What Is Decarboxylation? How Do I Decarb My Own Cannabis?

What Is Decarboxylation?

Decarboxylation is the chemical reaction that changes compounds inside a marijuana plant to turn them into THC, CDB and other cannabinoids. Decarboxylation is essential for anyone who is interested in using raw or dried cannabis in any kind of edible.

Why Heat Cannabis?

Heating cannabis makes it more potent. Additionally, the psychoactive compounds within marijuana plants are activated, resulting in a high feeling. THC and CBD are produced by decarboxylation of cannabis. CBD and THC, for example, must undergo this process before they can be absorbed by the body. Lighting a joint or a bong instantly decarbs cannabis allowing it to be absorbed.

Cannabis Needs Decarboxylation

Cannabis edibles, cannabis topicals, cannabis oils, and other cannabis products require decarboxylation to be activated. Decarboxylation of cannabis is required before cooking, baking, or extracting oils from dried cannabis flower buds to get the benefits of activated CBD or THC. 

Raw cannabinoids

A cannabinoid compound that isn’t cooked, or not decarboxylated, is called an acid. Burning buds is essentially instantaneous decarboxylation, which converts inactive cannabinoids (THCA and CBDA) into their active counterparts (THC and CBD).

You Can Decarb at Home

Decarboxylation can be done at home! Just remember decarbing edibles with lower heat over longer periods of time helps retain cannabinoids (especially THC, which produces the psychoactive effects) and terpenes (the aromatic compounds in plants that provide cannabis with its flavor). I like to line a baking tray with parchment paper. Break up the cannabis into small pieces and have it spread out on the tray. Then bake it accordingly.

Bake To Get Baked

Whether it’s baked brownies, cannabis edibles, cannabis topicals, cannabis oils, and other cannabis products decarbing is a must to make it activated. You just have to do a little baking before getting baked!

Cited Sources

• https://greencamp.com/decarboxylation/ ⁰
• https://tcheck.me/four-easy-ways-to-decarboxylate-cannabis-at-home/ ¹
• https://docsofcannabis.com/weed-decarboxylation-how-to-decarb-weed/ ²
• https://www.veriheal.com/blog/cannabis-decarboxylation-explained-why-its-important-and-how-to-do-it/ ³
• https://www.hemper.co/blogs/news/cannabis-decarboxylation ⁴
• https://blog.lunatechequipment.com/cannabis-decarboxylation ⁵
• https://www.monroeblvd.com/blogs/cafe-bakery/how-to-decarb-marijuana ⁶
• https://www.plant-family.com/a-beginners-guide-to-decarboxylation/ ⁷
• https://www.leafly.com/learn/consume/edibles/what-is-decarboxylation ⁸
• https://weedmaps.com/learn/dictionary/decarboxylation ⁹
• https://greenaloha.com/decarb ¹⁰
• https://honestmarijuana.com/decarboxylation/ ¹¹
• https://essencevegas.com/blog/decarboxylation-101-how-to-decarb-cannabis/ ¹²
• https://homesteadandchill.com/how-to-decarboxylate-cannabis/ ¹³