Decarboxylation: What Is It and Why Is It Important?

Decarboxylation is a fascinating topic. To be honest, I haven’t tried it myself yet, but I plan to. It’s a very practical and effective way to consume THC in liquid form. This method is perfect for those who don’t like smoking and prefer oral consumption. It’s also a discreet option, making it great for transportation.

Simply put, in its raw form, THC in resin (and in buds as well) is mostly present as a carboxylic acid (THCA), not as pure THC. When consumed orally, this acid is not psychoactive.

The process of converting THC carboxylic acid into pure THC is called decarboxylation. This means removing the carboxyl group (COOH), resulting in water and carbon dioxide (H₂O + CO₂). After decarboxylation, the product can be effectively used to make “medicinal” drinks, drops, tinctures, or simply added to food.

This process occurs naturally in buds and resin over time as a function of temperature and time, but it’s very slow. Heat treatment speeds it up significantly, which is what I do, following the chart below.

Note: The optimal conditions according to the chart below are 27 minutes of heating at 122°C (252°F).

Step-by-Step Example: Decarboxylating for “Medicinal Drops”

1. Weighing: Start by weighing your material.
2. Preparing a Sand Bath: Use a simple electric hot plate, a metal bowl, and dry sand. It’s hard to keep the temperature exact with this setup (about ±10 degrees), but it’s simple and convenient for monitoring the reaction. I managed to stabilize the temperature around 130°C (266°F).
3. Melting and Reaction: The resin melts, and you’ll see large bubbles from leftover alcohol and the start of small carbon dioxide bubbles. As a marker for the reaction, I use visual control—decarboxylation is accompanied by the release of small CO₂ bubbles. When these bubbles stop forming, it’s a visual sign that decarboxylation is complete.
4. After 12 Minutes: The process is in full swing.
5. After 16 Minutes: The resin is decarboxylated.

My timing didn’t exactly match the optimal chart, probably because the sand temperature rose above 130°C during heating. But that’s not a big deal.

The resulting resin was dissolved in 20 ml of ethyl alcohol.

Dosing and Usage

For dosing, I use the following assumptions: 80% THC content in the resin, so in this case, about 1000 mg in 20 ml of alcohol solution, or 50 mg/ml. 1 ml from my dropper is about 30 drops (so 30 drops = 50 mg THC).

The drops work great in tea or coffee. The key is to have milk in the drink. The drops don’t affect the taste at all. 15–20 drops in masala tea in the evening has become my favorite way to relax at home. The effect lasts about 4–5 hours, then it’s time for bed. If you increase the dose to 30 drops (50 mg), the sedative effect becomes dominant, making it a good option as a calming or sleep aid. The effect is gentle, cozy, and enveloping. There are no sharp peaks—after an hour or so, you reach a plateau and just relax there. If you want a stronger effect, you can always smoke some resin on top, but that’s a matter of personal preference.

Article by Watashi.