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Today you will learn everything there is to know about decarboxylation. I've also included step by step instructions and two charts that are super easy to follow.

So let's jump right in.

What is decarboxylation and why is it important?

Decarboxylation is the magic that makes cannabis a potent additive to food.

Simply put, it's a chemical reaction that is achieved through heating up raw cannabis to a temperature at which it releases a carboxyl group and becomes psychoactive.

THCA (Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid) is the active component in raw cannabis, and it's not a psychoactive compound by default.

Through decarboxylation, we're essentially applying heat to plant material so that the THCA gets converted to THC, enabling us to get high.

Chemistry of decarboxylation

Cannabinoids in raw cannabis have an extra carboxyl ring in their molecular structure.

For the purposes of this article, we'll focus on the two most prevalent: THC and CBD.

This extra carboxyl group gets removed in the process of decarboxylation due to the effect heat has on their chemical structure.

Once enough heat has been applied, the molecule will release a carboxyl group. That carboxyl group then gets replaced with a hydrogen molecule.

This process is pretty much the same for CBD. Both CBD and THC acids are carboxylic acids which tend to decompose directly when heated.

Only complex carboxylic acids decompose under the influence of heat alone.

Exclusive bonus: If you're using cannabis for medical purposes, feel free to download our free dosage eBook which explains the exact step-by-step process Dr. Dustin Sulak used to successfully treat more than 18,000 patients with cannabis, including the day-by-day dosage charts.

Decarboxylation chart

As with any other chemical process, there are certain things that need to happen in order for chemical compounds to change their structure.

Decarbing is a process that involves both temperature and time, so it's all about balancing the two.

Luckily for us, there is a chart for that.

This is called a decarboxylation chart and it allows you to see how you can reach the desired THC by baking the buds on a specific temperature for a set period of time.

As this chart was based on a strain that can reach a maximum of 15% THC, you can see that the easiest way to reach that amount is by baking cannabis in an oven for about 7 minutes at 300°F (148°C)—or for 20 minutes at 250°F (121°C).

How to decarb weed (in 6 steps)

So far, we've learned that decarboxylating cannabis is a needed step in making super-potent edibles and that cannabis can be decarbed in several ways, depending on the temperature and the time you bake it at.

We also found out that the easiest way to decarboxylate cannabis is to bake it at a relatively low temperature for about 30 minutes.

Now, here's a step by step guide:

Preheat the oven to 250℉. The light should turn off once the oven has reached the temperature.
Break up your cannabis into small chunks. Don't grind it, just break it into smaller bits and don't leave any nugs out.
Spread the cannabis on a piece of baking paper. Make sure there are no overlapping pieces of cannabis.
Bake the cannabis at 250℉ for 25-30 minutes. Make sure not to open the oven too often. Decarbed cannabis should change its color from green to light brown.
After 25-30 minutes, check your cannabis. It should be light to medium brown and should be very dry. If it's not, put it back in the oven for an extra 5 minutes. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.
Remove cannabis from the baking sheet and let it cool for a while. Careful, it's going to get very crumbly at this point.

If this sounds complicated, you can always get a Magical Butter machine or the Nova Decarboxylator and skip all of the steps above, as the machine does everything for you in under an hour.

Now, once your cannabis has cooled down sufficiently, you can put it in a food processor and pulse until it's thoroughly ground (like oregano).

If you're going to use your decarbed weed in smoothies or drinks, you should continue grinding until you turn it into powder. For food, there is no need to do this.

Decarboxylation temperature chart

Decarboxylation temperatures times — Use this chart to decarboxylate kief, hash, oil and high THC/CBD flowers.

Decarboxylation temperature is probably the most important factor when decarbing different types of material.

As you can see in the image above, decarbing can be done in 3 different ways—the basic and most common way is by using an oven, but you can also do it in a hot water bath.

To decarb kief or hash in an oven, bake it for 10 minutes at 300°F (149°C). Have in mind that, at higher temperatures, kief and hash tend to decarb faster than dried flowers.

High CBD strains tend to decarb a bit slower than those with high THC content:

Decarb high CBD strains by baking them for 15-25 minutes at 300°F (149°C)
Decarb high THC strains by baking them for 10-15 minutes at 300°F (149°C)

Continue reading

It's time to put decarboxylation to good use. You can do so by following these guides:

How to Make the Best Cannabutter for Edibles – Fast & Simple
How to Make Weed Tea: DIY Recipe for the Ultimate Cannabis Tea
How to Make Weed Brownies in 2 Ways (Classic Recipes)