EXPLORING THCVA - TETRAHYDROCANNABIVARIN CARBOXYLIC ACID
THCVA is created when geranyl pyrophosphate bonds with divorinolic acid instead of olivetolic acid and forms CBGA. CBGA then breaks down into THCVA by a process of THCV synthase.
It’s very scientific and if you aren’t a chemist, you may find it difficult to follow along with that description. Suffice it to say that THCVA is a cannabinoid, one of at least 110 cannabinoids found in cannabis plants.
THCVA, in particular, joins the ranks of CBD, THC, CBC, CBGA, THCV and more cannabinoids that are being researched for their usefulness to the body. While CBD and THC are the most well-known of the cannabinoids, as science has continued to expand into cannabis research, and molecular isolation has improved, other cannabinoids have been able to be explored more fully.
THCVA is a non-psychoactive compound that is a predecessor of THCV.
THE PROMISE OF THCVA
Aside from being one of many cannabinoids that drug testing can now use as a marker to determine the illegal use of marijuana, this cannabinoid compound holds other virtues.
It may work as a pain reliever and boost the immune system. It is believed that THCVA is the compound in medical marijuana that seems to be an anti-cancer solution. Lab tests have shown that tumors in mice and rats have shrunk when exposed to medical marijuana and the cannabinoid compounds that are present. Researchers are working to isolate which compounds have the effect, but they believe THCVA is likely one of them.
“Lab tests have shown that tumors in mice and rats have shrunk when exposed to medical marijuana and the cannabinoid compounds that are present. Researchers are working to isolate which compounds have the effect, but they believe THCVA is likely one of them.”
THCVA also has appetite suppression properties and eases gastrointestinal issues. This may help people with losing weight and with issues such as Crohn’s disease or Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
THCVA is suspected to work best when part of an entourage of other cannabinoids, such as CBD, THC, and THCV. These are but a small handful of the 80-some-odd cannabinoids that are all still being explored for their potential uses.
THCVA: MEDICINAL USES
Research going all the way back to 2011 indicated that THCVA may play a key role in fighting cancer, being an anti-inflammatory and analgesic. More research is ongoing but there is much hope in the areas of cancer and gut problems, in reference to the digestive system.
Thanks to the Farm Bill that opened the market up to producing more hemp products and the legalization of medical marijuana in several states, the American public is paying more attention to the benefits of cannabinoids than ever before.
Science is being boosted by dollars from corporations seeking to find the best mixes of tinctures, the best strains of medical marijuana, and the greatest pharmaceutical value of cannabinoids. The next twenty years will likely show hundreds of new medicinal uses for cannabis as we unlock the potential of each individual cannabinoid.