Decarb is an abbreviation of the word Decarboxylation.
When the words decarb or decarboxylation are used in reference to cannabis, it simply refers to a chemical reaction that can occur.
This reaction usually involves the addition of heat for a set period of time.
The transformation that is sought after is a conversion of the cannabinoids from their raw forms into their activated forms.
This becomes particularly important when you want to use the medicine contained on the cannabis flower buds and sugar leaves to make infused food.
In the photo (above) you can see a cannabis flower (bud) that is just starting to mature and it’s working on growing its trichomes.
The trichomes are glands that have a structure very similar to that of a mushroom with a long tube-like stem. The trichomes produce and store the cananbinoid resin which can include any combination of the 111 known cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids. All 3 of which, work synergistically as compounds, that act (as medicine) inside the body once ingested. Their function is to balance the system internally and restore physiological function.
Currently THC and CBD are the main cannabinoids that larger cannabis producers are routinely analyzing their plant material for. Everyday, we continue to learn more about how this plant actually works.
This particular cannabis plant ( in the photo below) is still growing in my garden. In about 6 more weeks it will be ladened with cannabinoids (the medicinal compounds that cannabis produces.) Currently, you can see the beginning of this process happening. The plant is growing trichomes on its flower buds and on some of the leaves around the flowers. This makes them appear to look like they are coated in a white, very crystal-like sugar.
Under the grow lights, the trichomes sparkle like diamond dust.
When the flowers reach their optimal maturity, the trichomes will be full of sticky cannabinoid resin.
In the photo (above) you can see what the trichomes look like when they are full of resin and the plant is ready to be harvested.
Once the plant has been harvested for its buds and sugar leaves and those components have been cured, this material can then be smoked, vaped or prepared into an infused food item.
When someone smokes cannabis, the cannabis is being decarboxylated as it’s being burnt. In the case of vaping, it’s the heating element of the vaporizer that’s decarbing the cannabis during a vape session.
Before you cook with cannabis you must decarb it without damaging the fragile resin filled gland heads on the trichomes. If you don’t take the time to decarb, you are wasting more than a third of the potential medicine (the buds and leaves) contain and your food items won’t be very powerful.
With the addition of certain temperatures of heat (in the decarboxylation process) a carboxyl group ( made of hydrogen, carbon and oxygen) get cleaved off a molecular chain of atoms and carbon dioxide is lost as a result.
Decarbing refers to the loss of carbon dioxide
Each cannabinoid decarbs at a set temperature for a certain amount of time.
THC decarbs at 240 degrees F and requires 45 minutes to effectively do so.
CBD decarbs at 295 degrees F and requires 75 minutes. Almost double the time and at a higher temperature when it’s compared to THC.
Now that you know that you must activate cannabis if you want to take advantage of more of it medicinal and you can stop wasting it.
I welcome your comments and and I invite you to follow on my journey... we will be decarbing pot on a regular basis. ;)
RebeccaPS: Check out the Smoke Network.
https://smoke.network
https://smoke.io