Can You Eat Decarbed Weed

What happens if you eat a cannabis plant in its natural state? For most, it’s going to cause relatively little more than a stomach ache and regret.

This stands in start contrast to the experience that you might have when consuming an edible, especially if it has been prepared correctly. The reason why the latter has such an impact and the former doesn’t is because of a process known as Decarboxylation, a process that anyone who prepares his or her own cannabis should become familiar with as soon as possible

What Is Decardoxylating?

Cannabis doesn’t have many of its signature qualities when consumed raw. Instead, it must go through a process called decarboxylation in order to activate the various compounds that give it its most potent effects.

Decardoxylating marijuana is the process by which THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid) is converted into the more well-known THC, which produces the intoxicating effects for which marijuana is best known.

Advantages of Decarboxylation

For most, the big advantage of decarboxylation is the transformation of THCA into the psychoactive THC. While THCA has some incredible medical benefits that are more than worth pursuing, those who are looking to extract oils for sale are almost certainly going to want to utilize this process in order to get THCA.

The creation of THC through decarboxylation is also useful because THC is more soluble than THCA, which means it can be extracted more easily and will lead to higher overall yields.

What Is the Difference Between Dried and Decarbed Cannabis?

Drying cannabis is a natural process that can take quite a long time. Impacted by everything from temperature to the moisture in the air, it contains more moisture at its end-state than decarbed weed.

This makes it a much better choice for smoking than decarbed weed, as it is easier to light and to keep lit. Decarbing, on the other hand, is a much faster process that entirely eliminates moisture but makes the end product somewhat less fit to be smoked.

How to Decarboxylate Weed

Decarbing weed may seem like a difficult process, but it’s actually quite simple. If you have access to a few basic household items like an oven and a cookie sheet, you can actually do this at home. Decarbing is as easy as doing the following:

• Preheat your oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit
• Take out a baking sheet and cover it with a sheet of lightly crinkled aluminum foil
• Grind your cannabis; it should be about the size of a grain of rice when you are finished.
• Spread the cannabis across the foil and lay another sheet of foil on top of it
• Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes
• Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and let sit for 45 minutes

Decarboxylation Temperature for THC and CBD

Like THC, CBD doesn’t occur naturally in plants. Instead, a compound called CBDA is found in the plant and thus must be activated through decarbing.

CBDA decarbs at a lower temperature than THC – around 194 degrees. THC decarbs at around 225 degrees, but also does so significantly more quickly. THC conversion starts to maximizes at around seven minutes, while CBD conversion can take up to twelve hours.

With that said, the amount of marijuana being decarbed can greatly increase the amount of time that either substance takes to become activated.

Will I get high if I eat pure decarbed weed?

One of the most obvious questions about decarbed weed has to do with whether or not it will get you a high. Not only can you get high from eating pure decarbed weed, but you can add marijuana that’s been through this process to virtually any other food in order to get similar effects.

Since the THC has been activated, you should see the effects rather quickly, though your personal tolerance levels may vary.

Final Thoughts

While not everyone is going to decarb their weed, it’s a vital process for those who are looking to get the most THC out of their product and who care about their edibles. Drying might often be better for anything you smoke, but this process is going to help you to ensure that you get exactly what you need from those products that you ingest.

If nothing else, learning about this process will help you to make more informed decisions about how you prepare and consume your cannabis.