How to Decarb Weed Guide
You may be new to the world of cannabis but one thing you should not miss is the process of decarboxylation. Whenever you find some DIY tips and recipes online on how to make some edibles, you may come across this term.
You may be wondering why this process is seen as important especially when making some edibles. In this article, we will be talking about how to decarb weed. But before we even go any further, let us first have a summary of what decarboxylation is, why is it important, and all the details you may need to know in doing this process.
Everything you need to know before Decarbing
What is Decarboxylation?
Decarboxylation by definition is a process in which cannabis is exposed through the heat for its cannabinoid composition to activate. This is typically done when making some edibles. While knowing that this process is relatively important to stimulate the compound present in marijuana, the chemical reaction from this process ensures that the edibles being produced can give such high depending on the producer’s preference.
The process of heating mainly talks about the conversion of THCA to THC. From an inactive substance to an active one. Hence, from the non-psychoactive to the psychoactive compounds. One of the few common reasons why cannabis is being looked into and is continuously increasing its demand is due to the high effects it can provide to the human body.
Before cannabis is being heated, its psychoactive properties are not yet activated, but through the use of this process called decarboxylation, these substances can activate. This is the main reason why even if you eat loads of raw cannabis, you won’t be able to get extremely high. Even if it will be processed by the human digestive system, the heat it requires to activate THCA can be obtained through a particular temperature.
This is also the reason as to why edibles and other forms of cannabis like tinctures requires decarbed weed. It is for the result to get exceptionally enticing.
The Process
In doing decarboxylation, the process can be far simpler. You may have to repeat the instructions but from time to time, you would see the idea and the bigger picture. In this process, it simply indicates the exposure of cannabis to extreme heat like let’s say 250 degrees Fahrenheit in a specified amount of time.
This is the same as the utilization of different consumption methods like vaping and smoking. The process of decarboxylation happens directly once the plant material has been heated up by smoke or vaporizer. The THCA components of the plant material turn from THCA to THC which can then make someone high.
But haven’t you wondered if there is another way to decarb a weed instead of exposing it through extreme temperature? Yes. As time goes by and as the cannabis gets older, they also decarboxylate naturally even if they aren’t exposed to extreme heat.
The Importance of Decarboxylation
Well, this question can be answered by the effectiveness. Decarbing is a very important process mainly for making some edibles due to the effects it can influence. You will not get high by eating raw cannabis but through the help of this process, the edibles can do the magic trick.
The Preparation
In decarbing a weed, there are mainly two types of preparation for the decarboxylated substance to be perfect and effective. It is by crushing the weed into small pieces and through grinding.
1. Small Pieces
Breaking the weed into small pieces is typically done before decarbing due to a lack of equipment. But the main problem with this type of weed preparation is that not all plant material can extract its psychoactive compounds.
2. Grinding
Grinding is a typical weed preparation if you have a weed grinder to evenly crush and break the plant material into fine pieces.
Now that you have an overview of decarboxylation, let us now discuss how to decarb weed.
Guide of how to decarb
In this process, there are various methods you can execute. They are the following:
Natural Decarboxylation
As its name suggests, this method of decarboxylation comes naturally. But the problem with this method is that due to the time it requires for plant material or cannabis to decarboxylate, the effort in succeeding this is a lot and time-consuming.
Another thing about natural decarboxylation is its effectiveness. As the process is done by itself, naturally, the potency and THC concentration appears inconsistent, thus, is not a perfect method when it comes to making some edibles and tinctures.
Lastly, natural decarboxylation also changes the overall taste and smell of cannabis as soon as it gets smoked or consumed.
How to Utilize this Method?
Things needed:
- Raw cannabis
- Jar or glass container
- Time
Preparation:
Place the raw cannabis inside the jar or glass container. Wait for it to decarb on its own in a year or so. If the time required does not work for you, you can try different methods below.
Decarboxylation through Parchment Paper on Baking Sheet
This method of decarboxylation is the common method used for home and even for some commercial cooking of edibles and the production of tinctures. However, you may have to consider the fusion of smell on this course as this is so far the method in which the smell of cannabis can stick all the way through.
How to Utilize this Method?
Things needed:
- Oven
- Baking sheet or tray
- Parchment paper
- Raw cannabis
- Grinder (optional)
Preparation:
Before doing anything else, you have to ensure that the oven is preheated to 250 degrees Farenheight. As soon as you have done this step, you can now start by preparing the baking sheet and placing a parchment paper on it. Grind or crush the raw cannabis and place it on the parchment paper.
If you do not have a grinder, you can use your hand by breaking the raw cannabis into pieces. As soon as the raw cannabis is all set, you can put it in the oven and bake it for 30 minutes or until the plant material turns into a brown color. As soon as the raw cannabis turns to the desired color, you can set it aside and let it cool down for further use.
Decarboxylation through the use of Mason Jar
This is by far the simpler, time-consuming, and effortless decarboxylation method. One that is done by using a glass jar that you can find in your house or recycle. It also prevents the smell from stinking all around your kitchen.
How to Utilize this Method?
Things needed:
- Mason jar
- Oven
- Raw cannabis
Preparation:
Before doing anything else, you have to ensure that the oven is preheated to 250 degrees Farenheight. As soon as you have done this step, you can break the raw cannabis into pieces and put it into the mason jar. Seal the jar tightly to prevent the smell from coming out.
Place the mason jar in the oven and wait for 30 minutes or as soon as the plant material turns into brown color. As soon as the raw cannabis turns to the desired color, you can set it aside but make sure to use some tools to hold it as it is really hot. Let it cool down for a while before sealing it off.
Conclusion
While imagining having a good time with your edibles, nothing is more fun and exciting than doing it on your own. With understanding the decarbing process, you will be able to easily do almost every edible you wish. As there are various methods you can do to decarb a weed, one that can work perfectly for you should be for you to decide.
With the given tips and instruction above on how to decarb weed, we hope that it is a helpful guide for your future edible making endeavor. You will now be able to make lots of edibles you wish by knowing this main important step.
