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THC-A isolate a stupid question

Thomas Davie

Thomas Davie

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THC-A isolate is showing up at the dispensaries I frequent. iT looks like Cocaine or other shiny white crystals. i"m not even tempted but am curious - has anyone snorted it? Can it even be smorted?

like I said, a stupid question.

Tom
 
Anything can be snorted once it's ground to a fine pulp. ;) But no, it won't do anything. THC is pretty lipophilic, mucous membranes are not all too good at absorbing it without the aid of an emulsifier. And it's thc-a, meaning the -cooh group is still attached to it, so it's purely medicinal, it won't get you high.
 
THCA isn't water soluble nor is it psychoactive. You'd have to decarb it, essentially turning it into distillate-which would also have the same problem of not being water soluble(so it can't absorb into mucus membrane). Might as well consider IV after decarbing in ethanol solution, but not really... don't IV cannabis or ethanol.

When THCA is decarbed, it no longer forms the same type of crystal structure, as my basic understanding it is not longer an acid, which tends to form nice crystals. The decarb would covert the THCA into one or likely a few (d8, d9)isomers of THC, depending on the method and temps, a lot of things are possible. I believe d10THC is a crystal like structure rather than super thick oil. The conversion is available online publicly if you care to look hard enough. Not sure if it's properties are as desirable as d9 or d8, but I guess even then it still wouldn't dissolve into the mucus membrane, unless some sort of nano-encapsulation is used. This is all getting pretty complex for an odd way to consume cannabis.

The closest you can get to snorting weed(within reason, that you can do at home without a lot of chem and tech) is decarbing, dissolving in smallest amount of ethanol possible to make it workable, then dissolve under the tounge or swallow. Also, if you're curious, look into THC-O-Acetate or something like that. Supposed to me stronger than d9 and could be water soluble. Or cut distillate with vit e to make it water soluble.


If you have snorted THCA and got an effect, it'd prob a sign it's not actually THCA.
 
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I've been using CBDA isolate for a couple years now (recently found out isolate is a type of distillate) and it has the same issues as THCA isolate/distillate, they are not water soluble. The powdered isolate does look like one could snort it, but I'd imagine one would be left with undissolved white boogers indefinitely. For the same reason, I wouldn't plug isolate/distillate either.

Drinkables (edibles you drink) are a good example of overcoming the non-water soluble issue. There are companies who make different products, some are water based and some use emulsifiers/etc, to overcome this issue of solubility however they tend to not be cheap. Also, the water based pre-mixes for drinkables is a liquid in itself so snorting it would be water-lining it (a common black tar heroin ROA) and that is not exactly comfortable. In short, it's possible but not efficient, practical or affordable.

The closest I've come to snorting isolate was the time I did a nose dab. That shit worked but very was very uncomfortable.
 
Thanks for the responses. I was curious about it since I’ve been trying to get a Sativex prescription (nasal THC, I realize it’s a different form).

w01fg4ng - a company from Colorado has set up a production lab In Winnipeg at an MJ producer. The press releases were pretty vague but mentioned an emulsified oral and/or nasal spray claiming an onset of 20-30 minutes. same thing with beverages, except a claim of equivalent to alcohol onset. Reasonable or bs marketing?

thx

Tom
 
Tinctures/sublingual dosing is a faster onset for me than typical oral doses (edibles), so I can see how a spray would do the same.

It takes 30 minutes to feel the effects of alcohol.

The times match up for the spray as well. However, I can't really get a good comparison for the drinkables. The beverage claims are unknown for me.
 
I have snorted THC-A and as I expected it did very little. It was psychoactive but not to the extent that it was worth the burn and waste of product. I knew going in it’d likely not work with the poor water solubility but had to try it regardless.

Smoke it.

-GC
 
Thomas Davie said:
THC-A isolate is showing up at the dispensaries I frequent. iT looks like Cocaine or other shiny white crystals. i"m not even tempted but am curious - has anyone snorted it? Can it even be smorted?

like I said, a stupid question.

Tom
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THCA is often called live resin.

The crystals are clear and mixed with thc liquid.
 
All of these new (to me) black market products are flooding the market like never before (it seems, in the runup to Cdn legalization 2.0 - everything else other than flower). Most of them are self explanatory; others throw me for a loop. I only started using 'proper' concentrates such as shatter, wax and distillate about a year ago. Other than that it's been what I call bottlecap oil for my whole life (shitty ISO washes). It helps that I have a chem degree but i'm constantly encountering new stuff.

live = fresh frozen and processed
rosin = pressed under pressure/heat with no solvents
resin = ????

Only 2 days ago I came across terp sauce cartridges for the first time and live diamonds? The chemists were referred to as extraction artists. it's an interesting time to be a pot consumer.

Tom
 
resin is the oils in the plant, at least that's what most are referring to when I hear it used. The resin glands are basically what you are extracting.

"live" diamonds is a bit of a misnomer, as there isn't any difference in THCA isolated from a freshly cut plant or a cured plant, but there is probably a difference if they are using the terpene/sauce part of it.

You'll also probably encounter things labeled "full spectrum", which, ime, is term that means different things to different companies.

Extraction artist is kind of a joke of a term to a lot of people. It comes from the black market, and is a bit like the word alchemy is the chemistry. Before legalization, most making the extracts were people who were willing to take felony risks, and not surprisingly this didn't attract a ton of chemist. People noticed a difference in product, but understanding of all the variables was primitive at best, so it was an art rather than a science. There are some who will argue endlessly about the artistry of it, but as the industry progresses, it is the ones who understand the science behind the "art" that are really progressing.
 
g0to said:
Live resin labelled 72% purity? Uhh... So is my live resin cut with something toxic to increase profits, or is it mislabelled?
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72% is rather average for concentrates. You are overthinking it.

I usually have to go into the shop and annoy them, sticking my nose into about 4 or 5 different jars to make sure I don't get something that is a waste of money.
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You aren't in Washington state obviously.

Maybe the dispensary I frequent is just not that great, though.
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You've only been to one?
 
g0to said:
^What I dont like about it is that back in the day, the wax I'd smoke would be from people I'd known for a long time and trusted, that smoked their own wax. So when I would get high on it I would rest assured that it was prepared to the best of the person's ability since, after all, they'd personally be ingesting it.

Nowadays, all the legalization has done is make it harder for purity to actually be verified. Sure, there are some sort of required tests now with the new laws, but in reality, they smudge the paperwork. The labelling means nothing. Live resin labelled 72% purity? Sure, ok. Pressed kief/hash, labelled 92.3% purity in the same store? Uhh... So is my live resin cut with something toxic to increase profits, or is it mislabelled? Is that why the resin was on sale 30% off? Or if the kief is mislabelled then what does that say about every other product in the store. Not to mention, the poeple in these legal pot shops treat you like a sucker. Like, how many times do I have to mention that I have been smoking for 15 years before they stop trying to sell me shitty bud. I usually have to go into the shop and annoy them, sticking my nose into about 4 or 5 different jars to make sure I don't get something that is a waste of money.

Maybe the dispensary I frequent is just not that great, though.
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The % is the amount of cannabinoids in it the rest is just terpenes(flavoring compounds), waxes and other stuff from the plant. I've gotten stuff made from dry sift that was 90% +. I can't say if your shop is lying about it but that's not unheard of
 
g0to said:
^I was moreso making the distinction that if something sitting on the same shelf as another product is clearly mislabelled (pressed hash 92%, theres no way that is valid so they lied on the label), what are the chances other things aren't mislabeled as well?

Nope, not in Washington. How is it different over there? Everything's on display or?

Yeah, funnily enough I have only been to one dispensary since they made weed legal. I used to have connects that had cheaper and better bud but I lost touch with them. I put too much faith/trust in the new regulations. Not that I have been getting ripped off 9 out of 10 times, I am satisfied and have gotten to try some really tasty strains
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Washington state doesn't allow you to smell your weed before you buy it. I was trying to give you a legitimate example of how legal regulations can be bad, because I think you are running on assumptions made from a lack of understanding.

If you found something that you think is actually mislabeled, you should contact the company about it and demand an explanation instead of assuming the worst case scenario.
 
^^^Oh... That’s why they’re all pre packaged 8ths or ounces typically huh.. I make my decision mostly on smell, so that’s why I’ll now avoid WA if possible.

-GC
 
g0to said:
Ah, I see. Thanks for letting me know that. I was under the false impression that sifted hash is always gonna have a higher % plant matter than extracts and so it couldn't get that high %-wise.
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Some will use machines that will shake the buds and filter it through extremely fine screens which will turn out far more potent than some well made traditional hash. Rosin is also pretty good which is were the trichs are removed with heat. If you can legally grow your own bud it's worth it to get a small personal machine.
 
Thomas Davie said:
THC-A isolate is showing up at the dispensaries I frequent. iT looks like Cocaine or other shiny white crystals. i"m not even tempted but am curious - has anyone snorted it? Can it even be smorted?

like I said, a stupid question.

Tom
Click to expand...

I would recommend against ingesting pure THC, as it has been said if you decarb it then you can eat it or take it sublingually, and ofcourse you could just dab the THCA, but the effects are very different from any full spectrum cannabis productmostly because of the lack of CBD.
If you try it, start small, very small and increase in small steps, and keep some CBD at hand ready to smoke or vape to calm down if you don't like it.
Anxiety and paranoid thoughts are very possible with pure THC, and if you take too much a panic attack is on the menu.

g0to said:
^What I dont like about it is that back in the day, the wax I'd smoke would be from people I'd known for a long time and trusted, that smoked their own wax. So when I would get high on it I would rest assured that it was prepared to the best of the person's ability since, after all, they'd personally be ingesting it.

Nowadays, all the legalization has done is make it harder for purity to actually be verified. Sure, there are some sort of required tests now with the new laws, but in reality, they smudge the paperwork. The labelling means nothing. Live resin labelled 72% purity? Sure, ok. Pressed kief/hash, labelled 92.3% purity in the same store? Uhh... So is my live resin cut with something toxic to increase profits, or is it mislabelled? Is that why the resin was on sale 30% off? Or if the kief is mislabelled then what does that say about every other product in the store. Not to mention, the poeple in these legal pot shops treat you like a sucker. Like, how many times do I have to mention that I have been smoking for 15 years before they stop trying to sell me shitty bud. I usually have to go into the shop and annoy them, sticking my nose into about 4 or 5 different jars to make sure I don't get something that is a waste of money.

Maybe the dispensary I frequent is just not that great, though.
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That's not purity, that's the THC content.
Other than THC you will have other cannabinoids like CBD, CBG, CBV etc, plus waxes, terpenes, water and I'm not sure if that's even all.
 
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