I'll tell you a secret: your cannabis has no effect. Or rather, without it decarboxylation your cannabis would have no effect. I'll explain better.
Our beloved inflorescences do not contain cannabinoids, but are rich in chemical precursors called cannabinoid acids. Decarboxylation of cannabis does exactly this: converting cannabinoid acids (non-psychoactive) into the corresponding cannabinoids (psychoactive and therapeutic).
Let's quickly learn what decarboxylation is, why it is important, and how to do it correctly maximize the benefits of cannabis.
Decarboxylation of cannabis: what it is
The decarboxylation allows consumers to experience the effects of cannabis. It is the heat-driven chemical reaction that converts cannabinoid acids (THCA, CBDA) that naturally accumulate in trichomes, in their corresponding cannabinoids: THC and CBD.
Even if without our knowledge, this process occurs by exposing these molecules to high temperatures. When we bring the flame of the lighter to the end of our joint or start the vaporizer.
| For further information: "Why vape cannabis: 5 benefits you need to know"
Decarboxylation: the (exact) temperature at which it occurs
To avoid compromise the properties of ours inflorescences, temperatures that are too high must not be exceeded. Which doesn't happen when we use a lighter, whose flame reaches 900°C and burns the components of cannabis.
To get THC and CBD in fact, it is enough to expose THCA and CBDA to just a little 110°C for a maximum time ranging from 30 to 45 minutes. By doing so, we will fully enjoy both the active ingredients and the other chemical components of cannabis that are usually degraded, such as terpenes, responsible for its aromas and flavors.
How to decarboxylate cannabis (even without an oven): 4 simple ways
Indispensable when we want to give creativity to our dishes, such as for the creation of Amazing cannabis burgers, there are several ways to decarboxylate cannabis and be able to use it in the kitchen. Among these:
1. Oven
We can decarboxylate cannabis by simply "baking" it in the oven. Here are the few steps to follow:
- Preheat the oven to 115°C
- Carefully grind your favorite cannabis genetics
- Line a baking tray with baking paper
- Pour and spread your ground cannabis evenly across the sheet
- Bake for about 45 minutes, stirring the cannabis halfway through cooking
Attention. Always check the oven temperature. Even if you think you'll speed things up, cooking your buds at a higher temperature will degrade the cannabinoids and terpenes of cannabis, weakening their effects.
2. Microwave
How Snoop Dogg puts his joints in the microwave before smoking them, you can also use it to decarboxylate your cannabis in a few minutes. Here's how:
- Chop your herb and pour it into a bowl or tray
- Set the microwave to high temperature and cook for about 90 seconds
- Pull out the buds and smell them. What we're looking for is a pungent, but not burning, odor. If we don't need it, we mix and put everything back in the microwave for another 60-90 seconds.
Cooking cannabis in the microwave is riskier than doing it with an oven. If we don't want to risk burning our weed, but we don't have much time available, we set the microwave on a low temperature and cook it slowly.
3. Vacuum
Decarboxylate cannabis with sous vide (a sous vide cooking method) guarantees us not to burn the ganja in any way and to activate all its principles with certainty.
- Grind the buds, place them in a sous vide bag and seal them carefully
- If we have a precision sous-vide cooker, set the temperature to 95℃, insert the bag and cook for about 1 hour. Conversely, if you don't have a sous-vide pot, fill a pot with water and bring it to the boil.
- Once it boils, use a thermometer to keep the water temperature between 95 and 100℃
- Immerse the bag in water and cook for about 60 minutes
4. Natural
Simply by waiting, cannabis naturally decarboxylates over time, converting THCA into THC on its own. However, this process is incredibly long and it may not always be worth it, also because THC, in contact with heat and oxygen, could in turn degrade into CBN, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid.
What is decarboxylation for: the main advantages
As we have just seen, decarboxylation is essential to unlock the potential of our beloved cannabinoids. Among the main advantages of this reaction, to be defined almost mandatory, we remember:
- Decarboxylation activates the active ingredients of cannabis, allowing us to enjoy the high effect, for example THC and the therapeutic properties of CBD
- Prevention from molds and pathogens. The high temperatures of decarboxylation will protect our buds and, consequently, our health. As? Removing moisture from cannabis flowers and minimizing the chance of microbial pathogens ruining the crop
