Decarboxylation, the process of turning THCA into THC , is the first and most important step to preparing medical marijuana for use in edibles and concentrates. Without decarboxylation, marijuana used in edibles and tinctures will not have any sedative or psychoactive effects on the patient. The process is simple, safe, and easily done at home in any kitchen with an oven.
Tetrahydrocanibolic acid, or THCA, is one of the most abundant cannabinoids in cannabis. THCA, however, is not psychoactive until heated, which causes a chemical reaction that turns the THCA into THC. According to an experiment performed by staff of The Marijuana Growers Headquarters, this reaction “is a chemical reaction that releases carbon dioxide (CO2). This means a chemical reaction takes place in which carboxylic acids loose a carbon atom from a carbon chain.”
This process normally occurs through the process of vaporizing or smoking the plant material, but since edibles aren’t heated when ingested, the reaction must take place before the medical cannabis is infused into the food. While THCA does have medicinal benefits, the lack of psychoactive properties leaves most patients feeling under-dosed, or un-satisfied with their medicine.
How to Decarboxylate in 5 easy steps:
- Preheat your oven to 240 degrees Fahrenheit
- Coarsely grind your cannabis. Make sure you don’t overgrind your plant material, as it will cause more THC and terpenes to vaporize while decarboxylating, resulting in a less potent medicine.
- Spread out your coarsely ground cannabis on a baking sheet, a pie pan, or a baking sheet.
- Bake the cannabis for 1 hour. If your cannabis has more moisture content than usual, you can leave it in the oven for longer, but do not increase the temperature.
- Remove your cannabis from the oven, let it cool, and store it in a cool, dry place.
Congratulations! Your medical marijuana is now ready to turn into edibles.
Additional resources:
- Click here to learn more about edibles.
- Click here for a great blog article about the chemicals present in medical marijuana.
- Click here for a longer scientific discussion about the process of decarboxylation
- View our menus for flower and other marijuana products