There’s a reason why people don’t just eat dried cannabis flowers. Unless heated, cannabis will not cause intoxication. Decarboxylation is the transformation of a sticky herb into a mind-bending medicinal plant, which relies on a chemical process called as such. In chemistry, decarboxylation is the removal of an acid (carboxyl) group from a fatty molecule. You can buy these products in our store.
However, what is decarboxylation in basic terms? This article explains everything you need to know about decarboxylation and how to properly decarb marijuana. To truly decarb weed effectively, purchase a professional decarboxylator.
What Is Decarboxylation?
Another way to look at decarboxylation is as a kind of activation. To “activate” your herb, you’ll need to deconstruct the components of cannabis resin into their more potent and therapeutic forms from fatty acids. The psychoactive “high” produced by marijuana is due to a chemical called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). However, THC isn’t present in adequate quantities in fresh cannabis plants. Instead, trichome-coated flowers are high in THCA, the acid form of THC.
THC is a breakdown product of THC-Acid, as you may have guessed. THCA loses chemical connections as it ages. Small amounts of THCA are transformed to THC when cannabis flowers are dried and cured. The small quantities of THC present in dry buds, on the other hand, aren’t nearly enough to create a powerful psychoactive effect.
You need heat to speed up the process and guarantee that as much THCA as possible is transformed into its more psychoactive relative. The psychoactive potential of the plant is unlocked by smoking, vaporizing, and other heating methods.
The procedure of changing THC-Acid into psychoactive THC is known as decarboxylation. Often abbreviated to “decarbing,” understanding this basic science is important for both herb smokers and culinary artists.
Decarboxylation explains not only why smoking is one of the most popular methods of consuming cannabis, but it also shows how to decarb and concentrate your cannabis and concentrates prior to cooking for more powerful and effective edibles.
Does Decarboxylation Destroy Cannabinoids Such As CBD?
It’s a common worry for individuals who are thinking about decarbing their marijuana: will it have any measurable impact on other cannabinoids, such as will it destroy them or render them inert?
CBD is a lesser-known fact to the general public, but it is nonetheless present in cannabis and hemp, albeit in a different form than we all know, love, and consume. CBD’s natural form is CBDA (cannabidiolic acid), which is not involved with the body in any way. As a result, you must decarboxylate the marijuana before turning CBDA into the more therapeutic CBD touted for its wide range of health advantages.
Method 1: Hurry Up And Wait
There’s nothing entertaining, thrilling, or particularly innovative about the natural approach, but it does work. If you’re the patient type who plans to make edibles in a few weeks but not right now, this technique will work for you. It just takes a long time for THC to be produced from THCA; it’s as much a function of heat as anything else!
This technique may work well for you if you have a lot of cannabis on hand at all times. However, it isn’t the most convenient solution available for the rest of us. That said, there is no superior way to keep cannabis than storing it away for an extended time; whereas popping some in the oven for an hour to slowly decarb stinks up the place considerably less!
Method 2: Get Baked
Overwhelmingly, this is the most popular method for marijuana producers and distributors or cannabis consumers to make edibles because all of the required equipment is already sitting ready in your kitchen! A baking sheet, foil or parchment paper (never wax paper!), an oven, and the fortitude to create a home that smells like marijuana for an afternoon are all you need. Unfortunately, there’s no way to avoid the pungent odor produced by decarboxylation with this technique. If you live in a close-knit apartment building with a Karen down the hall, this isn’t your finest choice.
- Preheat oven to 250°F
- Line baking sheet with foil or parchment paper
- Place your broken-up or ground cannabis on the baking sheet
- Bake cannabis for 30 minutes
- The cannabis should change to a brownish color
Method 3: Weed Turkey Style
Another option is to place your ground or broken up cannabis in an oven bag, also known as a turkey bag. This makes collecting it after it’s decarbed much easier, but it doesn’t totally mask the odor. When the process is completed, the bag will not be hot since it does not conduct heat, so grabbing, handling, and emptying are all simple tasks.
The primary disadvantage of this technique is that you’ll most likely need to go out to the shop to get yourself a turkey bag, unless it’s around thanksgiving or you’re already using them on a regular basis. A little hassle for a certain approach that reduces the noxious odor by half when decarbing cannabis.
- Preheat oven to 250°F
- Place your broken-up or ground cannabis in the oven bag
- Tie a tight knot in the oven bag This keeps the weed and smell inside the bag
- Place the bag on a baking sheet (no foil/parchment needed)
- Bake for 30 minutes
- The cannabis should change to a brownish color
Method 4: Mason Jars
If you have a few of these classic and useful glass jars in your pantry at home, this is an excellent choice for you. Otherwise, mason jars are readily available and should not cause too much difficulty if you wish to employ this approach and do not already own them. Mason jars are an excellent choice for decarboxylation since they keep the odor inside for the most part throughout the process. If you live in a flats with nosy concerned neighbors who would undoubtedly complain about an overwhelming cannabis stench emanating from your property, this is probably your best chance.
- Preheat oven to 250°F
- Place your broken-up or ground cannabis in the mason jar
- Screw the top on tight. The tighter the seal the less smell!
- Carefully place the mason jar on your oven rack. The jar should not be touching the heating element or sides of your oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes until cannabis changes to a brownish color.