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By Jorge Cervantes – jorge@marijuanagrowing.com

CANNABIS BUTTER

Decarboxylation and Solubilization

Raw cannabis is generally non-intoxicating but may have some psychoactive effects depending on how much free THC is present versus THCA. Patients report that the therapeutic effects of raw cannabis include providing relief from spasticity and inflammation and some reported no therapeutic effect.

Cannabinoids are found in the form of acids (THCA) and attached to the carboxylic group (COOH). It must first be “liberated”; that is, cannabinoids including THC must change from an acid to a nonacid form to become psychoactive.

The process of decarboxylation converts CBD and non-psychoactive THC acid found in raw cannabis to psychoactive nonacid THC. Decarboxylation converts CBD to its nonacid form, which is extremely therapeutic. The process of solubilization also converts CBD and THC found in dry cannabis from their acid forms to their nonacid forms. Decarboxylation and solubilization, achieve the same end but through different processes.

Decarboxylation is a chemical reaction that releases carbon dioxide (CO2). Decarboxylation of cannabis denotes a reaction of carboxylic acids, removing a carbon atom from a carbon chain.

Decarboxylation can be achieved by heating THC-dominant dry canna bis to above 100ºC or heating CBD-dominant dry cannabis to above 146ºC for 60 to 90 minutes. Do not heat cannabis – both THC-dominant and CBD-dominant – to above 160ºC to prevent boiling off cannabinoids. Heating beyond 160ºC may cause desirable cannabinoids, CBD and THC, to volatize and be lost when they mix with the air.

Decarboxylation also occurs rapidly during vaporization: heating cannabis to 187.8ºC–193ºC, at which point it vaporizes and the conversion to the “active” nonacidic form takes place. Do not heat above 193ºC or it may cause preliminary burning/charring. This process frees molecules to convert into carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O).

Note: THC is liberated rapidly at temperatures between 187.8ºC–193ºC, and CBD is liberated rapidly at 187.8ºC –193ºC. The other 80+ known cannabinoids volatize at different temperatures often lower than 193ºC. The same decarboxylation process also occurs at a very rapid rate when cannabis combusts (burns). Heat in smoked can-

Smoked or vaporized cannabis that enters the lungs passes directly to the brain via the Decarboxylized and solubilized cannabis that is eaten passes through the stomach and liver Step One: Chop cannabis flower buds in a small coffee grinder (or food processor). Make sure coffee grinder is clean and used only for cannabis. Chopped flower buds release cannabinoids into the butter faster.