acronym’s first three letters.

Understanding Delta-9 THC

To most of us who consume cannabis, THC has long been billed as the chemical compound within the plant that helps you take the edge off.

The specific form of THC people are talking about when referring to cannabis’s psychoactive properties is Delta-9 THC. Its level of presence in a dry, harvested cannabis product determines whether or not that product is federally legal. It also cannot exist without THCa.

Okay, So What is THCa?

Tetrahydrocannabinol acid (THCa) is a cannabinoid that’s described as the precursor to Delta-8 THC or Delta-9 THC. It’s essentially THC in its acidic form.

THCa is most commonly found in raw cannabis plants and preserved to create legal cannabis products for smoking and vaping. When heated or smoked, THCa converts to THC through a decarboxylation process. So, the product evolves to produce psychoactive effects that it couldn’t offer before heating.

With Mood, you can legally buy THCa products that convert to Delta-9 THC when smoked.

We created this guide to help readers understand how THCa and Delta-9 THC are related and how they offer similar benefits.

THC vs THCa: Five Main Differences

Having such close names and a literal genetic relationship, THCa and THC can be tricky to distinguish from one another. These key differences can help:

1. Chemical Structure

THCa, Delta-8 THC, Delta-9 THC, Delta-10 THC, CBD — these are all cannabinoids that exist with others in the cannabis plant.

THCa

THCa derives from cannabigerolic acid (CBGa). The lowercase “a” represents cannabinoid acids, which differentiate THC and THCa.

That carboxylic acid is an extra carboxyl group that makes THCa molecules larger and more complex than THC ones.

Delta-9 THC THC derives from THCa.

While Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC are not present in raw cannabis in significant quantities, THCa is.

When burned, THCa loses the carboxyl ring but maintains the rest of that tetrahydrocannabinolic chemical structure.

So, while THCa and THC are different compounds with unique molecular structures, they are also fairly similar, with the latter having a more simple structure.

2. Psychoactive Properties

Converting THCa

When you heat THCa it converts to Delta-9 THC and can be quite psychoactive.

To get a rough estimate of the Delta-9 THC levels your THCa flower might reach upon smoking, you can multiply the THCa amount by 0.87 because this accounts for the mass that is lost when the carboxyl ring is removed. That being said, this is only a mathematical function since, in reality, not all THCa changes to Delta-9 THC when it is heated.

This is true for all forms of cannabis, including “marijuana.” In other words, you should expect similar side effects to typical marijuana use when smoking or vaping THCa.

If not burned, THCa cannot produce psychoactive or intoxicating effects, though it’s still studied and used for potential health benefits.

How Delta-9 THC soothes users

When consumed, THC bonds with CB1 and CB2 receptors in the brain and throughout the body’s endocannabinoid system to produce feelings of euphoria, happiness, and creativity.

The fact that humans and animals even have cannabinoid receptors suggests the possibility that we evolved in some ways to use cannabis. (And the plant likely co-evolved with us so that we would cultivate it.)

3. Legality

The cannabinoids we’ve been talking about are all derivatives of the cannabis plant.

Hemp vs Marijuana

When a dry cannabis product has no more than 0.3 percent of Delta-9 THC, it’s considered hemp and thus federally legal. This is a product of The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (also known as the Farm Bill), which removed hemp from the government’s list of controlled substances.

When a product exceeds this level of Delta-9 THC, it’s considered marijuana and federally illegal.

Legal THCa products

Produced with Delta-9 THC levels that are strictly within federal guidelines — Mood’s flower and pre-rolls use hemp-derived THCa to create fresh cannabis that can acquire higher levels of Delta-9 THC when smoked.

When Mood’s THCa flower is cultivated, packaged, sold, and shipped, it is legally definable as “hemp” under federal law.

Unlike Delta-9 THC, the level of THCa present in a dry, harvested cannabis product does not affect its legal status as hemp or its ability to be bought or sold under federal law.

Legal Delta-8 THC and Delta-9 THC gummies

While converting THCa to Delta-9 THC by smoking is relatively straightforward, you might wonder how THC gummies and edibles are sold legally.

Across Mood’s collection of delicious edibles, you will find Delta-8 THC products and Delta-9 THC products.

The Farm Bill does not limit how much Delta-8 THC can be in an edible.

Mood’s Delta-9 THC edibles all contain less than 0.3 percent Delta-9 THC to comply with federal limits.

To put this in more familiar terms, our most popular gummies contain 15mg Delta-9 THC and are still legally within these guidelines, meaning that they do not contain more than 0.3% Delta-9 THC by dry weight and thus meet the legal definition of “hemp” under the Farm Bill.

4. Consumption Methods

THCa

Because THCa must be heated to convert to Delta-9 THC, you can take the edge off with it by smoking THCa-forward cannabis flowers, hash, moon rocks, and vaping concentrates.

These are just like the THC-forward products you’re used to seeing at your local dispensaries.

Delta-9 THC

THC products are also consumed by smoking flowers and vaping concentrates. Edibles also feature varying levels of Delta-9 THC and all of your other favorite cannabinoids.

The main difference with THC products, which don’t adhere to federal guidelines like Mood’s THCa products do, is that they are often designed to maximize THC presence.

While some users might prefer to max out on THC, others can appreciate a more balanced distribution of cannabidiol compounds and terpenes.

5. Reputation

The main differences between THCa and Delta-9 THC revolve around how they are viewed legally and culturally.

Delta-9 THC has been culturally synonymous with THC

As the bit of background we’ve provided here covers, Delta-9 isn’t the only type of THC, but that’s not something you’d expect your average cannabis user to know.

In fact, there are at least 30 different forms (called “isomers”) of THC that the cannabis plant (which includes “hemp”) produces.

THCa expands the reach of cannabis

THCa offers users a legal avenue to purchase flowers and concentrates that are reminiscent of the Delta-9 THC-forward products that first introduced them to cannabis.

In fact, you might be surprised to learn that much of the cannabis flower in dispensaries in recreational and medical marijuana states, including some of your favorite strains, actually meets the legal definition of “hemp.”

As discussed above, this is because the plant does not naturally produce much Delta-9 THC. Rather, it primarily produces THCa.

Most marijuana dispensaries combine the Delta-9 THC with 0.87% of the THCa in their products when advertising the amount of “THC” in their products.

Unlike many marijuana dispensaries, Mood shares the actualbreakdown of Delta-9 THC and THCa in its hemp products to show its compliance with federal law.

Among the many benefits of THCa products (beyond Delta-9 conversion) is its ability to expand the reach of cannabis.

Designing hemp products that are THCa forward opens up the conversation and leads to creating more diverse solutions that can incorporate Delta-8 THC, Delta-10 THC, and other effective cannabinoids into the mix.

Check Out These THCa Products

Discover a whole new world of cannabis with these THCa deals from Mood.

THCa Flower

Mood is home to a variety of THCa-forward flower that converts to recognizable Delta-9 THC when smoked. Pesticide-free, American-grown, and completely legal on a federal level — this grass is easy to buy and as quality as you can find.

Check out one of our favorite strains for a creative high. Pick up 1g of Pluto — an Indica-dominant THCa-forward flower — for only $17.

THCa Moonrocks

These THCa moonrocks are best enjoyed when added to smokable flowers. Offering a more potent high, they’re made of THCa flower bathed in gooey THC distillate and rolled in CBD kief.

The result is one of the more powerful and unique THCa experiences you can find. To try it out, grab 3.5g of THCa Moonrocks for $49 today.

THCa Vape

Vaping THCa is another tried-and-true way to convert it to Delta-9 THC and unwind. A favorite among our curated line of THCa disposable vapes, this citrusy delight consists of 50.21 percent THCa blended with a nice 21.86 percent share of CBD.

Enjoy a social and uplifting state of mind. Grab a 1g THCa Lemon OG Disposable Vape for only $60 today.

FAQs on THCa

Q:Does THCa get you high?

A: THCa only gets you high when heated or smoked. Because most Delta-9 THC products are smoked, taking the edge off with THCa looks pretty similar to what most of us are used to.

Q: Does THCa smell?

A: THCa is an odorless molecule. Mood’s THCa hemp flower still contains the natural terpenes of the plant and offers the classic, skunky aroma many of us associate with cannabis.

THCa vs THC: Which is Right for You?

Understanding the differences between THCa and THC is crucial for making informed decisions about your cannabis consumption.

Considering the evolving legal landscape and available products, staying informed ensures you can make the best choices for your health and enjoyment. And the next time you hear someone ask, "What’s the deal with THCa?" you'll be well-equipped to answer.

Mood makes finding the right flowers, edibles, and vape THCa products easy by letting you browse based on your desired effect and intensity levels.

Read more about Mood’s flower selection process, growers, and more today.