Just like a joint, a THCA pre-roll contains ground-up cannabis that has been rolled together with a thin paper. High-quality THCA pre-rolls consist solely of indoor-grown flower and feature all-hemp construction. An average THCA pre-roll contains around half a gram of cannabis, and they’re generally rolled with a machine to ensure precision and uniformity between pre-rolls.

THCA is exactly as psychoactive as THC since THCA converts into THC when it is heated. Before converting into THC, THCA has about the same psychoactivity as CBD. When converted, though, THCA becomes THC and has all the effects classically associated with this king of intoxicating cannabinoids. In short, THCA will get you high — the exact effects this cannabinoid offers vary by strain.

Though it doesn’t exactly qualify as a loophole, the “THCA loophole” refers to the wording of the 2018 Farm Bill, which allows the general sale of cannabis products as long as they contain less than 0.3% delta 9 THC. That refers specifically to delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, not THCA, its chemical precursor. So, THCA is usually considered hemp under the Farm Bill, which some might consider a “loophole.”