Decarboxylation
The first step in producing any form of extract is to decarboxylate your flower. There are two main ways to do this; time or heat. When you dry and cure your flower, a small amount of decarboxylation occurs. The amount is very small compared to the heating method. This is why when you consume flower that has not been heated (smoked, vaped or other forms of heating) there is very little psychoactive effect. The second and best option is using a heat source to accelerate the decarboxylation process without burning away the THC.
Your first step is to decide how much flower you want to decarboxylate. The amount you use will help determine dosages when extracted to a medium to consume it with (butter, honey, coconut oil, etc.). I like to use a minimum of 28 grams of flower. I use flower only because it makes dosing a lot more accurate then trimmings, as the quality / potency can vary greatly with trimmings. In addition, it does not smell great during the decarboxylation process so getting a larger batch done limits the odor.
The oven method:
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. (For better results preheat oven to 220 degrees F and bake for 45 minutes)
Weigh out 28 grams of flower.
- Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Cut flower into small buds. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes.
3. I find the weight of your flower decreases by 25%. If you start with 28 grams, once decarboxylated, it should be around 21 grams. This can vary depending on how dry and cured your flower is.
