Are you glad you’ve done it? After months of research, you’ve finally found your ideal THCA hemp flower. Its scent is marvelous, its buds are dense and frosty, and your excitement is beyond words. But before you roll up a massive pre-roll or fill your dry herb vape, there’s one crucial step you can’t skip. You surely want to decarb THCA flower to get a kick out of its full impact.
Decarbing, short for decarboxylation, is all about heating your hemp flower to get THC from THCA. If you want to experience maximum potency and reap all its benefits, decarbing is non-negotiable.
The following steps will help you nail decarbing.
How to decarb THCA flower
You already know the difference if you have tried eating raw cannabis and oven-baked brownies. You didn’t get any effects, did you? (Yucky teeth do not count). This is because there was no decarb reaction in those products, and THC was still THCA. But when decarboxylation occurs, you can feel all the cannabinoids working together.
Decarbing flowers is not rocket science and takes little time. In just a few simple steps, you can have activated THC and hemp ready to use in edibles, topicals, tinctures, and more.
Step 1: Grind your cannabis buds into a fine consistency
This shouldn’t be tedious. Get your hands on a grinder and cut your THCA hemp buds. The finer the grind, the more chances for perfect decarboxylation. Whether you have a simple 2-piece or advanced 4-piece grinder, cut and repeat until your flower has a consistency resembling coarse coffee grounds.
Step 2: Spread it on a baking sheet
Surface preparation also counts! Cover your baking tray with parchment paper and spread the ground buds into an even layer. Ensure there are no clumps and the layer is not too thick, or it won’t decarb evenly. A thickness of around 1/4 inch is ideal.
Step 3: Bake at 240°F
Turn on and preheat your oven. Once it reaches 240°F, place the baking tray inside. There should be no guesswork about how long to decarb the flower. Aim for 40-50 minutes, stirring thoroughly every 10 minutes, until it is lightly browned and has a toasted aroma.
Once you hear that oven beep, take it out and leave it to cool. Your THCA flower is now activated and ready for use.
Some helpful decarboxylation tips for novices:
- Preheat your oven to precisely 240°F, the “Goldilocks” temperature for decarbing THCA flower. Higher temperatures may burn off terpenes and alter cannabinoids, while anything in the lower range is unlikely to fully activate THC.
- For extra aroma protection, tent the foil over the buds. Poke a few holes in the top to allow moisture to escape.
- Higher amounts of THCA in the starting flower require longer decarb times. Check the oven frequently and inspect your goodies by color and texture.
How to safely consume decarbed flower
With your prepared flower, you can now make cannabis infusions and tinctures and create topicals like lotions. You can also consume it as-is by:
- Sprinkling the prepared flower on foods like yogurt
- Brewing it into your tea
- Adding it to smoothies
However you choose to enjoy your activated weed, start with a small amount, around 1/4 of a teaspoon. Wait for a while (at least 2 hours) to gauge the effects before cranking up the dose.
Making infusions and tinctures allows you to create concentrated forms of cannabis. Combine your decarbed THCA flower with coconut oil or butter and heat over a low temperature for several hours. Strain the plant out, and you get a versatile product for baking, cooking, or spreading on toast.
Topicals are another sight to behold and create on your own. You can use your grind to experiment with those for therapeutic purposes. You will need a carrier oil like coconut or olive oil here. Add beeswax to create a salve, or add the infused oil to a premade lotion so it can be applied to the sore areas of the body.
Tips to amp up potency
After discovering how to decarb THCA flowers, your next step may be increasing their potency. Here are some recommendations:
- Use an oven, not a stovetop. An oven is the backbone of consistent, controlled heat to activate THC. Stovetops may create hotspots that will burn your buds.
- Spread the flower in a single layer. Distribute your grind evenly on a baking sheet for the uniform decarb process. Don’t overcrowd the pieces – give them plenty of space to release THC.
- Decarb longer. For the most potent effects, decarb flower for 50-60 minutes. The longer period allows more THCA to convert to psychoactive THC, but don’t overdo it.
- Consider a second heating cycle. For an extra-potent batch, run hemp through a second decarb cycle. Return the ground buds to the oven for 10-15 minutes at a higher temperature (300°F) to further boost their properties.
How to store decarbed cannabis
The deadly enemies of buds exposed to decarboxylation are sunlight, oxygen, and wetness. After decarbing, THCA flowers must be stored in an airtight jar with a tight lid to avoid losing potency. Plastic or glass pieces with tight-fitting lids can also fit the bill.
Your storage container must be spotless. Make sure to:
- Keep it cool and dark. A pantry or closet is perfect. Don’t store it in a warm spot, like on top of the fridge.
- Use humidity control packs (optional). They will help keep the jar’s environment balanced and prevent your weed from getting too dry.
- Watch over your jars. When storing for 3 months or more, open the lids briefly once a week to let any built-up moisture or gasses escape and allow fresh air to enter (then quickly close them again to minimize air exposure).
If you have found a fantastic Gusher, Sour Candy, or Sex Panther, decarbing those delicious buds makes them a veritable treasure trove of mind-expanding ingredients. Ready to savor some? Bookmark our guide on how to decarb flowers, stock up on supplies, and head to your kitchen.
