What is Decarboxylation?

I’m sure you’ve noticed almost every infusion recipe you find mentions this. That’s because “decarbing” is a mandatory first step in receiving the psychoactive effects and other benefits from THC. Essentially this process is the chemical reaction of turning tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), a non-psychoactive compound in cannabis, into tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It is still possible to receive some health benefits from using THCA but if you’re looking for that classic “high” that sets in it’s essential to activate the cannabinoids in the plant with heat. When you smoke or vaporize cannabis you’re adding heat to it, so think of cooking with it in the same way. When you heat THCA, it releases the carbon dioxide molecule to produce THC.

Why Decarb before cooking?

Its still possible to get the healing benefits from THCA and CBD without decarboxylating cannabis, so if you’re not looking for that high feeling, this step isn’t necessary. However, if you want that psychoactive effect many people think of with cannabis, decarbing is essential . Also, just like blooming spices or toasting nuts pulls out natural flavors, decarbing cannabis cooks out its bitterness and pulls out the natural aromatics the strains terpenes provide (post on terps coming soon). You may be familiar with this process if you’ve made other garden-herb infused oils in the past too.

Oven Method-

The oven method is a classic and simple way of decarbing your cannabis. There are a lot of different way you can do this but heres a simple one that works best for me!

Things you’ll need-

1. Preheat the oven to 240° F. Make sure your oven rack is on the middle tear before preheating.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
3. Grind up your cannabis to avoid large clumps but not too fine to avoid burning. Spread out on the prepared baking sheet. Avoid overcrowding the pan so you can get a nice even bake.
4. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes, stirring at least once in the process. The cannabis should be a golden brown color and have a toasty cannabis aroma (similar to vaporized cannabis).
5. Let cool for 30 minutes
6. Now your cannabis is ready to infuse into a base!

Boiling Method –

This is another way you can try decarbing that takes a little longer but has a less potent smell. If you live in an apartment complex or have noisy neighbors, this might be a better option for you!

Things you’ll need-

–Cannabis of choice (preferably kept in an air-sealed container to preserve freshness. This helps keep our overall estimate of cannabinoids in the product as accurate as possible)

–Heat-proof zip-lock pouch

–Large Sauce pan or pot

-Water

Instructions –

1. Bring a pot of water to a simmer
2. Put all of cannabis into the heat-proof bag and seal air-tight with no way for water to get in. You don’t need to grind the cannabis for this method, but might need to for infusion later on.
3. Make sure the bag is fully submerged in the water and simmer for about 90 minutes
4. Take off heat, remove the bag, and let cool for about 15 minutes before removing the cannabis
5. Now your ready to infuse your cannabis into a base!

Now that your ready to infuse a medium, check out the different infusions you can try!

Infused Oil

Vegan Butter made with Infused Coconut Oil

Check out this link to covert your THC to Milligrams. Essential for proper dosage!

Calculating Dosage