Definitive Guide on How to Decarb Weed

So you finally thought about supplying yourself with that golden green by growing weed straight from your garden. There are loads of advantages to raising your own weed, and it’s pretty much worth all the effort rewarded in those dense, potent buds with the help of decarboxylation. Learn how to decarb weed by continue reading below.

What Is Decarboxylation?

For those who are new to growing cannabis or might be considering to do so, you have probably noticed the difference between the flower in live cannabis plants compared to getting the herb pre-packed. 

When you buy your buds ready to smoke, they appear dry and flaky to touch. This is because they have been processed to sustain their shelf-life and increase the THC and CBD levels in them. This process is called decarboxylation, or decarb for short. 

Why Decarb Weed?

So, let’s discuss how to decarb weed. How decarbing works are through exposing the flower to high heat for it to dry and convert the cannabinoids, THC, and CBD, found in buds into an edible substance for our body to absorb. 

Without decarbing cannabis, we cannot experience the desirable effects and health benefits of weed. Not to mention, it is also harmful to consume cannabis without decarboxylating it first, and it doesn’t taste great too.

As complicated as decarbing seems, it’s actually easy to perform that even a newbie to cannabis should have no problem with it. Depending on which process works best for you and brings out the most flavor and potency for the strain you choose, all supplies can already be found in the comfort of your home. Check out these top picks on how to decarb your weed in a few quick steps.

Tools to Success

Before jumping right into the process, you will need the following supplies to really bring out the THC and terpenes in your weed.

• A baking pan, any size should do depending on how much weed you will be decarboxylating
• Aluminum foil or parchment paper
• Baking oven
• Fresh flowers, or stems if you want to put them to use as well
• Optional: Weed Grinder or Food processor

*This is for a basic weed decarb. Additional tools for other decarboxylation methods will be discussed in their respective segments.

How to Decarb Weed

The Basic: Baking Sheet Method

1. Start off by preheating your oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit or 121 degrees Celsius.
2. If your buds are still whole, start off by breaking them down into smaller pieces. You can do this with your hands or crush them with a weed grinder or food processor. Give your weed grinder a few twists to crush the buds or spin the food processor once or twice. You still want some whole bits and a coarse texture, not too fine to touch. A fine texture may break down the terpenes in the bud, an additional source of THC.
3. Next, lay out some parchment paper or aluminum could on your baking pan and spread out the crushed weed. Seal the top with aluminum foil to contain the odor while it bakes.
4. Put your pan in the oven and let the weed sit for about 30 minutes or until the cannabis has a golden brown coat of color.
5. Take out the pan and let the decarbed weed cool. Store it in an airtight container away from light or prep it for how you’d like to consume it.

The Mason Jar Method

With the mason jar method, you can save on the baking paper and foil and bake with the jar immediately. It also helps keep the odor in thanks to its airtight lid.

1. Prep your oven by setting the temperature at 250 degrees Fahrenheit or 121 degrees Celsius.
2. Crush your weed by hand or using a tool such as a weed grinder or food processor. The texture should still be coarse with some whole bits.
3. Fill the jar with your crushed cannabis and twist the lid tightly to avoid the odor from spreading.
4. Carefully put your jar in the oven away from the bulbs or lamps. Center it and make sure there’s a fair amount of space so you can take it out easily later.
5. Let it bake for 30 minutes or until you see the herb turn golden brown.
6. To take out the jar, use oven mitts to hold it and open the lid for the weed to cool down. Use right away or shut the lid once more to store.

Decarbing for Edibles

If you like spicing up the cuisine that gives you a hint of that stoned high, you can also decarb cannabis with your preferred oil to cook with. This is another easy procedure, but it can get a bit messy (and pungent).

To make your Decarb Oil, you will need:

• A saucepan
• Flower from the strain of your choice
• Any kind of cooking oil
• Food processor or weed grinder
• Cheesecloth
• Bowl

1. If your weed is not yet crushed, break it down into small pieces by hand or with a weed grinder or food processor. Like the first two methods, you want a coarse texture with whole bits. 
2. Set the heat on your stove at medium heat. Combine 2 parts oil to one part weed. The ratio may depend on you, though, if you would like the flavor of the weed to really come through, you can always adjust the measurement. 
3. Mix the oil at intervals and let it cook for 2 to 3 hours. You may put a lid over the saucepan to avoid the smell from lingering in the room. 
4. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool. Once the oil has cooled down, run the oil through cheesecloth with a bowl to fill. Make sure to wring out any excess oil from the cheesecloth. 
5. You can now cook or bake with your cannabis-infused cooking oil. 

Conclusion

Now you know how to decarb weed. To make your fresh buds last and experience that relaxing, euphoric high, decarbing weed is the extra step you need to take for the best results. Through decarbing, weed can be stored longer and can be easily absorbed by our receptors to make us tingle and giggle from the buzz. 

Decarbing sounds quite intimidating at first, but once you go over the quick procedure, you’ll want to cure your own cannabis too. Get your ovens ready and bake your greens with decarbing!