decarboxylation question

[conch420]

i was just wondering if decarboxylating (sp?) pot will have any extra effects when smoked? they say to do it to increase the thc for extacts, but does the thc get dcarbolated when it is smoked or does it happen over time? im think about doing it to a couple buds when i pick up tomorro, and wanted to know if it was worth it..

[TurnyBright]

sorry dude i got no fuckin idea

[JaggedEdge]

I don't even know what you are talking about. Granted there is a lot I don't know, but that may as well have been written in French... Sorry bro, I can't help.

Remove a carboxyl group from (a chemical compound.) That helps me out none but I'm sure there will be people able to help.

[Nochowderforyou]

You have to speak the language of a pothead. Dumb it down a little. :p

I';m guessing you're asking about making an cannabis extract? That's either hash or oil. Keep in mind that a few buds, like 1-2grams, will only make about .1-.6 of a gram of either, which is very little.

Just do a search on how to make hash or oil if that's what you're after. It's been posted a hundred times before, so use the search feature at the top of the screen. :)

[conch420]

no in master wu's recepie for green dragon he talks about it for his green dragon and i just wanted to know if it changes the effects of the high.

[Snorbel]

yeah it can make the weed stronger, but it might be harsher to smoke.

[darkside]

what he means is heating the bud to activate more THC. i think it might make the smoked effects stronger. when your smoking bud it does not have time to fully activate all the THC because you are simply burning it, not giving it time to fully convert or decarboxylate the other cannabinoids into pure THC. try it and see and post back

[conch420]

Well, tonight i tryed to do it in my toser oven and it sunk the hell out of my dorm room..:stoned: so i took it outand thew fish stick in it and sprayed axe evry where.. the epot was in there for a bit and it was good it was at 220 degrees and stuff it was all crisp and i thought i fucked it up but i got waaaaaay high it was crazy and lasted much longer, definately worth it but it is too risky with the smell..

[Coelho]

it works :stoned:

[tonyp]

i dont believe removing a carboxyl group from marijuana would have any affect. I'm trying to think of how you would even do it???

you can weaken a polar carboxyl (hydrogen, for that matter) bond with ethers or alcohols, but you'd obviously ruin your marijuana. not to mention, it has to be done in the vapor phase (i think).

stick with putting it in your pipe and smoking it.

[darkside]

how long did you heat it and at what temp

[conch420]

about 200 F (approx) i read an article on like canabis cultures site and that was the temp it said thca is converted into thc, yeah my high last a bit longer and the first 10 minist was pertty intese, it was worth it..

[Coelho]

i dont believe removing a carboxyl group from marijuana would have any affect. I'm trying to think of how you would even do it???

you can weaken a polar carboxyl (hydrogen, for that matter) bond with ethers or alcohols, but you'd obviously ruin your marijuana. not to mention, it has to be done in the vapor phase (i think).

stick with putting it in your pipe and smoking it.

the weed, specially when its fresh, recently harvested, have great amounts of THCA (tetrahydrocannabinoic acid), which is inactive. with the passing of time, or by the process of curing, it slowly releases CO2, turning into THC. the decarboxylation we do is just to acelerate this process, heating the weed at a suitable temperature, to help this reaction to occur fast, and thus increase (sometimes dramatically) the amount of THC in the weed.

more detailed references of the cannabinoids chemistry can be found in:

Robert A. Nelson: Hemp Husbandry ~ Cannabinoid Chemistry (Ch 6) (http://www.rexresearch.com/hhusb/hh6thc.htm)

[Non]

I've tried this in the oven and it seemed to work for my schwag made it a bit dryer. I put it on 200 degrees for about 10-15 mins made it a hell of a lot dryer but I felt a noticeable change in the high making me more awake than tired. I thought putting it for a lesser amount of time like 5-10 mins in a pan broken up a gram or 2 and spread out but not too spread apart the point is to heat evenly.

There are other ways which may be better though, I found these 2 links and 2 facts.


Heating dried marijuana makes the carboxyl group convert into water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2). When marijuana is smoked, the burning eliminates the carboxyl group. There are several ways to decarboxylate marijuana for use in extracts. A layer of marijuana buds or leaf can be placed in an oven at 150 degrees for 15 minutes. This is far below the boiling point of THC yet warm enough to evaporate the carboxyl group. Another method of releasing the COOH is by placing a bowl of buds in the microwave for 2 minutes. The waves will boil away the water. The boiling point of marijuana's active cannabinoids ranges from 260-392 degrees F.

Decarboxylation (http://cannabisculture.com/articles/3037.html)

and

The liquid THC and other cannabinoids have a boiling point of between 180-200° C (355-392° F). Before they turn gaseous, at around 106° C (220° F), the carboxyl group is released from the molecule as carbon dioxide and water vapor.

Decarboxylation (http://cannabisculture.com/articles/2794.html)

[xmordeciax]

thats a crazy idea... and it amkes complete sense as to why it would work... i think i might try this next time i pick up. Is it worth it to do it with headdies tho? It usually is cured prety well regardless

[Non]

well in one of those links it has a method of decarboxylation by 'curing'...

[fauxsho]

Ok, so putting bud in the microwave for like 2 minutes makes it more potent?

[Coelho]

It will increase the amount of THC... if the weed were indica, it will become somewhat sativa-like (as the effects of indica ones are caused mainly by CBD, which is partially transformed to THC), more mental, and less couchlock, and if the weed were sativa, it will become stronger. If the weed were already cured or dry, the increase of potency can be low (as all the THCA already was transformed to THC).
Anyway, its always worth the try, cause the increase sometimes is great :stoned:

[shoi]

aww i was hopeing id get to jump in and sound smart saying bigwords like carboxyl and palisade mesophyl layer

[ballllin]

Ok, so putting bud in the microwave for like 2 minutes makes it more potent?

that's all u need to do?

also, u grind it up first, right?

[conch420]

no, it has to be put in an oven/ toaster oven cause you have to controll the heat. the microwave might vaporize the thc, and i never grinded it up when i tried it. i just threw it in the oven on a baking sheet

[Coelho]

The microwave cant evaporate the thc. Its boiling point is somewhat like 200C, and the microwave cant reach temperatures greater than 100C (water's boiling point). The microwave only heats water (and things with water into itself, obviously). After the water evaporates, it dont heat anymore.

[conch420]

lol ok then ^thats^ why you dont put it in the microwave lol tahnks

[AlwaysBlazed]

man I feel so cool, i know what a carboxyl group is!

[Coelho]

lol ok then ^thats^ why you dont put it in the microwave lol tahnks

???????????????????? :confused:

[Bob the Awesome]

I'm doing this RIGHT NOW. I think it'll work somewhat. I've wrapped a joint's worth into tin foil, I'm gonna put it in my oven for 5 minutes at 220 F. I'm preheating the oven now, I'm gonna keep you all posted on how it goes.

[Bob the Awesome]

Alright, so I cooked it, it was matted down into the aluminum, and somewhat more sticky. I rolled it into a joint and I'm going to smoke it now. I'll post once the high comes up.

[shoi]

man I feel so cool, i know what a carboxyl group is!

yeah turns out high school science is usefull!

[Bob the Awesome]

The smoke was not noticeably harsher. The high was slightly more prominent than usual, even after having already smoked 1/2 a joint and a bowl this morning. I smoked around 2/3 of the joint.

The oven didn't smell too badly, a noticeably odor only appeared around 20 seconds left to cook. I'm letting the oven air out now, I'll test for smell and post back.

In conclusion, it's not too bad, if you have the time to do it I recommend it. Not so amazing that it warrants doing it before every smoke however.

[Bob the Awesome]

After letting the oven air out for over an hour, no smell was noticeable.

And the peak of my high lasted longer, which was a very nice effect. I think I'm going to do this trick more often.

[Bob the Awesome]

I used this method again this morning, and I realized another change: When you smoke the weed after decarboxylation, the smell is MUCH stronger. My basement usually airs out pretty quickly, but after smoking down there it still reeked 3 hours after the fact.

So, I recommend only doing this when smell won't be a problem.

On another note, the weed I decarboxylated (is that a verb?) this morning was a slightly harsher smoke than normal cannabis. Still worth it.

[Faded Panda]

so micro wave is a faster way of getting rid of the carboxyl groups?

[Wintersweet]

^^^
Yes it is.
I nuked my schwag for 3 minutes....no smell, no funny taste, but it is harsher to smoke IMO.

[Euphoric7]

^^^
Yes it is.
I nuked my schwag for 3 minutes....no smell, no funny taste, but it is harsher to smoke IMO.
I can just picture a bud crackling and catching fire during that time. :O

[Coelho]

^^^^ It would happen if the bud were grinded... but VERY hardly if it were whole (not grinded).

BTW i was actually wishing to make a thread about this decarboxilation process... i think everybody should know about this, cause its a very easy way to increase (sometimes dramatically) the potency of your weed.

So, everybody should try it, cause it actually works. :thumbsup::rastasmoke::jointsmile:


EDIT: This one is my 2,000th post!!! :birthday::woohoo:

[Euphoric7]

But if I chose the oven...
Preheated to around 200F for 10-15 minutes should be enough for a gram of solid bud wrapped in tinfoil?


Also: Happy 2000th post!:thumbsup:

[Euphoric7]

^ I just did this, and it smelled like vape... is that normal?

[Jayesblaze]

So if I had already grinded bud, could I still put it in the microwave for a shorter amount of time so it wouldn't catch fire? If so, how long would you suggest?

[Coelho]

But if I chose the oven...
Preheated to around 200F for 10-15 minutes should be enough for a gram of solid bud wrapped in tinfoil?

Well... i think 200F is not hot enough... this reaction happens at 105C (221F)... but as the heat is not evenly distributed, to reach this temperature inside the bud wrapped in tinfoil, the oven should be hotter... the original recipe (from the Green Dragon recipe) says 325F... but im sure lower temperatures as 250-300F must be enough.


Also: Happy 2000th post!:thumbsup:

Thank you! :thumbsup::jointsmile:


^ I just did this, and it smelled like vape... is that normal?

Well... i never vaped weed, so i cant tell... but it surely makes a smell of weed... not of burnt weed... but definitively of weed.
Anyway, the surest way to test if you did it right is to smoke the weed... :stoned:


So if I had already grinded bud, could I still put it in the microwave for a shorter amount of time so it wouldn't catch fire? If so, how long would you suggest?

Well... the only time i put grinded bud in the microwave, it catch fire after about 1 minute...
So you could microwave it for some 15 seconds, then let it turn cold, then microwave again for some more 15 seconds, and so on... some people reported that only 15 seconds were enough... so you could try it, and if you got no noticeable difference, the next time microwave it for more time, until you find the exact time for the best results.

[Euphoric7]

^Thanks for the great replies! The weed worked A LOT better than before. That being said, I think I'll try a high temp next time ;)

[Coelho]

^Thanks for the great replies! The weed worked A LOT better than before. That being said, I think I'll try a high temp next time ;)

How was the "decarboxilated" high for you?

[NaughtyDreadz]

hmmm/... I need to try this... especially when I make bhang...

[Euphoric7]

How was the "decarboxilated" high for you?
I guess I didn't do it right, but it definitely WAS slightly more intense than usual. Not very relaxing, just intense... :P

[Coelho]

^^^^ It is what usually happens... this process increases the THC, which causes the sativa-like (energetic mind high) effects... yet the indica-like effects (relaxing couchlock stone) are caused by the CBD, which is not altered by this process.
So, if your weed is a sativa, decarboxilating it will make it stronger. And if it is an indica, it will become more sativa-like.
Anyway, its always worth a try... you all may be surprised with the effects! :thumbsup::stoned::abduct:

[LargeToker37]

I am trying this tonight with my new hookah. Approx .75 gram in the microwave... hmmm... 30 seconds sounds like enough.

[Euphoric7]

I don't even think a microwave would do anything, because it heats the H2O particles on a things moisture just enough to boil it. That temp is 100Celcius, but you need beyond the boiling point. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you CAN'T get near the full effects of this method if you microwave it (no matter how long).

[Coelho]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you CAN'T get near the full effects of this method if you microwave it (no matter how long).

Well... i actualy dont know... cause the ideal conditions for the decarboxilation happen is heating at 105C for 5 minutes. As it is just a bit higher than waters boiling point (100C), im pretty sure that heating at "only" 100C would be enough.
Also, while IN THEORY the microwave cant reach temperatures higher than 100C, i found that in the practice things are a bit different... once i put some ground bud in the microwave, and it did catch fire! So surely it reached temperatures higher than 100C... since then i only microwave whole buds, and never ground ones anymore...
But the surest way to make sure is microwave a bit of weed, heat in the oven another bit of it, and compare the two, to see if there is some noticeable difference between the two methods.

[Euphoric7]

Oh okay, I stand corrected :D. I still think the oven is a better method than the microwave though. Because the microwave tampers with certain molecules, while the oven just heats it. Just my thoughts.

[jimmy8778]

all microwaves do is makes the molecules and such vibrate, which causes heat, and the wavelengths are designed for those of water so it heats more evenly and stays warmer longer, which is why everything comes out of the microwave steaming, hot water.

Water can only boil at 100C no higher so the water may only be as hot as 100C but the steam could be hotter, so its still a mystery at how hot a microwave can get.

[GreenDestiny]

Ok, so when it's decarboxylated the H2O and CO2 are released..... so,
if I break up the weed and seal it up inside a little pocket of foil to put into the oven... wouldn't that also trap the H2O and CO2 that needs to escape? Should I poke a couple tiny holes in it with a needle?


Also I've been going crazy thinking about another thing....

Weed that's fresh or that has just finished drying has mostly THCA, so then heating it up to decarboxylate it into THC will work. That's cool!

BUT, if you've let the weed naturally do the process through curing then wouldn't heating up the weed degrade/destroy the THC that you've waited so long for?

Light and heat are the two major enemies of THC... Maybe that's why so many people fail to make working oils and extracts??? Using naturally decarboxylated weed to start with, and ending up with a product that has destroyed most of the THC... makes sense to me, which is why I've always been afraid to use weed that I've purchased for cooking - I don't know it's age or how it's been cured.

If that's what is really happening, then is cured bud worthless for cooking? Or could I use it for making oil by heating it up just enough for extracting THC without harming it too much?...(below the decarb. temperature). argh, I'd so greatly appreciate some answers

[Coelho]

Ok, so when it's decarboxylated the H2O and CO2 are released..... so, if I break up the weed and seal it up inside a little pocket of foil to put into the oven... wouldn't that also trap the H2O and CO2 that needs to escape? Should I poke a couple tiny holes in it with a needle?

Well... unless you wrap the weed so tightly that it be waterproof, always there are tiny spaces by where the gases can escape.


Also I've been going crazy thinking about another thing....

Weed that's fresh or that has just finished drying has mostly THCA, so then heating it up to decarboxylate it into THC will work. That's cool!

BUT, if you've let the weed naturally do the process through curing then wouldn't heating up the weed degrade/destroy the THC that you've waited so long for?

Light and heat are the two major enemies of THC... Maybe that's why so many people fail to make working oils and extracts??? Using naturally decarboxylated weed to start with, and ending up with a product that has destroyed most of the THC... makes sense to me, which is why I've always been afraid to use weed that I've purchased for cooking - I don't know it's age or how it's been cured.

If that's what is really happening, then is cured bud worthless for cooking? Or could I use it for making oil by heating it up just enough for extracting THC without harming it too much?...(below the decarb. temperature). argh, I'd so greatly appreciate some answers

Well... your thinking makes sense... in fact, if you have some perfectly decarboxilated (cured) weed, which hasnt any THCA left in it anymore, then surely heating it wouldnt increase its potency.

Thats why its said that this process doesnt work so well with high-grade weed... usually high-grade weed is properly cured, so it is already as potent as it can be.

I dont know the exact numbers, but the degradation of the THC by the heat isnt very fast... like... the amount of THC destroyed by the heat during the the decarboxilaiton process (15 minutes) is almost negligible... only after hours of heating the loss of THC starts to become noticeable.

The decarboxilation temperature is 105C... i dont know how high is the temperature needed to start to destroy the THC... i only know it starts to vaporize at about 180C.

And when i cook with cannabis, i dont use the usual recipes for making cannabutter, or things like this. I extract the hash oil from the cannabis (with alcohol or acetone), then just mix the hash oil with the butter, heating only enough to melt the butter and ensure a homogeneous mixing. Doing so i avoid the trouble of heating the weed+butter for long hours, and also get a far purer butter.

[GreenDestiny]

Thanks for your response!

I can't wait until one day when I have enough to experiment with.

[smokealot123]

^^^^ It would happen if the bud were grinded... but VERY hardly if it were whole (not grinded).

BTW i was actually wishing to make a thread about this decarboxilation process... i think everybody should know about this, cause its a very easy way to increase (sometimes dramatically) the potency of your weed.

So, everybody should try it, cause it actually works. :thumbsup::rastasmoke::jointsmile:


EDIT: This one is my 2,000th post!!! :birthday::woohoo:


hi, i just tried this and i put the last nug i had left from my quarter which was only about .4 - .5 of good weed but it looks like it was not cured or dried properly.. when u smoke this stuff it is hard to get the real thick cloudy smoke you can get from dry crispy weed i normally get, and put it on the toaster on high for only about 1 - and a half minutes tops and it seems to have worked really well :p

[salaam]

Got some very very indica-y shit recently. I don't love that couchlock feeling so I decided to try this and nuke it for a couple minutes. Now it's a great mix of mind and body...I highly suggest this if you're a sativa kind of person. Thanks, Coelho!

[oliwog]

does anyone know if decarbing weed that ive had in jars curing for about 3-4 weeks will make any differance
or to put it differently how do i know when the thc on my dryed, curing bud is fully active does anyone know how long the curing should take to fully transform the thc, its been in airtight jars for 3 weeks at room temp in dark being opened every day last night i left the lids off by accident so the buds are pretty much completly dry, they did have a bit of moisture in them which was curing out, but not any more,
another thing is is that in theory decarbing before vaping seems to work well to, i figure its cos the vape temp is high enough to combust thc so decarb an combustion happens at the same time which isnt as efficent as your not getting all the thc converted before it burns
will doing th decarb also improve BHO i thought it would jus aint tried it yet
also is there a way to decarb the weed whilst drying/curing it or after drying but so it doesnt effect the taste but also doesnt take soo long without an oven
i thought maybe drying it out fully after harvest for about 7-10 days then adding a heater to heat the bud to around 50c not too hot for a couple days
anyone tried this to.

[ky1956]

1st post, really enjoying this discussion.
Over the years I have acquired product that had potential but contained too much moisture to burn properly.
I have put it away and in some cases lost track of it for months at a time and when re-sampled it not only burned properly but was more potent than expected. This has been most apparent when I have left it in my metal shed where temperatures get quite warm. Question - Have I been allowing natural decarboxylization to occur?
This has improved not only quality from a smoking perspective but also for oral consumption. Earlier this summer I collected the scraps from several old bags that had been stored in my shed, cleaned out all stems and seeds and threw them into one collective bag. It smoked okay but had a staleness to the buzz.
On a whim I mixed some (1/2 - 1 tsp) with some Activia yogurt (the kind Jamie Lee Curtis pitches) and was feeling strong effects in 15-20 minutes and couch effects in an hour+. Add a small joint at about 1.5hrs and I could stay very buzzed for 3-4 more hrs and lingering effects for the rest of the day.
The yogurt has a good fat content and active bacteria, could this have helped with my ability to process raw herb so effectively?

Any thought on the matter would be appreciated.

ps-I am currently experimenting with solar decarboxylization, I have put some herb inside a folded piece of printer paper (so it forms a crude envelope) than placed the paper inside of a black metallic/foil used coffee bag and placed it on my brick patio which gets a full blast of afternoon sun and the temps have been in the 90's for few days. It did darken the herb, but I am going to put in out a few days in row to try and see how dry I can get it.

[Coelho]

does anyone know if decarbing weed that ive had in jars curing for about 3-4 weeks will make any differance
or to put it differently how do i know when the thc on my dryed, curing bud is fully active does anyone know how long the curing should take to fully transform the thc, its been in airtight jars for 3 weeks at room temp in dark being opened every day last night i left the lids off by accident so the buds are pretty much completly dry, they did have a bit of moisture in them which was curing out, but not any more,

Well... i dont know if there is any way to know when your weed is already fully decarboxilated... anyway, you could decarboxilate it (with any of the methods described) and see if it does make any difference.


another thing is is that in theory decarbing before vaping seems to work well to, i figure its cos the vape temp is high enough to combust thc so decarb an combustion happens at the same time which isnt as efficent as your not getting all the thc converted before it burns

I agree... when you smoke/vape, much of the THCA is burnt/vaporized before being turned to THC, and thats why decarboxilating it before smoking/vaping gives good results.


will doing th decarb also improve BHO i thought it would jus aint tried it yet

Surely... as it increases the amount of THC, the BHO made with decarboxilated weed will be stronger than the BHO made with non-decarboxilated weed.


1st post, really enjoying this discussion.
Over the years I have acquired product that had potential but contained too much moisture to burn properly.
I have put it away and in some cases lost track of it for months at a time and when re-sampled it not only burned properly but was more potent than expected. This has been most apparent when I have left it in my metal shed where temperatures get quite warm. Question - Have I been allowing natural decarboxylization to occur?

Probably... as you noticed that it become stronger indeed, and no other effect would account for the increase of the weeds potency.


This has improved not only quality from a smoking perspective but also for oral consumption. Earlier this summer I collected the scraps from several old bags that had been stored in my shed, cleaned out all stems and seeds and threw them into one collective bag. It smoked okay but had a staleness to the buzz.
On a whim I mixed some (1/2 - 1 tsp) with some Activia yogurt (the kind Jamie Lee Curtis pitches) and was feeling strong effects in 15-20 minutes and couch effects in an hour+. Add a small joint at about 1.5hrs and I could stay very buzzed for 3-4 more hrs and lingering effects for the rest of the day.
The yogurt has a good fat content and active bacteria, could this have helped with my ability to process raw herb so effectively?
Any thought on the matter would be appreciated.

Man... thats interesting! Sometimes is hard to people get high from raw weed... mixing it with things with a large fat content helps a lot, and maybe thats why it succeed... anyway, its a nice thing to make experiments with.


also is there a way to decarb the weed whilst drying/curing it or after drying but so it doesnt effect the taste but also doesnt take soo long without an oven
i thought maybe drying it out fully after harvest for about 7-10 days then adding a heater to heat the bud to around 50c not too hot for a couple days
anyone tried this to.

Maybe it could give you some ideas:


ps-I am currently experimenting with solar decarboxylization, I have put some herb inside a folded piece of printer paper (so it forms a crude envelope) than placed the paper inside of a black metallic/foil used coffee bag and placed it on my brick patio which gets a full blast of afternoon sun and the temps have been in the 90's for few days. It did darken the herb, but I am going to put in out a few days in row to try and see how dry I can get it.

I think its a good idea too! Just remember that the light destroys the THC, so the weed must be very well wrapped with the foil... And if you suceed, tell us!

[ky1956]

I have now experimented with two methods of solar decarboxylization. One involved putting the cannabis inside of a folded-up piece of printer paper, then placing it inside a foil coffee bag and letting it sit on my brick patio in the sun, this worked but I wondered what the neighbors would think (I have a lot of busy body old ladies for neighbors). The second method was to place several buds in a small metal box that originally contained Godiva (yum) chocolate pieces. The lid is quite tight and it is dark brown in color, so it absorbs heat well. I set the metal box on the dash of my car while I am at work, making sure to park in such a manner that it to get as much sun as possible. On a 90-degree day my car smells wonderful at the end of the day and the cannabis has changed color from a dark, commercial green color to a dark brown shade with a pleasant and distinctively non green bouquet. This herb smokes a little harsh but works well. About two grams are now soaking in one ounce of Amaretto. All in the name of science (and well maybe getting high)

[smokealot123]

trying this right now.. using perfect buds just picked from the plant 2 weeks ago, the weed tastes like shit but looks good and gives a decent high.. lets see what this does :) im excited

[smokealot123]

worked good never stunk my house out, and this shit smells strong.. anyways i got what ppl told me i will get and what i was expecting... a nice warm numb sativia and great taste.. something like my regular "bomb" types of weed.. and i would suggest about 20 minutes in the oven on 180 for best effects, anyways thanks for the suggestion and good luck on your attempts making decarbolinoxedided weed lol too stoned and tired to even find out spelling :)

[cjack77]

I've done a little bit of research for this. Time to share to wealth!

So THCA is an acid due to a carboxyl (-COOH) group stuck on the molecule that is found naturally in cannabis. THCA actually has no psychological effects on the mind. THC is the active compound in pot that actually causes the psychological effects and is what you want in your body. So we want to be rid of the Carboxyl group by decarboxylating the molecule (taking off the -COOH). This turns THCA into THC (woot!) There is very little natural THC in weed unless it is a special strain which is why we don't just eat weed, we smoke it. When pot is burned, we are effectively reaching the temperature at which the carboxyl group leaves but its inefficient because it causes much THC to boil away around the flame.

Here are some interesting temperature stats:

Decarboxylation: 105 C (220 F)
Boiling of Cannabinoids: 127-200 C (260-392 F)
Boiling of THC: 200 C (392 F)
Flame on lighter: 1300-1977 F

So basically the temperature range you want is 220-260 F (I recommend 230 F for around 20 mins in the oven). This converts most THCA into THC which any way it gets into your body will have psychological effects. This decarboxylation is usually used for cooking because it activates the pot (instead of eating pot straight without activation). Eating is also much more efficient than smoking although it appears that many people have had increased yields when smoking as well. Happy smoking :pimp:

[montroller]

^^^
Thank you for the info it was very useful.

I just experimented with this process myself and I was a little nervous.
I only had trim to work with so I extracted some hash using the dry sift method and planned to use the leftovers for a butane extraction.
After hearing about decarboxylation I wanted to try it so I cooked my trim for 5 minutes at 250 degrees in the oven. We ended up with about 5 grams of high quality oil:rastasmoke: and there definitely shouldnt have been that much considering I had already dry sifted it.
My conclusion is that this process is a necessity if you plan to make extracts or food.

[juevamann]

Tried this trick out myself.
2 grams of really fresh stuff, buds broken into bits and wrapped in foil.
Placed on preheated tray for 20 mins at 115C, took out and grabbed as much stem and seed as i could while it was hot and steamy as it turned crispy in my hands, then opened up the thicker bits that were still warm and chucked it back in for 5 minutes face up on the foil to truly dry it out.

Took it out the instant it went from a pleasant, light 'steamy green' odour to a stronger, slightly smokish 'vape/cooking' smell, or whatever you want to call it. Rested just a minute till warm and ground immediately to preserve as much stickiness as i could.

Grinding the finished product gives heavy, sticky green powder ;) right on target. But it's easy to overpack as it ends up extremely compact. I turned a good three buds into something you could fit into a Coke lid. Should store fantastically, have to try this.

Tastes a little bunk but not bad enough to make me cough more than usual. Huge amounts of smoke, even with small amounts. A little sprinkled into a cigarette turned my wisp into a cloud, and my cone would have been visible from space.. You do have to trade discreetness for effect, I'd go as far as to call it night weed, especially with the strong eye effects. Drops didn't do much.

I liked the effect. Exquisitely strong straight after smoking.
Lasted longer than usual, felt like it unlocked a fair chunk of my 'stored' thc with it. Could feel it for days afterward..

Does seem to depress more than usual though. Have some funny shit to watch ready.

[shangeet]

I have found something different.
Marijuana produces THCA, an acid with the carboxylic group (COOH) attached. In its acid form, THC is not very active. It is only when the carboxyl group is removed that THC becomes psychoactive. When marijuana is smoked, the THC behind the hot spot is vaporized as the hot air from the burn is drawn through the joint or pipe bowl to the unburned material. The liquid THC and other cannabinoids have a boiling point of between 180-200 C (355-392 F). before they turn gaseous, at around 106 C (220 F), the carboxyl group is released from the molecule as carbon dioxide and water vapor.

You will be extracting the THC using low heat in the commercially made Coldfinger Extractor. (you can find more from research). The THC will not reach a temperature in which decarboxylation takes place. However, if you plan to vaporize or smoke the extract decarboxylation will take place as the oil is used.

However, it is easy to make sure all the THC is decarboxylated and is at full strength before it is extracted. Although decarboxylation takes place rapidly at 106 C, it proceeds at a more gradual pace by placing the cannabis in a room with low relative humidity and room temperature. As the temperature rises, the rate of decarboxylation increases.

Cannabis can also be placed in a food dehydrator to remove the carboxyl group. Although the heat in the food dehydrator doesn't rise to 106 C, the temperature is warm enough to promote drying and the release of the water and CO2. When the marijuana is crispy and brittle you can be assured that the carboxyl group has been removed from the cannabinoids and they are ready for extraction or removal from the plant material.


Best clinics to get a medical marijuana card in Orange County, California (http://www.health-is-wealth.org/medicalmarijuanaevaluationsandrecommendations/)
:thumbsup:

[Missionpossible420]

I'm trying something simple - wrapped few buds in foil n set it in blazing sun