Tetrahydrocannabivarin acid (THCVA)
What is THCVA?
Tetrahydrocannabivarin acid, or THCVA, is the carboxylic acid precursor to the cannabinoid THCV (which in turn is the precursor to delta 9-THC). THCVA converts to THCV under specific environments and can be stable in its original form.
THCVA is the byproduct of cannabigerovarinic acid or CBGVA, the carboxylic acid form that converts to the varin cannabinoids. It is possible to convert CBGVA to THCVA in a lab setting, but it also occurs naturally in the presence of certain enzymes in the cannabis/hemp plant.
Research
THCVA does not have significant research into its own unique properties. Therefore, it is likely that most of the interest in this cannabinoid is to synthesize it into THCV, which is a varin compound that is growing in popularity due to its similarity to THC. That does mean, however that more interest in THCVA will likely grow.
THCVA History
THCVA was first isolated in 1977. By the 1990s, it was clear that CBGVA was the precursor to this and other naturally occurring carboxylic acids. Current research into carboxylic acids like CBGVA focuses on creating bio-identical varin cannabinoids from genetically modified yeasts that could be further synthesized into THCVA. In addition, as these lesser-known cannabinoids often occur in smaller quantities than THC and CBD, scientists are developing alternative methods for production and extraction.