What Are THCA’s Side Effects?

Not long ago, we wrote an article explaining the key differences between THC and THCA. In that article, we also talked about some of the benefits you might experience from consuming THCA.

These benefits include the potential for pain relief, nausea reduction, and decreased inflammation.

Like any compound you put in your body, however, THCA has the potential to produce side effects – and these can range from mild to moderate.

In this post, we will discuss the side effects of THCA at length.

Side Effects of THCA

First off, when consuming THCA products of any kind, you have to consider the possibility of THC-induced anxiety.

Depending on how you consume THCA, the compound does have the ability to get you high.

For people who have minimal experience (and/or a low tolerance to THC), the experience of being high can sometimes produce panic, paranoia, and anxiety.

This is relatively rare, however, and is uncommon as long as the person knows and understands the side effects of THCA before using the product.

In the event a person does experience panic or anxiety after using a THCA product, however, tachycardia can result. This is when the heart rate increases and exceeds that of a normal resting rate.

This form of tachycardia is mild, however, and generally not dangerous. The increased heart rate is the result of the anxiety and not a chemical result of the THCA compound itself.

Let’s talk about some other potential side effects of THCA.

Fatigue

Depending on how you look at it, this can either be considered a positive benefit or an adverse side effect.

In any event, consuming THCA often produces sleepiness, and in rare instances, it can produce extreme fatigue. If you’re having trouble sleeping, this may very well be a welcome benefit.

No matter the case, just be aware that THCA will likely make you feel tired to some degree.

Dry Eyes & Mouth

As with most cannabis products, THCA usually produces a sensation of dry mouth. And, less likely, dry/itchy eyes.

This is because the cannabinoid interacts with receptors that control tear and saliva production. To plan accordingly, simply have a bottle of water and some eye drops on standby.

Weight Loss

This is perhaps the most ‘severe’ of the potential side effects associated with THCA.

Again, however, depending on your intended use, this may be perceived as either a positive benefit or an adverse side effect.

It is commonly known that cannabis users have a lower frequency of obesity compared to non-users.

This is peculiar, as studies show that cannabis users also consume more calories than non-users on average.

The reasoning behind this is still being studied, but some research suggests that the active compounds in cannabis speed up metabolism and boost the productivity of healthy fatty acids (such as omega-3) in the body.

This helps the body burn fat and excess calories more effectively.

As for the specific effects of THCA on appetite and weight loss, studies are suggesting the compound may actually be able to help chemically block weight gain.

In 2020, for example, scientists conducted a simple experiment on lab rats. First, the rats were fed a high-calorie/high-fat diet with the specific purpose of weight gain.

After gaining 300% weight, the rats were administered consistent doses of THCA. Results suggested that THCA helped lower blood glucose levels, increase fat and lipid metabolism, and decrease the occurrence of obesity-related diseases.

The study also showed an increase in the presence of brown fat, which is known to speed up metabolism and burn calories.

The Best Way to Avoid the Side Effects of THCA

There are two simple things you can do to help avoid adverse side effects when consuming THCA products. The first, of course, is to simply be aware that side effects can occur.

The second thing you can do is be extra cautious about where you’re getting your THCA products from. While the side effects of THCA are generally mild, the potential adverse effects you can experience from consuming a low-quality (and/or unregulated) product are far more severe.

This includes things like ingesting products that are contaminated with pesticides, fertilizers, heavy metals, and other toxins.

Even though the THCA market is growing substantially, the industry is still, by and large, unregulated. This means that many products are being sold and labeled as THCA with little (or even no) laboratory testing.

This is dangerous for a number of reasons.

First, it means you have no way of knowing what’s actually in the product you’re consuming. Maybe there are unregulated amounts of THC in the product, or maybe there’s no THCA at all. You’re at the mercy of the company you’re buying from, and this is something you want to avoid at all costs.

Second, buying and using an untested THCA product presents the risk (as we mentioned a moment ago) of ingesting dangerous chemical compounds, fertilizers, heavy metals from soil, etc.

The only way to know for sure what’s in the product you’re using is to purchase from a known and reputable brand that rigorously tests all of its THCA products.

At Premium Jane, we source every THCA product from authorized organic hemp farms in the USA and test each batch using independent third-party laboratories. We also publish lab results on each product page so you can see exactly what’s in the product you’re buying (and, more importantly, what’s not in it).

Summary on the Side Effects of THCA

As you can see, THCA is not without its own risk of potential side effects. However, if you start off with low quantities and understand the potential for unwanted effects, THCA is generally a very safe product and one that could help with your well-being.