Decarboxylation of cannabis is the process of activating the cannabinoids in cannabis. This is what causes the plant to get you high.
Decarboxylating weed is necessary for making edibles or topicals instead of buying from a local cannabis dispensary, but there are other reasons to decarb your weed. Decarbing cannabis unlocks the full potential of your bud. The activation of weed also removes the raw, plant material flavor of marijuana and makes the herb taste like whatever you used it in (whether that’s butter or CBD oil).
Many people are unsure of what decarboxylation means or why they would even want to do it. You can find out everything you need to know about cannabis decarboxylate in this guide so that you can be prepared if you ever decide to make some edibles.
What is decarbing weed?
Decarbing weed is a term that refers to removing a carboxylic acid group and releasing carbon dioxide (CO2). This changes an inactive form of THC-A into THC, which is psychoactive. Before inhaling cannabis for its intoxicating effects, you should activate its cannabinoids by applying some heat.
There are several ways to do so. For example, by cooking marijuana in butter on low heat for 30 minutes at 240°F/115°C, baking it at 260°F/127°C for 40 minutes, or exposing dried buds to vaporizer temperatures between 200°F – 250°F/93°C – 121°C for 5 – 15 minutes.
The easiest way is with a cannabis vaporizer. You’ll heat dried flower or hash at a temperature between 200°F and 250°F for five to 15 minutes. This creates a milder, more pleasant high than smoking does because it converts THCA into THC in every inhalation you take.
Vaporizing also avoids potentially harmful smoke toxins resulting from combustion, which occurs when you burn cannabis without decarbing it first. Therefore, by heating marijuana to 240°F – 250°F for about 20 – 30 minutes before using it as intended, you allow time for roughly 65% of its existing THCA content to turn into active THC. Most vaporizers do not go lower than 260°/280° F because lower temperatures don’t produce nearly as much conversion.
Why is decarboxylation of cannabis necessary?
If you’re looking for a simple answer, decarbing weed (or cannabis) before consuming it makes its chemical compounds easier for your body to absorb. When weed is smoked or vaporized, much of its THC content remains locked in its acid form. To unlock these acids, carboxylic acids are formed through an organic process known as decarboxylation. That’s why when you smoke marijuana at higher temperatures, users often report experiencing more intense effects—you’re releasing more of that feel-good THC compound!
If you’re looking for a more in-depth answer, you need to know that THC is usually found in tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA). This substance can be heat-activated into THC, which then produces psychoactive effects. However, THCA is non-psychoactive, so it will not get you high without being heated up.
As a general rule, the more you heat anything containing THC, CBD, CBN, or other cannabinoids, the more potent they become. This is because THC, CBD, and CBN all become more bioavailable when they are heated. The effect can be very pronounced in some cases. For example, you would need to smoke nearly four times as much raw cannabis to achieve an equivalent effect as you would if it was well-decarbed first.
You can also find other cannabinoids and terpenes in weed that also have a range of medicinal benefits. While there’s still a lot of research being done about marijuana and its medical properties, one thing we do know for sure is decarbing your weed helps unlock these medicinal compounds, making them bioavailable for your body to absorb.
What is the best way to decarb weed?
When it comes to cooking with cannabis, decarboxylation is one of those things that most people know they should be doing but aren’t entirely sure how. There are a few different methods of decarbing weed. You can use a food dehydrator or an oven to convert your weed into dabs. The best way to decarb weed depends on your personal preference and what you intend to do with it after conversion.
For example, if you plan to eat your weed, a slow-cooker may be a better choice because it will be gentler on your buds. If you plan on vaping or dabbing, then using an oven will allow for more direct contact with heat, resulting in a less wasted product due to burning off terpenes and other volatile compounds during cooking.
Some people think that heating up cannabis too much changes its chemical structure (which could make it less effective therapeutically), but research has shown otherwise. Studies have found that marijuana smoke undergoes similar metabolic processing as tobacco smoke, even though cannabinoids like CBD & THC break down differently than nicotine does. This suggests that cannabis itself is not very susceptible to breakdown from heat exposure.
Due to varying viewpoints surrounding how marijuana should be treated before consumption, there isn’t one right way to do anything. But the easiest way to decarb cannabis is to use your oven. The procedure for decarbing in an oven is simple, and the results are quite good. Decarboxylating in an oven requires putting your cannabis in an oven-safe dish, covering it with aluminum foil, and then heating it in the oven for about 30 minutes at around 220ºF (105ºC).
The whole process of decarboxylating weed in an oven takes about 45 minutes and requires little to no additional effort on your part. Plus, since we’re talking about a home-cooked meal here, it’s really easy to add the decarbed cannabis to any recipe you like!
It’s important to use high-quality cannabis when decarboxylating. Cheap weed doesn’t decarb well and can leave you with a less potent messy final product. Use a cookie sheet or any other oven–friendly container. Since you’ll be heating at such high temperatures, anything less appropriate will likely shatter in the process.
Final Thoughts
We hope that this article demystifies the process of decarboxylation of cannabis. If you already know what your end product will be, the way to properly decarb your bud takes little thought. If you don’t know how you will use your weed, then playing it safe by decarbing first is still likely your best option. There are so many possibilities for using cannabis, so experiment with the knowledge you have gained here! Good luck!
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