Decarboxylation
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When making cannabis oil for treating late stage cancer it is
important to understand decarboxylation. Cannabis in raw/unheated form
is primarily THCA, which converts to active
THC through heat and time.
While some very slow and gradual
decarboxylation does occur at temperatures as low as room temp during
drying and curing stages of weed preparation it is not until higher
heats are encountered that all THCA is converted to THC. If you are
making cannabis oil you need to make sure the oil is cooked sufficiently
to complete full decarb.
Raw cannabis is very beneficial and
cannabinoid acids like THCA, along with naturally present terpenes, are
believed to be very beneficial with possible anti cancer properties.
However, it is active THC, and CBD, that has the majority of clinical
and anecdotal evidence supporting its cancer killing effects. So, based
on what is currently known, cannabis oil that is most potent in THC
content is likely going to be the most potent medicine for curing
cancer. Raw cannabis in the form of juices and unheated oils are
beneficial too and would make a great addition to someone's treatment,
but should not replace cooked cannabis oil, and often require much
larger quantities for therapeutic value. Raw or partially cooked oils
will contain a wider range of components including cannabinoid acids and
terpenes, which are lost when oils are fully cooked, but THC is the
most essential cannabinoid for fighting cancer so make sure you decarb
your medicine properly to maximise its potency.
The Rick Simpson method
only guarantees partial decarb from the rice cooker stage, and while
full decarboxylation can be achieved with the use of a coffee warmer or
candle warmer it can take some time to complete this process and other
gentle heating devices may not be hot enough. Many of the solvents used
have boiling points below the optimum temps for full and rapid decarb.
If you do not have a coffee/candle warmer, of even if you do, it is
recommended to put your oil in the oven at 110 degrees Celsius for about
an hour (optimum temperature range is 110c to 130c/230F to 266F).
Visible bubbling will cease when the solvent and water, along with
volatile terpenes, are boiled off. But you will see very small pin prick
explosions on the surface of the oil during decarboxylation. When this
has ceased and there is no activity on the surface of the oil at temps
of 110c or above, then you know that decarboxylation is complete. While
you want to ensure that temperature does exceed 110 degrees Celsius for
decarb, it is also advised to stay below 140 as temps above 140 can lead
to a loss of THC through vaporisation or degradation to CBN (vaporising
of THC occurs from 157c).
In
an ideal world everyone would have access to both raw and cooked
cannabis in a well controlled manner, but in this world where oil making
can be expensive and risky it is best to make sure your medicine is as
potent as it can be to maximise its potential.
Source: A Friend
