Theacrine is a stimulant similar to caffeine, but weaker. It increases activity in the brain while inducing enhanced alertness, wakefulness, and stimulation.
At low doses it has a sedative effect. It may improve sleep efficiency as well as reduce insomnia caused by caffeine and other stimulants.
It is consumed orally. The threshold dose is 25 mg, while a light dose is around 75 mg. A more common dose is 125 mg, while anything over 150 mg is considered a strong dose.
It takes about 30-60 minutes for the effects to begin, and they may last for up to 10 hours.
Theacrine can apparently also be consumed using a vaporizer, and for that purpose the appropriate dose ranges between 25 mg to 100 mg. This mode of administration makes the effects come much faster (in as little as 5 minutes), while they effects may last up to 3 hours. However, since the boiling point of theacrine is said to be at least 295 °C, I doubt that vaping it would be as effective as ingesting it orally or smoking it since most vaporizers don’t reach temperatures higher than 230 °C.
As I mentioned above, the state of consciousness you will attain by using theacrine can be a relaxed one (if you stick with low doses), while if you’re using higher doses, theacrine serves as a stimulant.
In addition to the wakefulness effect, you may also experience mild euphoria, cognitive enhancements, and even an increased libido.
We don’t know much about how theacrine affects dreaming. It is believed that it may act as an adenosine receptor antagonist, much like caffeine. Adenosine is a substance that accumulates in our brains during the day, making us sleepy. When the effects of adenosine are blocked by consuming theacrine (or caffeine), more acetylcholine may be circulating in the brain, causing alertness. If this occurs during sleep, it may manifest as vivid, bizarre, nightmarish, or even lucid dreams. Indeed, I came across a report of “weird dreams” while taking 100 mg theacrine for just two days.
Plant sources of theacrine include:
- Camellia assamica var. kucha (Tea Plant)
- Herrania (which is sometimes used as an ayahuasca admixture and in a tobacco syrup known as ambíl which is consumed orally by the Siona).
- Theobroma grandiflorum (Wild Cacao) – sometimes used to make wine.
However, most people who want to try theacrine would probably want to get a supplement or an extract.
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