Yo, what’s good fam? Ain’t it crazy how different strains of weed can have different effects on us? It ain’t just about the amount of THC in there, it’s about all the active compounds working together to produce a unique high. And that’s where TAC comes in, short for Total Active Cannabinoids. Let’s break it down for both my medical and recreational homies out there.
Basically, TAC refers to the amount of detectable cannabinoids in a cannabis product that will affect its high or overall effects. It’s not just about THC though, all these different compounds work together in what we call the entourage effect. This means that it’s not as simple as X amount of THC equals Y high. There could be a whole bunch of different molecules interacting in our bodies to influence the overall effect.
But hold up, TAC can also refer to the “total aerobic count”. This is the industry term used to describe the total microbial content of a product. It ain’t really that useful though, ’cause it doesn’t tell you whether those microbes are pathogenic or beneficial. So buyers ain’t gotta worry too much about this one.
Now, let’s talk about these cannabinoids. There are 113 known cannabinoids produced in the cannabis plant. The two most famous ones are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). But there’s also tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), which is the precursor to THC, cannabichromene (CBC), which seems to have a strong affinity for CB2 receptors, and cannabidivarin (CBDV), which is more common in wild indica landraces found in Central Asia.
But that ain’t all, fam. Terpenes, flavonoids, and fatty acids all play a part in the entourage effect too. Terpenes give cannabis its distinctive scents and flavors and affect our mood too. We got pinene for that woody scent of sap and pine, linalool for a floral scent and soothing effect like lavender, limonene for that uplifting citrus tang, and eucalyptol for the fresh scent of eucalyptus and antioxidant properties.
Flavonoids are little-understood in terms of cannabis, but they interact with the endocannabinoid system and potentially affect the entourage effect too. Fatty acids found in cannabis also interact with the endocannabinoid system and are thought to play a potential role in the entourage effect.
So what does all this mean for my fellas out there? Basically, if you know what kinda high you like and you can determine the TAC of cannabis strains/products before buying, you’ll be more equipped to achieve your desired effect and limit any effects you don’t fancy. Even if manufacturers list the TAC though, it ain’t gonna tell you every compound in there. But hey, the OGs in the game be doing cutting-edge research into cannabis and its components to breed an incredible array of strains with tailored ratios. So whatever kinda high you want, you’ll likely have it soon enough.
Stay lit, fam!
