Review - Decarboxylation of Cannabis

fakirr

fakirr

New Member
I've been researching this for a while now as ive been getting damp, crap weed and was looking some way to make it slightly more potent by drying it out - this is where i stumbled upon Decarboxylation.

I've read on a few forums about people doing this to activate inactive THC so i thought id give it a go.

(Info i used was from here: Robert A. Nelson: Hemp Husbandry ~ Cannabinoid Chemistry (Ch 6))

1st try: Microwave.

Simply droped the bud into a coffee cup and put it in the microwave at 600w for 15 seconds, took it out at 9 seconds because the stem caught fire.

Picked the burnt bit off and ground it up using my Pollen-Blitz grinder, First thing i noticed was it ground to almost dust instead of the usual tiny balls of bud.

The smoke; Harsher than usual, Really cottonmouthy, More of a instant headstone as i smoked than the Regular un-microwaved cannabis. Good high, Lasting slightly longer - Surprising result.

2nd try: Oven (At 180degrees)

Again, dropped the bud onto a piece of tin foil into the oven for 2 minutes, took it out with no burns.

The smoke: Not as harsh as the microwaved stuff, but took 12 minutes (10 mins to heat the oven) instead of 9 seconds, so personal preferance - microwave. Not as swift a come up but better then standard weed, good mellow long lasting stone.

All in all - Positive results, I'm smoking a regular joint now with untouched weed and i can certainly notice the taste difference and also lesser a stoned feeling from it.
 
My understanding is that decarboxylation is important for edibles not for smokables.

Your weed is automatically decarboylated when you light it / vape it.

Here's a description - I don't recall the source....

The cannabis plant produces THCA, (or THC-COOH) an acid with the carboxylic group (COOH) attached. In its acid form, THCA is relatively inactive. It is only when the carboxyl group is removed that THC becomes psychoactive.

When marijuana is smoked, the THC is vaporized as the hot air from the burn is drawn across the plant matter. The cannabinoids turn gaseous, at around 106° C (220° F), the carboxyl group is released from the molecule as carbon dioxide and water vapor.​
Explains why you can't get high from eating non-decarboxylated (uncooked) cannabis
 
Soniq420 said:
My understanding is that decarboxylation is important for edibles not for smokables.

Your weed is automatically decarboylated when you light it / vape it.
Click to expand...

LOL, what Soniq420 said.

I would postulate that people that sell weed when it's still damp... Often sell crappy weed. Not to mention that it often has that "ammonia" thing from being on the verge of molding.

Other than that, you have to heat the THC (etc.) to a certain temperature for it to work when smoking it. When trying to smoke damp weed, well, I guess it'd be like trying to light a wet campfire. Also, there is a cooling affect caused by the moisture in it evaporating. Ever notice that your pipe tends to resin up that much quicker? It's because a lot doesn't stay hot enough to remain a vapor and condenses in it.

Drier herb burns hotter and faster. Therefore you are much more likely to see more of the active ingredients reach your lungs before condensing. Not to mention that you would be consuming the same amount of herb in less hits so it would probably seem stronger.

Of course you run the risk of burning up more actives than you vaporize in the process the drier the herb is. And artificially drying it with heat... If one is not careful, they can cause some of them to vaporize right out of the herb during the drying process.
 
Soniq420 said:
Explains why you can't get high from eating non-decarboxylated (uncooked) cannabis
Click to expand...
I have limited experience ingesting cannabis but over the years, I've consumed uncooked cannabis on several occasions.

The first time was at a license check and I consumed a nice jay that I had just lit up. After approximately an hour, I was twice as high than if I had smoked it.

Back in the late 70s, I had a buddy who sold blond Lebanese hash and he would never smoke it. He always ate it. He got me to try eating it once and I got super ripped.

So it seems you can actually get high from uncooked cannabis and hash. Perhaps cooking it just increases the effects. The most powerful edibles I've ever consumed were brownies made from hash oil.

:peace:

Harry
 
Hi Everyone,

I had this thought today...I have read so much about how to decarboxylate RSO and that the temp that it should be done at is around 240 to 250 degrees for 30 minutes... The problem i have seen in many post is the inconsistency in keeping that temp, but it can be done pretty easy as I see it...

What if you made your RSO like normal (whatever works for you) then take it and put it in a canning jar (top and lid of course) put that in your pressure cooker with a few inches of water and pressure cook it at 15 psi for 30 min...perfectly decarboxylate RSO

at 15 psi at 0 elevation the water boils at yes you guessed it 250.... at higher elevations you will need a slightly higher pressure adjust accordingly... What are your thoughts...another added benefit might be that the product will also be vacuumed sealed for longer storage....
 
hash eating has been popular for many many years ... a basic method of making hash , is for someone to "gather" the trichomes
by handling weed , then scrapping the resin from their hands and forming balls or slabs ... the oils from their hands serve
as an effective solvent and they effects will be great ...
 
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