What is cannabis decarboxylation?
Disclaimer: All information provided in this article is for educational purposes only. The article only describes the possible uses of cannabis provided that the cannabis contains the legal limit of THC. The article is in no way intended to entice, encourage or incite anyone to abuse any addictive substances. The article is not suitable for persons under the age of 18.
Decarboxylation can be described as the reaction of plant material of hemp origin with a heat source. It is a very simple chemical process that involves removing the carboxylic acid from the compound. Decarboxylation usually starts at 110 degrees Celsius and without it, the activation of the cannabinoid would not occur.
However, decarboxylation has other advantages, such as the prevention of pathogens. This is because cannabis buds can be attacked by fungi and other diseases during storage, which could ruin your entire harvest. Decarboxylation has an impressive protective effect that extends the life of the cannabis.
Cannabis contains dozens of cannabinoids, each of which interacts with different receptors in the brain and body. This produces a variety of effects, such as dry mouth and anxiety relief, or helps to stimulate hunger or induce drowsiness.
Decarboxylation and the cannabinoid THCA
The cannabinoid THCA is present in cannabis before the decarboxylation process begins. This is a chemical compound that is produced in the trichomes of the female flowers.
Scientific studies show that THCA helps with calming inflammatory processes and, in combination with CBD, can be used in patients suffering from epilepsy. The cannabinoid THCA is promising in the treatment of pain and inflammation, nausea and vomiting, epilepsy or brain degeneration.
THCA, unlike THC, does not induce a euphoric state and is therefore completely non-psychoactive. However, THCA must undergo decarboxylation in order to be converted into THC.
Decarboxylation and the cannabinoid CBDA
In addition to the cannabinoidTHCA, there are other cannabinoids in raw cannabis that are converted by decarboxylation. These include cannabidiol (CBDA), a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that has mild sedative properties. It also helps with nausea, and a 2012 study from Hokuriku University in Japan also found that CBDA was effective in inhibiting the growth of an aggressive form of breast cancer.
Decarboxylation by smoking and vaporisation
The decarboxylation itself then takes place in several variations. The first option is to perform decarboxylation by smoking or vaporisation. The heat from the lighter immediately triggers the activation of THC and other substances.
Vaporisation is more controllable than conventional smoking. The cannabis is heated to a specific temperature without igniting or degrading the compounds. This makes decarboxylation much more efficient and avoids burning terpenes and other important cannabinoids.
Decarboxylation of cannabis in a hot air oven
If you are going to bake or cook with cannabis, decarboxylation of cannabis in the oven is the first option. The key is to keep an eye on the temperature throughout the decarboxylation process. If temperatures are higher than recommended for decarboxylation, important substances will evaporate and the whole process could be ruined.
And how to decarboxylate cannabis in a hot air oven? Crush the cannabis and apply it evenly in a thin layer on a baking tray on which you have previously placed baking paper. Preheat the oven to 115 degrees Celsius and place the baking tray with the cannabis in it for 45 minutes. After the first 20 minutes or so, turn the cannabis over and spread it out again in an even, thin layer on the surface of the baking sheet.
Decarboxylation in the microwave
If you are in a hurry to decarboxylate, you can try the microwave. The whole process only takes a few minutes and the procedure is very simple and similar to that of a hot air oven.
However, the microwave oven has one important disadvantage compared to the hot-air oven. It is not possible to control the temperature very well. That is why it is better to use medium or low level programmes. A high temperature could burn important substances and make your work unusable.
Sous-vide method
If you love cooking or cooking, you should also try the Sous-vide method. It involves preparing food in a special vacuum container that is placed in hot water. In recent years, this is a very popular and widespread method in which water is boiled at about 100 degrees Celsius. The advantage of this method is the optimal control over the temperature, as you can simply insert a thermometer into the water.
And how does the sous-vide method actually decarboxylate the cannabis? First, you need to crush the cannabis and put it in a vacuum bag, which is available in almost every grocery store.
Then take a pot, pour water into it and bring it to a boil. Put a thermometer in the water to check the temperature, followed by the bag of crushed cannabis. Set your timer for 60 minutes and decarboxylate.
While this method is quite time consuming, it often produces the best results in practice compared to the previous methods.
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