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Decarboxylation and Marijuana

There is plenty of information about the processes involving the extraction of CBD oil and all their potential benefits, but a topic that is not as widely discussed is the process of decarboxylation.

Scientifically speaking, the chemical reaction that eliminates a carboxyl group and releases carbon dioxide (co2) is referred to as decarboxylation. Decarboxylation involves heating marijuana to a certain temperature for a specific time frame. This process describes what happens to the plant material when you vaporize or smoke the marijuana bud. Decarboxylation activates the THC and all other cannabinoids inside the marijuana and also unleashes its psychoactive effects.

Why is Decarboxylation important for CBD?

Decarboxylation may sound complicated as the name implies, but it merely means heating your cannabis, and this particular process is the only way to ensure you are getting the most from your edibles. When talking about decarboxylation, the significant difference between CBD and CBD-A needs to be emphasized. When cannabis grows, it produces CBD-A and not CBD. So, therefore, CBD-A is known as the acidic predecessor to CBD. The same thing is right for THC; the decarboxylation process is also needed to turn the indolent THC-A into THC, which has the psychoactive effect.

No matter what you are interested in making, whether cannabis tincture or marijuana-infused edibles, the cannabis must undergo the decarboxylation process first before you can be able to experience the full effects of marijuana.

Effects of decarboxylation and why you should consider this process

The decarboxylation process stimulates your marijuana, making it active by successfully removing the carboxyl group (2) from cannabinoids. Cannabis has over 450 naturally occurring compounds, which at least 80 of these cannabinoids are not psychoactive at all. The decarboxylation process is crucial to unraveling all the benefits CBD oil has to offer its consumers. CBD is still non-psychoactive even after the decarb process. The process is to explain the various therapeutic compounds of CBD.

Aside from the fact that decarboxylation is necessary if you want to get high from your cannabis, it also unravels the full medicinal potential of other forms of cannabinoids, such as CBNs, CBGs, and CBDs. The process of decarboxylation is suitable for cannabis oil because it increases its potency, thereby having the ability to utilize the oil for many different applications (e.g., topical, cooking, and lots more).

Equipment involved in Decarboxylation

With the help of the equipment listed below, you can easily decarboxylate your purchased cannabis flower for your grown marijuana. Below is a full list of what you’ll need and a detailed explanation of how to decarboxylate your cannabis flower;

  • Marijuana flower
  • Oven
  • Baking Sheet
  • Grinder
  • Parchment Paper.
How to decarboxylate your marijuana:
  1. Preheat oven to 220 – 240 degrees F and then line your baking sheet with parchment paper
  2. Break your cannabis flower into pieces while the oven heats
  3. Spread the parchment paper on a flat surface, and then spread out the cannabis flower on the parchment paper so that it can be in a single layer
  4. Then place the baking sheet in the oven and cook for 40 – 50 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes to ensure even dispersal.
  5. Remove the baking sheet from the oven once the marijuana is dark in color, and then set aside to allow the activated marijuana flower cool.
  6. Use the food processor or grinder as the case may be to grind the flower coarsely. Then store the cannabis in an airtight container.

In addition to the above method, there also exist some devices designed explicitly for decarboxylating cannabis flower and extracts on a large scale.

Note: During the decarboxylation process, opting for little temperature heat helps safeguard the reliability of the plant’s compounds. On the other hand, temperatures which are higher than 310 degrees to 400 degrees will compromise the authenticity of the cannabinoids, and burn the marijuana’s terpenes.

Thoughts

It is known that decarboxylation is a process that applies to all types of cannabis, including recreational marijuana, medical marijuana, and all forms of CBD products created from hemp. Also, decarboxylation is one of the most significant parts of triggering the various beneficial compound found in cannabis. Decarboxylation is an exceptionally substantial part of harnessing the benefits of CBD.

Now that the process of decarboxylation and all its benefits are known, it is okay to take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of decarboxylating CBD before extraction and also after removal. Growers and manufacturers may choose to decarboxylate CBD before extracting the oil or after extracting the oil. However, it appears that decarboxylating CBD before extraction carries more benefits than decarbing it after extraction.

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