Have you ever seen someone eating a bag of Cannabis claiming that it will get them high? In movies and television shows we have witnessed characters eat a big bag of weed in attempts to avoid getting caught. This is followed by others gasping in shock or disbelief. “Woah you just ate all that weed, your going to be super stoned” is hollered out by a bystander. Perhaps after seeing a scene like this, you would open up your bag of buds and send the tastiest one down the hatch. However, after some time you will come to realize that the movies are not all what they set out to be. There are countless different methods of consumption for the Cannabis plant however, eating raw buds is not one of them. In order for your dried Cannabis flower to be edible, it must first go through the crucial process of decarboxylation.
What Is Decarboxylation?
In order for our dried or raw Cannabis flower to have the desired effect, the cannabinoids within the trichomes of the bud must successfully bind to the appropriate receptors in the brain and body. A Cannabinoid is a chemical compound, naturally present within the Cannabis Sativa and Indica plants. The most commonly spoken about Cannabinoids are THCA (Tetrahydrocannabinol acid) and CBD (Cannabidiol).
Both THCA and CBD when consumed, have a variety of known benefits to the human body. THCA can have a variety of anti-inflammatory benefits where CBD may be used for pain management in a variety of cases. However, to achieve that stoned sensation many of us are seeking the THCA found in raw flowers must be converted into THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) to successfully bind to the correct receptors in our brain. In order for any of this to occur, your raw flowers must undergo a process called decarboxylation.
How Does Decarboxylation Work?
The process of decarboxylation does not occur quickly, with the first catalyst being time, which takes significantly longer than the second catalyst, which is heat. As soon as your Cannabis flower is cut from its stock the THCA in the plant begins to partially decarboxylate and synthesize into THC. The flowers or buds are hung to dry and cure where this change will continue to occur over the course of the next week or two.
The second stage of decarboxylation can often times occur instantaneously with the combustion of your raw flower through either smoking or vaporizing. When extreme heat is applied to the flower the THCA within the plant is converted to THC, the form that is easily absorbed by the lungs through inhalation. Smoking and vaporizing Cannabis can be a quick way to consume the cannabinoids we are seeking however, the combustion of plant matter can have a variety of negative health repercussions. To combat against the negative consequences associated with combusting dried plants the Cannabis can be heated over a long period of time to prepare for edible consumption. Through a careful process of heating the cannabinoids within the raw plant over an extended period of time, the individual can decarboxylate their Cannabis. This slow process maintains the integrity of the cannabinoids and terpenes for edible infusions.
How to Decarboxylate Cannabis At Home
In order for the THCA in Cannabis to begin the decarboxylation process for edible infusion, a temperature of 240 degrees Fahrenheit must be maintained for at least 30-45 minutes. Although the transformation of THCA to THC will begin after 30-45 minutes it may require additional time for full decarboxylation to occur. The taste, integrity and aromas of both the cannabinoids and terpenes may be deemed
undesirable if temperatures exceed 300 degrees Fahrenheit or the decarboxylation process continues on for too long.
Decarboxylating Cannabis at home can be a confusing ordeal. Many questions may arise during the process such as:
“How much Cannabis should I use? How potent should my Cannabis be for use in edibles? How do I take my decarboxylated Cannabis and infuse it into an edible recipe?” How long should I cook my weed in the oven to achieve the best results?”.
At Micanna we understand your confusion and frustration with this process. With an abundance of research and time needed to successfully cook up tasty infused edibles, you might just got back to smoking or vaporizing! Micanna wants to simplify the processes involved with whipping up homemade Cannabis infused edibles, and for this reason have released our line of Do It Yourself Cannabis Edible Kits!