# THCVA

> THCVA (tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid) is the acid precursor of THCV, made in trichomes from CBGVA when the plant's pathway starts from divarinic acid instead of olivetolic acid.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/thcva.html
- Also written: THCV-A, tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid
- Glossary category: Cannabinoids and terpenes · Evidence: Established
- Status: Draft: awaiting expert review · Updated: 2026-10-31
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), attribute "GenetixBay cannabis glossary"

THCVA is the form in which the living plant stores [THCV](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/thcv.md). Its pathway mirrors the [THC](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/thc.md) pathway one step earlier: instead of [olivetolic acid](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/olivetolic-acid.md) (C5 chain), the plant uses divarinic acid (C3 chain), which combines with [geranyl pyrophosphate](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/geranyl-pyrophosphate.md) to form CBGVA. [THCA synthase](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/thca-synthase.md) then converts CBGVA to THCVA. Heat or time decarboxylates THCVA to THCV.

## In practice

On a COA, THCVA appears as its own line where the lab tests for it; many basic potency panels don't. A breeder hunting propyl-rich plants needs a lab panel that reports THCVA and THCV separately, or the trait is invisible. As with [THCA](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/thca.md), the total is calculated: total THCV ≈ THCV + 0.867 × THCVA (the ratio is slightly lower than for THCA because the molecule is smaller).

## Don't confuse with

- **THCA**: the C5 analogue, made from olivetolic acid.
- **THCV**: the neutral form, after decarboxylation.
- **CBDVA**: the propyl analogue of [CBDA](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/cbda.md), made by [CBDA synthase](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/cbda-synthase.md) from CBGVA.

## Related terms

[THCV](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/thcv.md), [THCA](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/thca.md), [Olivetolic acid](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/olivetolic-acid.md), [Decarboxylation](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/decarboxylation.md), [Acid vs neutral cannabinoids](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/acid-vs-neutral-cannabinoids.md)

## Read more

- [Chemotype inheritance: how THC and CBD synthase alleles pass on](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/breeding/chemotype-inheritance.md)

## Sources

1. Gülck T, Møller BL. 2020. Phytocannabinoids: origins and biosynthesis. Trends in Plant Science 25(10):985-1004.
2. Hanuš LO, Meyer SM, Muñoz E, Taglialatela-Scafati O, Appendino G. 2016. Phytocannabinoids: a unified critical inventory. Natural Product Reports 33(12):1357-1392.