If you’re someone who is new to pot, then you may have heard the word decarboxylation.

The Cannabis Decarboxylation Graph

What Is Decarboxylation?

Decarboxylation is not a new fad diet where you stop eating pasta, it’s actually the term for the process of heating up your weed so it becomes psychoactive. Without decarboxylation, you might as well have a bag of lettuce in your hand.

When marijuana is smoked or vaped, decarboxylation happens naturally because you are heating up the herb. When cooking with weed, however, such as making butter or tinctures, decarboxylation is a necessary process if you want your edibles to have that extra bang.

Why You Should Decarboxylate

When decarboxylating your weed, it’s better to do it at lower temperatures so you don’t lose the terpenes found in the plant.

Terpenes are the oils found in marijuana that give each strain its unique smell. They interact with your endocannabinoid system as a partner to cannabinoids.

The reason decarboxylation is necessary is because raw cannabis, although very healthy, is covered in a compound called THCA which is short for tetrahydrocannabinolic acid. THCA is non-psychoactive, so for the THCA to turn into your friendly neighbourhood THC, the stuff that DOES get you high, the weed needs to be heated.

How To Decarboxylate Marijuana

To decarb your pot, simply preheat the oven to 240°F. Then, break up your buds into smaller pieces and put them down on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake the cannabis for 30 to 40 minutes, while stirring every 10 minutes so that everything toasts evenly. The more toasted your weed is, the more toasted you will be. When the pot is a light to medium brown and is dry, remove the baking sheet and allow it to cool. At this point the weed should be crumbly.

Finally, in a food processor, blend the cannabis until it is well ground but not a powder. Then use it as needed when baking. By decarbing before baking, you are ensuring that your edibles will retain the highest potency possible.

If all of this seems more complicated than you would like, don’t fret, most cannabis oil and edible producers decarb their cannabis before turning them into medicine.

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Madison Cole

Madison is a marijuana enthusiast based out of Ottawa, Canada. Although she uses a pseudonym, Madison has written for many major publications including Maclean's, Chatelaine, City Parent and others.

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