THCa Flower vs. Pre-Rolls vs. Concentrates: Which THCa Product to Choose?
Should you go with tinctures, THCa flowers, concentrates, or gummies? A lot goes into choosing the right hemp product, especially when buying THCa.
Because you can’t touch, smell, or try the product when shopping online, picking one product can be overwhelming. Here are a few tips on choosing a THCa product as a beginner.
What Kind of THCa Product is Right for You?
When you know what you’re looking for, it’s easier to find it. Before you start your search, create a short list of the requirements the product should fulfill. In your list, you can include things like:
Method of consumption
The first step is to decide how you want to consume THCa. Answering the following questions should give you a pretty good picture of your preferred method of consumption.
- Are you a smoker?
- Do you prefer edibles over vaping or smoking?
- Do you need to ease pain or inflammation topically?
- Maybe you’re interested in using THCa recreationally?
Your preferred method of consumption is tied to the onset of effects and desirable absorption rate.
Onset of effects
Next, decide whether you want the product to provide quick relief and short-lived effects or slower relief that can last for hours.
- Smoking and vaporizing: If you are looking to ease symptoms within a few minutes, a few puffs off a vaporizer or a THCa pre-roll will do the trick. The effects of smokable products are felt within a few minutes but peak around 30 to 40 minutes after consumption. The best product for smoking is THCa flower, while you can use both THCa concentrates or high THCa hemp flower for vaporizing.
- Oral THCa: Oils, tinctures, and edibles take longer to kick in. With edibles, you’ll have to wait at least 30 minutes for the initial onset, but their effects can last up to 10 hours.
So, if you’re not a smoker and can wait awhile for the effects to kick in, maybe tinctures or edibles will be a better choice.
Absorption rate
How much of the THC you consume will enter your system? Oral THC has a bioavailability rate between 4% and 12%, while bioavailability from inhalation can go up to 37% (or 56%, according to some studies [1]) [2, 3].
Absorption of a drug indicates the drug’s movement to the systemic circulation, while bioavailability is the extent to which the absorption occurs [4].
What does this mean? It means that only a fraction of the THC will reach your system. So choose the dosage and the type of product depending on how much THC you need within a day.
Remember to treat the THCa product like THC or a cannabis product. When exposed to heat, THCa transforms into THC and has intoxicating properties. With cannabinoids like THC, a little goes a long way, so you don’t need too much to experience beneficial effects.
The ideal dose for a beginner is between 2.5 mg and 5 mg of THC.
Types of THCa Products & How to Choose
Like CBD and delta 8 THC, THCa comes in every shape and form — from tinctures and gummies to pre-rolls and potent concentrates.
Here’s a list of the most popular ones on the current market and how to find the right one.
THCa Hemp Flower
THCa flower or high THCa hemp flower refers to a product crafted from hemp genetics that contains high levels of THCa. THCa hemp flower broke the barriers between the cannabis industry and the hemp industry.
The only difference between THCa hemp flower and marijuana flower is that the former contains low levels of delta 9 THC (below 0.3%).
When purchasing THCa flowers, make sure you choose a reputable brand that has plenty of excellent reviews and offers third-party lab tests.
If you are a smoker that enjoys the effects of hemp flowers and smoking is your preferred method of consumption, here’s how to choose the perfect strain for you.
How to Pick THCa Flower The Right Way?
First, decide what you expect from the THCa flower in terms of its effects and the THCa benefits you want to reap. But don’t get too clingy on total cannabinoids and terpene profile — you still need to try the strain for yourself and see how it makes you feel.
- Indica vs. sativa
You will notice that some strains are labeled as indica while others are labeled as sativa. This means that a particular THCa hemp flower leans more towards a certain group of effects.
As a rule of thumb, if a strain is labeled “indica,” indica-dominant,” or “indica leaning,” it has more relaxing, sedating effects. These strains are preferred for consumption during the evening or at nighttime. One of our best indica-dominant strains is the Truffles high THCa hemp flower with 21.10% total THC potency.
Sativa or “sativa dominant strains,” like our premium Pineapple OG THCa Flower (24%), are typically recognized as more stimulating, energizing, and uplifting. These types of strains are best suited as daytime smokes.
Hybrid strains tend to balance out the satva-indica effects and provide a relaxing yet energizing experience.
- THCa levels and terpene profile
Next, check the potency or the levels of THCa the strain has. If you are a beginner, stick to strains with a medium THCa concentration (10% to 15%).
The last thing you should look for is the strain’s terpene profile. Terpenes are aromatic compounds that determine the flavor and aroma of the strain. Check the dominant terpenes of the THCa flower and do a quick search on the effects they cause.
There are theories that terpenes influence the effects and potency of cannabis. Anecdotal evidence shows that if the strain’s dominant terpene is myrcene, the hemp flower will likely lean more to its sedating side and be labeled as “indica.”
THCa Pre-Rolls
If you’re not adequately equipped for rolling your joints, go for expertly rolled THCa pre-rolls instead of THCa hemp flower buds.
Treat the THCa pre-roll as a marijuana joint because once you smoke it, it will get you as intoxicated as the real deal. Pre-rolls are a ready-for-sale product, meaning they are made with either popcorn or premium THCa flowers. In some cases, they can be infused with concentrates like kief and hash for extra potency.
We offer THCa hemp flower pre-rolls made with premium THCa flower. If you are looking for a more calming experience, try our Indica Pre-rolls. For uplifting, energizing vibes, go for our 1-gram Sativa Pre-Rolls.
THCa Concentrates
THCa concentrates are seriously potent cannabis products. THCa concentrates are stronger than high THCa hemp flower because they are pure, isolated THCa or CBDa.
While THCa flower can go up to 30% in total THC potency, concentrates can go up to 80%. But, studies show that higher levels of THC won’t necessarily get you more intoxicated. Also, you are more likely to experience adverse side effects with higher potency cannabis [5].
These concentrates come from two different varieties of the cannabis plant: hemp and marijuana. Cannabis plants with high levels of delta 9 THC are known as marijuana, while cannabis flower with high levels of CBDa and low levels of delta 9 THC is known as hemp.
In conclusion, THCa flower is the right choice if you don’t want to get too bothered with dabbing high-potency THCa concentrates.
Final Thoughts: How to Choose the Right THCa Product
There are many THCa products on the market, but not all of them are created equal. When you decide to buy THCa flower or any other THCa product, remember to check:
- Whether or not the product is made from hemp with THC levels below 0.3%.
- The amount of THCa in each serving (in milligrams).
- Where has the hemp bud been grown, and whether it comes with a Certificate of analysis.
No one can guarantee you will always choose the right product — it’s a matter of personal preference and trial and error. But, if you take precautionary measures to vet the brand and know what you’re looking for in a THCa product, you will skip the guessing game.
Have You Tried Our THCa Flower Yet?
At Mr. Hemp Flower, we specialize in expertly grown THCa flower. As a leading brand in the hemp industry, we collaborate with master growers who create legal THCa hemp flower by controlling temperature and humidity. This prevents the THCa from converting to THC and tests below 0.3% delta 9 THC.
We send each package of the best THCa flower in odor-proof packaging and offer a satisfaction guarantee for your protection. If you have any questions about our THCa flower, reach out!
FAQs on How to Choose the Right THCa Product
Does THCa get you high?
Yes, heated THCa gets you high, so you must treat every THCa product like a marijuana product.
What is the best way to smoke THCa?
It depends on your preferences. You can dab or vape THCa concentrate or smoke THCa flower.
Is THCa flower legal?
THCa flower grown from hemp genetics that contains below 0.3% delta 9 THC content is compliant with federal law.