Δ9 THC vs THCA

Δ9 THC is the intoxicating cannabinoid, psychoactive as-is. THCA is its acidic precursor: not meaningfully intoxicating in raw form, but converted to Δ9 THC by heat — smoking, vaping, or baking. The legal distinction matters because the 2018 Farm Bill defines hemp by Δ9 THC alone at ≤0.3% dry weight, which is the reading high-THCA flower sells under in states that follow that test. The practical distinction barely exists: heated THCA flower delivers THC. Both facts are true at once, and honest coverage of this category requires saying them together.