In other subs there are a number of people that say THC-A flower is the same as “regular” flower, but that can’t be true since in some states one is illegal and one isn’t.
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Tldr: Not really anything, heat + THC-A = THC. This all comes down to a technicality. “Regular” flower has a THC level over .3% by weight and thus is considered marijuana. “THC-A flower” has been specifically bred and selected over plant generations to produce high THC-A and less than .3% THC. This legally makes it industrial hemp and unregulated.
Most cannabis plants produce a myriad of chemicals and terpenes. The one that is specifically regulated and controlled is THC. The government allows a certain amount of THC (.3%) in industrial hemp for interstate commerce since that product doesn’t really get you high and is used for manufacturing goods not drugs.
THC-A on the other hand, is the predominant form of “THC content” in your smokable weed. When you expose THC-A to heat, it converts to THC and will get you high. This is why you must smoke, cook, bake, or otherwise heat raw weed flower before it will get you high to the maximum effect.
This is where the technicality comes into play. Some really smart plant breeders figured out how to make non-hemp plants produce high THC-A but only trace amounts of actual THC. These fall under the .3% legal limit for THC content and are thus exempt from regulation on interstate commerce. THC-A is not currently a federally regulated compound, so no laws are technically being broken. It’s sold to you with the assumption that you’re going to either smoke it or apply heat in some way to get the desired effect. If it gets caught by the authorities and tested, it will come back less than .3% THC and thus, will be technically legal.
State laws are adapting to this rapidly, but for now…it kind of works.
Edit: added tldr
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