Decarboxylation

WTF is Decarboxylation?

The cannabis plant does not make or grow THC or CBD. Instead, the plant holds the natural form of each compound in their acid form: THC-a and CBD-a. These compounds do not have an effect on the body and only become useful to ingest when they are decarboxylated. This explains why we cannot simply eat the plant in its raw form to feel its benefits. Instead, it must go through decarboxylation; the process of converting THC-a or CBD-a through carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms clinging to its acid form. This is what happens in order to feel the effects of smoking, vaping, or cooking with cannabis.

The decarboxylation process naturally occurs a little bit during the drying and curing process. This is why small amounts of THC and CBD will appear in lab results and package labels. For example, if a label on your product from D33 is listed as 28% total cannabinoids, it will also list its acid form (THC-a). To calculate the Total Potential THC in cannabis, you can’t just add THC-a to the THC count to arrive at the Total THC percentage. Instead, you must consider the THC-a content that is lost during the decarboxylation process.

It is nearly impossible to fully consume all of your joint because of the constant smoke

This information can be translated to our website’s product listing and package labels. Oftentimes, customers and patients will find discrepancies between someone who says that they have an amazing bud that is at 28% THC, they really mean 27% THC-a and 1% THC. Instead, the THC-A content is made up of acidic atoms, which is lost during the decarboxylation process. The real potency of that batch is (27% * .877) + 1% = 24.67%

Hope this helps. Keep learning #cannabinerds