Written by Sebastian Little

When shopping for hemp products, you might find yourself wondering what the differences are when deciding on THCp vs THCa-driven products.

As a Farm Bill-compliant online dispensary, we have the products and knowledge to help you distinguish between these cannabinoids more easily. And that’s exactly what this guide is designed for.

Discover a range of cannabis products featuring THCa and THCp at the Mood Shop today. Subscribe for recurring shipments and save 15%.

Table of Contents

• Defining Cannabinoids

  • How Weed Gets You High

• THCa

  • Where THCa Comes From

  • How THCa Is Used

  • The Legal Status of THCa

• THCp

  • Where THCp Comes From

  • How THCp Is Used

  • The Legal Status of THCp

• 5 Key Differences: THCa vs THCp

• FAQs on THCa and THCp

• THCa and THCp Cannabis Products You Can Find at Mood

Defining Cannabinoids

Both tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa) and tetrahydrocannabiphorol (THCp) are cannabinoids. For those who don’t know, these are compounds present in cannabis plants that can deliver a wide range of effects to humans upon consumption.

In addition to the ones we’re covering here, some of the most well-known cannabinoids include:

• Cannabidiol (CBD)

• Delta-8 THC

• Delta-9 THC

• Delta-10 THC

• THCv

• THCp

Some of these cannabinoids deliver psychoactive effects, while others deliver non-psychoactive ones.

Pick up a 1g THCa Top Gun Pre-Roll from Mood’s online dispensary. Subsribe and save 15%.

How Weed Gets You High

The cannabis plant’s cannabinoids are known as phytocannabinoids. The human body is outfitted with a system of that’s known as the endocannabinoid system, which is outfitted with cannabinoid receptors.

When you smoke or vape weed or eat edibles, the phytocannabinoids from the cannabis enter your body and bond with these CB1 receptors, which then transfer the effects to your nervous system.

In terms of THCa vs THCp, the former is non-psychoactive but easily convertible to a psychoactive form of THC. THCp is a potent psychoactive cannabinoid.

THCa

THC is famously known as the compound in weed that gets you high. So, how is it that THCa is non-psychoactive? The “a” in “THCa” stands for carboxylic acid, which basically means it’s an acidic form (or precursor) to the THC you think of in relation to the euphoric effects of cannabis.

Where THCa Comes From

Because it’s the acidic precursor to other forms of THC that are psychoactive, most notably Delta-9 THC, consuming THCa on its own will yield no noticeable effects.

Converting it to what’s thought of as regular THC is another story.

THCa derives from CBG, which is known as “The Mother of All Cannabinoids,” and occurs in small amounts in the maturing hemp plant.

How THCa Is Used

When you heat or burn raw THCa, it converts to Delta-9 THC via a process known as decarboxylation.

So, people do smoke THCa to enjoy the psychoactive effects of Delta-9 THC, or what’s thought of as “traditional THC.”

The Legal Status of THCa

The 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act (the Farm Bill) removed hemp from the federal government’s list of controlled substances.

The act distinguishes legal “hemp” as any cannabis product with less than 0.3% Delta-9 THC by dry weight.

Anything with more than that amount of Delta-9 THC is still classified as “marijuana,” which remains an illegal controlled substance federally.

THCa is not limited by the Farm Bill, which means if you’re 21+, you can order and enjoy THCa flower, vapes, and pre-rolls from an online dispensary like Mood.

Of course, this is speaking federally. Local laws vary, and you should always check where your state stands on THCa before shopping.

THCp

THCp (tetrahydrocannabiphorol) was discovered by a team of Italian researchers only in 2019, which makes it one of the newer cannabinoids to take to the scene.

Like other forms of THC, its raw form can be found in small, trace amounts in the raw cannabis plant and then is extracted and synthesized for more concentrated products.

Where THCp Comes From

Lab professionals create larger concentrations of THCp by synthesizing it from CBG via a process known as decarboxylation.

Essentially heating the cannabinoids until their chemical structure slightly alters, decarboxylation is also how THCa converts to Delta-9 THC.

Fun little connective tissue — THCa naturally evolves from CBG in maturing cannabis plants.

How THCp Is Used

THCp is a more potent cannabinoid than others, which makes its intoxicating effects a nice addition to a range of distillate concentrates, edibles, topicals, and gummies.

Because the effects of THCp are stronger than famous cannabinoids like Delta-9 THC, it’s often used sparingly to boost the potency of a given product.

One of our more popular high-quality examples — these Hero Dose Rapid Onset THC Gummies combine live resin with 0.5mg of THCp with 15mg of Delta-8 THC and 15mg of Delta-9 THC for a dynamic and powerful experience.

Get a 10-count of Hero Dose Rapid Onset THC Gummies for only $39 from our online dispensary today. Subscribe and save 15%.

The Legal Status of THCp

The legality of THCp is the same as it is for THCa.

Like THCa, THCp is not limited by the Farm Bill’s definition of “hemp.”

The only cannabinoid that is limited and can change a cannabis product from being considered lawful hemp to being considered unlawful marijuana is Delta-9 THC. Excitingly, we’ve found that even Farm Bill-compliant levels of this psychoactive compound are within the preferred potency levels of most users.

That means you can order and enjoy THCp products online from providers like Mood.

The advantage of shopping from home and using whatever card you prefer complements the ability to rely on helpful and informative tools like our certificates of analysis (COA), which ensure our third-party lab testing process for every product.

Featuring THCp, HHC, and HHCp, this 1g Hero Dose Wedding Cake Disposable Vape is only $45 at our online dispensary. Subscribe and save 15%.

5 Key Differences: THCa vs THCp

To help keep things sorted in our minds and for our shoppers, we put together this shortlist.

Having now gone in-depth on each of these awesome cannabinoids, here are five key differences between THCa and THCp.

1. How They Derive From CBG

Now, this one is confusing because THCp derives from CBG via decarboxylation.

THCa is also derived from CBG by a novel enzyme known as THCa synthase.

So, each of these cannabinoids comes from CBG, the mother of all cannabinoids, but they do so using different methods.

It feels even more confusing knowing that THCa is also well known for its ability to convert into Delta-9 THC, also by the process of decarboxylation.

Check out Mood’s selection of THCa Flower Pre-Rolls today. Subscribe and save 15%.

2. Side Effects

THCa is non-psychoactive. For it to get to a place where it helps someone feel euphoric effects, it needs to convert to Delta-9 THC.

THCp, on the other hand, is among the most potent psychoactive cannabinoids, making it a force for even those familiar and experienced with Delta-9 THC.

This is Mood’s Classic High selection, and it features tons of delicious edibles. Subscribe and save 15%.

3. Chemical Structure

Because they’re different cannabinoids, they feature varying structures.

Mainly, THCa is known to have a smaller structure compared to THCp.

This, among other differences, is considered a potential reason why THCp might interact with our body’s receptors differently than other hemp-derived cannabinoids.

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4. Product Presence

With THCp’s lab-derived process and higher potency, it’s more often featured in extracts and concentrates for vapes, gummies, and edibles.

THCa can be enjoyed via flower like more conventional cannabis. That makes it a more popular presence in joints and bowls.

Check out Mood’s selection of Premium THCa Flower at our online dispensary today. Subscribe and save 15%.

5. History

Both THCa and THCp are relatively new to the cannabis world, though the former has been in the conversation for a bit longer.

THCa was discovered in 1995, while THCp was discovered only in 2019.

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FAQs on THCa and THCp

Q: Is THCa safe? Is THCp safe?

A: You should always check with a qualified professional to determine the safety of any compound in relation to your health or well-being.

We can’t share wellness advice, and we encourage you to seek out licensed professionals for guidance on how THCa or THCp might affect you.

We can say that part of conscious and cautious cannabis shopping is doing your due diligence. While many purveyors of THCa products and THCp products across the cannabis world don’t share informative background information in the form of a certificate of analysis (COA), we do.

This way, you can know that your THCa has been screened for any harmful materials. You can also review a full cannabinoid report for any product at Mood’s online dispensary.

Q: Who should try THCa?

A: THCa is a great choice for anyone with an experience and affinity for regular cannabis. From vapes to flower, the products taste and deliver in the ways you know and love.

For the most part, THCa products fall into the Medium Potency range, but there are always exceptions, so it should also be approached on a product-by-product basis, like any cannabinoid.

Q: Who should try THCp?

A: Because of THCp’s more potent chemical structure, its products are often reserved for those with higher tolerance levels.

The potent effects of THCp are, of course, subject to how much of the cannabinoid is included in a given product, as well as other variables like cannabis strains used and so on.

Either way, it’s best for new users to ease their way in with some more mild potency THCa products before experimenting with THCp.

Learn more: Microdosing THC: How it Feels and Why You Should Try It

THCa and THCp Cannabis Products You Can Find at Mood

As a Farm Bill-compliant online dispensary, Mood is home to a wide range of THCa and THCp cannabis products. Check out a few of our favorite examples here:

A Happy Hero Dose Vape

Like our entire collection of disposable vapes, this draw-activated device comes loaded with a full gram of concentrate featuring a stimulating blend of cannabinoids. Featuring THCp in addition to HHC, terpenes, and full-spectrum CBD, it’s designed for a dynamic and jovial high, which is part of why it’s rated 4.5/5 stars on our store.

Get a 1g Hero Dose Kush Mintz Disposable Vape for $46 at our online dispensary. Subscribe and save 15%.

A THCa Live-Resin Vape

One of several across our selection, this disposable vape features a rich blend of THCa live resin and CBD for a potent and full-bodied high. Derived from a sour diesel strain, this uplifting blend is a great match for active weekend days, yard work, and going out to socialize.

Get a 1g THCa Sour Diesel Disposable Vape for only $60 at our online dispensary. Subscribe and save 15%.

THCa Moonrocks

Blending THCa flower with gooey THC distillate and CBD kief, this layered concentrate makes for a great addition to any doobie or bowl. Featuring nearly 40% THCa, these sticky, potent moonrocks delight is rated an impressive 4.6/5 stars at Mood’s online dispensary.

Get an eighth of THCa Moonrocks from our shop for only $49. Subscribe and save 15%.

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