Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, better known as THCA, is found in raw cannabis as an active component. However, it’s a non-psychoactive compound, meaning it doesn’t get you high as you’d expect cannabis to do.
THC, on the other hand, is the popular psychoactive compound that you can find in marijuana. THCA is actually the precursor to THC without any of the intoxicating effects. Although it doesn’t intoxicate you or get you high, this non-psychoactive compound does provide several health benefits to its users and consumers.
Some of you might think that THCA is an illegal substance. You’d be right, but at the same time, you’d be wrong too. When it comes to THCA, things related to its legality tend to get a bit blurry and complicated.
The short answer is no, THCA is not an illegal substance in the United States. There’s no federal ban on it. However, the longer version of this answer is a bit different. You can produce THC using THCA, which you can then use to get high. Because of that, some states will prosecute you for possession or usage under the Federal Analogue Act.
Even then, people these days still buy THCA flowers online and use them as they want. Many people end up consuming the flower raw. They might also use these flowers in juices, cocktails, or even salads and then consume them. These people use the THCA flower for its health benefits. Others end up heating the THCA flower to convert it into THC and CBD. This is mostly done by those looking to get high and they are not legally allowed to do so in all states.
For the sake of simplicity, in this article, we’ll only focus on the health benefits of THCA without wandering into the THC or CBD territories.
Contents
Anti-Inflammatory Properties
The human body is prone to injury and infection. These can take place for many reasons. Inflammation is a natural response measure of the human body to such injuries and infections. Thus, it’s not always a bad thing.
However, with chronic inflammation, things are a bit different as it can lead to several health problems. That’s why it’s something you need to deal with without delay.
It’s been found in numerous studies that THCA has anti-inflammatory properties. That makes this compound super useful in treating conditions including arthritis, sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel disease. THCA inhibits the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These are the molecules that help respond to those health conditions and allow the body to deal with inflammation.
Neuroprotective Effects
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease doesn’t have any concrete cure. However, it’s possible that THCA can provide a solution to this.
It’s been observed that THCA has neuroprotective effects. That means THCA can help protect your brain from damage and degeneration. This in turn makes it a potential candidate for treating conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Studies conducted on the impact of THCA show that it can help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in our brains. In doing so, THCA reduces the chances of us being affected by neurodegenerative diseases.
Antiemetic Properties
THCA can also help reduce nausea and vomiting problems with the help of its antiemetic properties. These properties make THCA the ideal candidate for treating patients who are having to take chemotherapy. It can also help patients suffering from conditions that can cause nausea, like AIDS.
It’s to be noted that THC can also help treat nausea. However, a study suggests that compared to THC, THCA is more effective in reducing nausea and vomiting, that too without leading to any psychoactive effects in the consumer.
Appetite Stimulant
If you’re suddenly losing your appetite, THCA could help you out too.
THCA enables the release of certain hormones in the body that can help regulate your appetite. As that happens, you’ll regain your appetite and can once again eat to your heart’s content.
This is one of the reasons why many people buy THCA flowers online as they are readily available on these online platforms for direct purchase without the need of a professional’s prescription. Thus, you can buy them whenever you feel the need for an appetite stimulant.
Antioxidant Properties
The antioxidant properties in THCA help relieve oxidative stress, meaning that THCA can deal with any imbalance between the body’s reactive oxygen species (ROS) and its ability to detoxify them.
The imbalance can damage body cells and tissues. With THCA reducing oxidative stress in the body, this imbalance no longer exists reducing the risk of such conditions. It also gives your body the time to regenerate the lost cells and tissues so that your body faces no obstruction in carrying out its usual functions.
As you can tell by now, the health benefits of THCA are plenty. Therefore, no one can overlook the impact it has on our lives and society, and it shouldn’t be seen as “just another drug” that gets teenagers high.
