Hello Mood Review: Is THCa Dangerous?

Hello Mood Review: Is THCa Dangerous?


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Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical or legal advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to cannabis and its legality.

Hello Mood, also known as Mood, is a cannabis brand. The company claims to offer "discreet delivery" and sells everything from tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa) flower to THCa gummies.

But is Hello Mood legal? What's the difference between THCa and THC? Do the brand's products contain any questionable additive ingredients? And how do real Hello Mood customers rate and describe the effects?

In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we discuss the legality of this company in the US. 

We'll also analyze some of their formulations to give our take on whether or not they're healthy, feature unsponsored customer reviews and explain whether or not THC can improve sleep and mood.

Is Hello Mood Legal?

As referenced in the intro, Hello Mood's products contain THCa, which is a different cannabinoid from tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

The brand claims that THCa is non-psychoactive, which is true according to this medical review published in the British Journal of Pharmacology.

While the 2018 Farm Bill created carveouts for certain hemp-derived compounds, the suggestion that THCa is legal in all states of the US is controversial according to a 2023 legal review published by a firm called McGlinchey Stafford PLLC.

The above-linked legal review documents various state-level contradictions, such as the fact that inhalable hemp products are banned in California, but Hello Mood appears to sell an inhalable hemp product at the called THC Disposable Vape at the time of publishing this article. 

Hello Mood's website even states that state law differs from federal law on the legality of the products they sell, but interestingly California is not currently on the company's banned states list.

We are not lawyers and we would recommend that consumers interested in Mood's product speak with a lawyer in their state prior to purchase.

THCa vs. THC

THC is a natural substance from the cannabis plant with psychoactive effects.

THCa is a nonnarcotic acidic precursor to THC that may have health benefits without the psychoactive effects when used in its unprocessed, raw form. THCa can be converted into THC through vaping, heating, or smoking.

However, THCa does have some interesting studied effects.

A 2020 clinical trial found that THCa administration to obese mice reduced body fat and improved multiple metabolic markers.

A 2023 clinical trial reported that THCa administration reduced the plaques that cause Alzheimer's disease in a mouse model.

Most of the clinical studies on THCa that we came across while researching this article involved health effects rather than emotional or neurological effects.

We haven't come across any clinical studies in humans showing that THCa alters perception or has any positive effects on mood or mental state. This doesn't mean the compound doesn't have such effects; just that we can't find any studies on the topic.

Real People Try Hello Mood

A TikTok creator named "Zyanneee" shared her experience using a Mood vape:

@zyannnee

I domt know why the beginning cut off but i said i don’t think i respond well to Thc products !

♬ original sound - Zyanneee

A TikTok creator named "fluidflower" claims to have had a negative experience purchasing edibles from Hello Mood:

@fluidflower @Hello Mood @Mood like??! Where is the quality control? Cookie harder than glass🤢🤮#fyp #hellomood #420 ♬ original sound - Lisa Tepes of Lupu

Is Hello Mood Unhealthy?

We consider both gummies and vape products to be generally unhealthy product categories.

Consider the ingredients in Mood's Sleepytime Delta-9 THC Gummies, shown below:

Hello Mood Sleepytime Delta-9 THC Gummies ingredients

Corn syrup and cane sugar are forms of refined, added sugar.

Diets high in added sugar are clinically shown to promote obesity, and many Americans already consume too much sugar in their diet, which is why we generally recommend avoiding refined, added sugar in supplements.

Citric acid is clinically shown to cause inflammatory reactions in some individuals.

Natural flavors is a broad, categorical descriptor that may include solvents and preservatives, according to a 2009 medical review.

Vapes pose unique health risks in our opinion due to the lack of clear ingredient and material disclosures.

As we discussed in our Füm reviews article, we haven't come across much clinical trial evidence in humans suggesting that long-term use of vapes is safe.

Is THCa Safe?

A YouTube creator named Erick Khan has a video on whether or not THCa is safe that has over 250,000 views:

Hello Mood Pros and Cons

Here are the pros and cons of Hello Mood in our opinion:

Pros:

  • May be legal in some states
  • Non-psychoactive
  • May benefit individuals with Alzheimer's
  • May have anti-obesity effect

Cons:

  • Legal status highly in question
  • Gummies contain unhealthy additives
  • Vaping may be unhealthy
  • Doesn't appear clinically tested
  • Relatively high percentage of unsponsored customer complaints on TikTok
Stay up-to-date on our research reviews

Conclusion

Hello Mood primarily sells THCa products, which is somewhat of a "loophole" in US federal drug enforcement code.

This type of product may be legal in a majority of US states, which is why this company is still selling these products online. However, the legal status is somewhat unclear to us.

We don't understand the purpose of THCa because it's non-psychoactive and we can't find much clinical evidence of its effects in humans.

Hello Mood doesn't appear to have funded any clinical trials showing their products to be effective.

We consider gummies and vapes to be unhealthy for the most part, regardless of whether they're THC gummies or THCa gummies.

We will wait for more research to emerge on THCa before considering recommending its use. In our opinion, it's illogical to use a supplement that doesn't appear to have much safety data in humans.