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Did you know that the marijuana plant is not psychoactive? In its natural form, it does not contain THC or delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol which is the most psychoactive component of pot, cannabutter, wax, or shatter. What the marijuana plant contains that becomes psychoactive is tetrahydrocannabinolic acid or THCA. The decarboxylation mechanism is heat. Heating converts THCA to THC, then you’re rolling.

The heat removes the carboxyl group from the THCA, creating the psychoactive THC. The same goes for CBDA as heat converts it to CBD.

Decarboxylation activates not only the THCA turning it into THC, but also turns CBDA into CBD, and does the same with other cannabinoid acids.

Method How Long to Decarb Weed Temperature

Decarboxylation In An Oven

This method is the most common approach used to start the reaction that removes the carboxyl group from your THCA to yield THC:

1. Preheat your oven to 220 – 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Break your cannabis into smaller pieces with your hands.
3. Spread your weed out onto your baking sheet.
4. Heat the weed up for 30 to 60 minutes.
5. Remove from oven. Your weed will be browned, hard, and crumbly. Use your hands, a grinder, or food processor to further grind the weed to a coarse grain but not a powder. Now your weed is bursting with available THC, ready to be used for your favorite recipes.

Decarboxylation In A Microwave

Our non-cooking cannabis users have testified that decarboxylation can be done in a microwave. This is a non-preferred method as one cannot be sure the microwaves will not zap some of your cannabinoids or terpenes, but when you smell the result, it is clear that plenty of strong cannabinoids and terpenes remain. Just put in the microwave for 1.5 to 3 minutes on high and you’re done. An advantage of this method is there is far less chance you will burn any of your weed in the microwave. Also, it’s much quicker than other methods.

How Long To Decarb Weed

How long it will take to decarb weed depends on your goals and the decarb method. In the oven, you can use a higher temperature and a shorter time, or a lower temperature over a long time. Decarboxylation occurs at temperatures between 200 and 300 degrees. Many weed enthusiasts prefer to decarboxylate at lower temperatures for longer periods of time in order to keep terpenes from evaporating.

If you decarb in the microwave, cooking time is dramatically shortened. It only takes about 3 minutes to decarboxylate weed. This method is not preferred however because heating can be very uneven, and terpenoids may be evaporated. However, if you are on the go and need a quick fix, pop it in the microwave, throw it in some butter, and wolf it down for quick anti-inflammatory action and pain relief.