How To Easily Decarboxylate Your Weed

What is decarboxylation?

Decarboxylation is an important step when making cannabis edibles. It refers to the process of activating the THC and CBD compounds in cannabis, which are otherwise dormant. This is done by heating the plant material at a low temperature for an extended period, typically around 200 degrees Celsius for 45-60 minutes.

By doing this, the cannabinoids and terpenes are activated which allows them to interact with the body’s cannabinoid receptors and have a psychoactive effect. Decarboxylation is an essential step in making infused cannabis butter as it activates the cannabis that will be used in the recipe.

Decarbing Weed in the Oven

First, preheat your oven to 250°F

Next, cover a baking sheet or dish with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Break up your dried and cured marijuana onto the parchment paper or aluminum foil. You should avoid grinding the marijuana because if it is too fine, it is more likely to burn than decarb.

Once the oven is preheated to 250°F, place the baking sheet and cannabis in the oven for 25-30 minutes. If you’re concerned about losing terpenes in your favorite strain, you can bake the cannabis at a lower temperature for more extended periods. For example, 45 minutes at 230°F.

Halfway through the baking time, lightly stir the plant matter on the baking sheet using a spatula or wooden spoon. A

fter 25 - 30 minutes, remove your baking sheet from the oven and let the cannabis flower cool. If decarbed correctly, the flower should look light brown or golden in color.

Once cooled, place all the decarbed weed into an air-tight container and store in a safe place that is cool, dry, and dark. Exposure to light will cause the THC you worked so hard to decarb to lose its potency, and excess moisture can produce mold.

That’s it! You're now ready to use your decarbed weed to make edibles, tinctures, oils, or any other consumable cannabis product you want! However, we recommend using your stash of decarboxylated cannabis within 3 months, as cannabinoids can lose their potency and degrade over time.

Pro Tips: If it smells like your flower is burning at any point during the process, turn down the temperature. And remember that THCA decarbs significantly faster than CBDA. So, if you're decarbing hemp to make CBD edibles or tinctures, allow the flower to sit in the oven for twice as long.

Lastly, keep in mind that decarbing in the oven can leave your house with a distinct cannabis odor. So you may want to leave the windows open to help air out your kitchen.

How to Decarb Weed Using Your Microwave

Using a microwave can be less effective and reliable than using the oven. But that doesn't mean it can't do the job in a pinch. One benefit is that decarbing weed in the microwave will take significantly less time than baking it in an oven. Still, it will require a little more work to ensure that the weed decarbs properly.

Here's how to decarb in the microwave:

First, grind up or break apart your weed and place it in a microwave-safe bowl.

Place the bowl in the microwave and cook on high for approximately 1.5 minutes.

Remove the bowl and examine the cannabis flower. Be sure that none has burned and that it has a pungent smell. Give the flower a stir and microwave for another minute. Repeat as necessary.

One additional challenge of using a microwave is that your flower may not turn into the golden-brown color produced by the oven, making it more challenging to determine when the cannabis has been sufficiently decarbed.