If you’ve ever heated cannabis to “activate the THC” before making your own edibles, what you actually did was convert the THCA into THC. While many people thought THCA to be unvaluable because it does not generate intoxicating effects before converting to delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), THCA has therapeutic potential and is a non-impairing cannabinoid. 

Further, THCA may offer even more therapeutic value when combined with THC and other cannabinoids. In fact, THCA tinctures and products are gaining traction among medical cannabis patients. For example, many Healer Cannabis formulas contain THCA, including a full THCA product. When it comes to benefiting from THCA, the key is finding the best THCA dosage for you.

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First, What Is THCA?

THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid) is the non-intoxicating, acidic precursor cannabinoid that eventually decarboxylates and becomes THC. The concentration of THCA in raw cannabis flower is much higher than THC, oftentimes hitting levels between 10 and 30 percent. When cannabis is heated, such as during vaporizing or smoking, THCA converts to the psychoactive cannabinoid THC. THCA will also convert to THC very slowly at ambient temperatures.

THCA offers therapeutic effects distinct from, but complementary to those of THC because it does not stimulate with the primary cannabinoid (CB1) receptors to cause euphoria or intoxication. Preclinical data in its earliest stages has shown THCA to offer a host of potential benefits, such as being 10 times more potent than THC for nausea and an ability to reduce pain and inflammation.  We’ve done a deep dive into the benefits and effects of THCA if you’d care to take a closer look.

What Is the Best THCA Dosage?

Like other cannabinoids, every person may experience THCA in a unique way and may need a personalized dose. Cannabinoids affect people differently based on several factors, such as their personal experience or tolerance to cannabinoids, their metabolism, and even their age. As always, it is best to start with a low dose of THCA (around 5 mg one to four times per day), evaluate how that dose works for your ailments or desires, and adjust in small increments every few days.

THCA can be effective in small amounts, which tends to come as a surprise to individuals that may be accustomed to consuming substantial amounts of THC. However, THCA is exceptionally bioavailable compared to THC – 30 to 50 times more absorbable. In human studies, THCA manages to reach levels in the blood as much as 100 times higher than THC, when similar amounts are consumed. Due to this impressive bioavailability, the generally effective THCA dose taken orally is around 5 to 50 mg daily.

An interesting aspect of THCA is how quickly it is excreted by the human body via urine. Therefore, it is typically best to divide the per-day dose into two to three doses for more consistent effects.

It’s important to remember that all THCA products contain at least small amounts of THC, and allowing your THCA to be exposed to higher temperatures (such as carrying in your pocket or sitting in a car on a hot day) will increase the content of THC.

What About THCA Tincture Dosage?

Regardless of how you consume THCA, the typical THCA oil dosage range for most people remains between 5 and 50 mg. If you are taking THCA oil or tincture, your oral THCA dosage should also be started small and increased in small increments until you feel the dose is effective. Be sure to follow the Introduction to Cannabis Dosage program from Healer to guide you as you find the right dose for you.

What Is the Best THCA Dosage for Pain?

Individuals using THCA for pain may need a higher dose, but you also may not notice immediate results with THCA. THCA seems to target inflammation which is the root cause of many types of discomfort, but there are many types of pain. For this reason, some individuals find a small dose to be effective, while others need a larger dose.

Always start at a lower dose and adjust every few days in small increments until you feel as if the dose is working. However, also be sure to give THCA doses time to work. It is not uncommon for patients using THCA for pain to need two to four weeks of a regular THCA dosage regimen to see the full potential of this cannabinoid.

If you have reached a THCA dosage of over 100+ mg per day and are not finding significant relief, maintain a stable dose for a few weeks to see if your symptoms improve over time.

Should I combine THCA with THC?

THCA can enhance the effects of THC by slowing the breakdown of THC, by adding complementary and synergistic therapeutic effects, and potentially by directly increasing the effects of THC and your body’s own endocannabinoids by acting as a CB1 receptor positive allosteric modulator. Adding THCA to a THC regimen may allow you to use less THC with better results and less side effects.

Find Reliable THCA Products from Healer

When it comes to cannabinoids like THCA, it is always important to find products from a reputable source. At Healer, all of our THCA-containing products are lab tested by a third party and handled in a highly controlled way to prevent cannabinoid conversion or deterioration.

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