In this guide, you will learn more about how you can use just plain, decarbed cannabis in your edibles - without the need for lengthy infusions or extractions to make quick and easy, delicious edibles at home.
Features
- Just 1 simple ingredient
- No infusing required! Just decarb, incorporate into a recipe and enjoy
- Perfect for those who want to enjoy their cannabis immediately
- Offers the whole-plant benefits of cannabis
Why You Will Love This This Method
I was recently asked this question by a member of my Well With Cannabis Community. She says:
Ok, so is it really true? Can I decarb about 3 grams of flower and just eat it??? I don’t have to infuse oil or butter? I’m all ears!!
Audrey from the Well With Cannabis Community
And my answer was: "YES! if you like the taste and texture, you can absolutely just eat decarbed cannabis. Just remember to eat it with a meal or another fat source of maximum bioavailability. And watch your portion size, 3 grams is a lot for one sitting!"
While I am sure you are used to infusing your flower into butter and oils or extracting it with an alcohol tincture, you really can eat just straight cannabis flower.
But, there are a few things to know before getting started!
In this guide, we will cover everything you need to know about making edibles with decarbed cannabis, including the decarb process, the importance of pairing with fat, and some tasty recipes to try.
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Step-By-Step Process With Photos
- Step 1 - Decarboxylate your cannabis according to the time and temperature requirements for your cannabinoid of choice.
- Step 2 - Place the decarbed flower into a grinder.
- Step 3 - Grind until a fine, powdery consistency is achieved.
- Step 4 - Add your cannabis powder to your favorite edible or store for future use.
Note: complete step-by-step printable instructions are located in the recipe card below.
Taste and Texture
Before adding decarbed cannabis to your cannabis edibles, it's important to note that you will be dealing with the taste and texture of cannabis.
I know that seems like an obvious no-brainer, but many people do not like the taste of cannabis.
If that is you, you will be better off skipping this method and looking towards an infusion or extraction option.
After all, that is the purpose of infusing and extracting - to separate the medicinal cannabinoids in the trichomes from the plant material.
But if you don't mind the taste of cannabis and are looking for a quicker and easier way to make edibles, adding decarbed flowers to your edibles may be the perfect solution for you.
As for texture, I recommend you grind your cannabis as fine as possible for the best possible outcome; a coffee grinder works great for this.
This essentially creates a fine cannabis powder that can be added to just about any recipe, similar to how we use onion powder or ground oregano when cooking.
Just remember not to confuse this cannabis powder with cannabis oil powder.
Decarboxylate First
If you are not familiar with the process of decarboxylation, you should read my beginner's guide to cannabis decarboxylation first.
This simple process of baking cannabis flowers in the oven helps convert cannabinoid acids to their active forms.
In simple terms, if you want the 'high' of THC, you will want to decarb your cannabis flower first.
Of course, THC is not the only cannabinoid that needs to be activated, you can also decarb CBD flower, CBG flower, and even decarb for CBN.
If you're new to these cannabinoids and want to experiment, you can purchase CBD flowers and CBG flowers from my shop.
If you just need a quick and easy reference for times and temperatures, here is my simple decarb chart here for you, depending on which cannabinoid you're working with:
• THCA to Δ9-THC → bake at 240°F/116°C for 40 minutes
• CBDA to CBD → bake at 240°F/116°C for 90 minutes
• CBGA to CBG → bake at 220°F/105°C for 60 minutes
• Δ9-THC to CBN→ bake at 240°F/116°C for 180 minutes
Pair With A Fat
To get the best results possible from adding decarbed flowers to your edibles, I recommend pairing eating it with some form of fat.
According to a scientific study published in the American Journal of Translational Research, when paired with a fat source, the absorption of cannabinoids is enhanced: THC and CBD by 2.5-fold and 3-fold, respectively, compared to fat-free formulations (1).
This means that adding a fat source to your cannabis edibles may make them up to 2.5-3 times more potent than choosing to skip a fat source.
Now the fat source doesn't have to be anything fancy; it can be as simple as consuming your decarbed flower with a meal.
If that meal contains fat in it, you're good to go.
Or you can add the decarbed flower to a recipe that already has fat in it, like these simple cannabis chocolates.
You can get as simple or as fancy as you want with your fat source.
Just be sure to avoid eating decarbed cannabis alone on an empty stomach; some people have reported mild stomach discomfort when doing so.
Recipes To Use Your Decarbed Flower In
From sweet to savory, there are so many ways to use decarbed flower in your favorite cannabis edible recipes.
One of the most popular ways is simply adding the decarbed flower to a batch of brownies or making a simple firecracker.
And if you want to skip the recipe altogether, check out my guide on filling cannabis capsules with flowers to make medicating easy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this process is very similar to using already vaped bud (AVB) in edibles, but this method is more potent.
Yes, of course! Just keep in mind that trim and fan leaves tend to be less potent and contain more plant material, so you may need to use more for a higher dosage. You will also need to decarb the trim, leaves, and shake as normal.
Yes, of course! Just keep in mind that kief tends to be more potent and contain less plant material, so you may need to use less for a higher dosage. This is ideal for taste and texture. You will need to decarb kief according to these directions.
It's hard to say how eating decarbed cannabis will make you feel, as cannabis affects us all differently. However, this is some potency loss associated with infusions and extractions. Knowing this, it is safe to assume that eating straight decarbed cannabis may be a more intoxicating experience for some.
It should be fairly simple to determine the dosage if you know the % levels of THC or other cannabinoids you are using. To do the math, you can use my edibles dosage calculator below, and just select 'No Solvent Used' when asked about the oil or alcohol used.
How to Determine The Dosing
Want to get a more accurate guesstimate of the potency of your cannabis infusions and extractions? Try our popular edibles calculator!
Not sure what your perfect dose is? Learn more here.
My Edibles Made Easy Online Cooking Course will teach you how to easily make cannabis edibles and topical recipes at home. This step-by-step video course will teach you how to infuse, extract, and create edibles with many different product types - all from the comfort of your own home.
Learn more and enroll today →
📖 Recipe
How To Prepare Decarbed Cannabis For Edibles
Ingredients
- 7 grams cannabis flower
Instructions
- Decarb your cannabis flower according to the time and temperature recommendations for your specific cannabinoid. Find recommendations in the notes section below.
- After the decarb process is complete, add the decarbed flower to a grinder. It can be a traditional cannabis grinder, or what I recommend, a coffee grinder, for a super fine consistency.
- You are now left with a fine cannabis powder. Either add this powder directly to your edible recipe of choice, or store it for future use.
- To store for future use, add the ground, decarbed flower to an airtight container, like a mason jar, with a tight-fitting lid.
- This can be stored for several weeks or even months. For long-term storage and to preserve the potency of the flower, store it in the freezer.
Notes
- The most common recommendation for decarboxylating THCA to THC is to bake the flower at 240° F for 40 minutes.
- The most common recommendation for decarboxylating CBDA to CBD is to bake the flower at 240°F for 90 minutes.
- The most common recommendation for decarboxylating CBGA to CBG is to bake the flower at 220°F for 60 minutes.
- The most common recommendation for degrading THC to CBN is to bake the flower at 240°F for 180 minutes.
Maggie
Hi Emily, I love eating my decarbed ground cannabis added directly to my edibles. I decarb in my new Ardent FX for large batches or for smaller batches in my old Ardent Lift. 4 times now I have decarbed 2 ozs. ( 56 grams ) and after grinding and removing all the little stem pieces I've only ended up 36 grams of ground useable bud. I'm wondering if this is in line with what other people are getting or if I'm doing some wrong. I save all the little bits of stem and infuse them for pain rub.
Emily Kyle
Hey Maggie! Have you tried weighing all of the little stem pieces you've removed, so you know how much you've taken out? That may help 🙂
A H
Thank you so much for this! I’ve been using decarbed flower directly in recipes for about a year, just playing around to try and understand the difference. I feel when I mix with a seasoning for a popcorn topper or with cinnamon sugar for a cookie topper, I experience the effects very fast. I’ve been baking edibles for about 10 years, so I’m fairly confident with my measurements. Just wondering have you noticed the effect being different when you use the decarbed flower versus infusing it in a fat base. Sorry, for the long note but I’ve been searching for someone with this knowledge 🙂
Emily Kyle
A. H. - I am so glad you have found a method that works best for you! There is a chance that if you are eating it alone, without fat from traditional oil infusions, that the digestion process may be quicker, thus providing you a quicker onset of effects.
Pusha P
So can i use decarb flower that i kept stored air tight after its been infused and drained when i used for a tincture recipe?
Emily Kyle
Hi Pusha! Yes, you can do that. Just know that it may not be very potent, as the alcohol is a good solvent and takes most of the cannabinoids with it 🙂
Joshua
Decarbing and eating 3 grams of weed is going to put you on the moon! I usually eat around .20 grams, and that’s with a 25% strain that equates to approximately 50 mgs of activated thc which is a really potent dose. Eating 3 grams of a 20% decarbed strain would be like eating 600 mgs of activated edibles. This is going to end up becoming a seriously bad time for you for probably a whole 24 hours. By the way, you’ll be calling off from work the following day, and more than likely the day after that one too, possibly even a third day. Eating a proper dose of decarbed weed is not like dispensary edibles where there’s a rapid and intense on set. Consuming raw activated cannabis creates a slow but very long on set where full absorption is usually in the 3 to 4 hour range, even with consuming a good fat source along with the initial dose like coconut oil or peanut butter and sunflower lecithin. Human bodies do not process plant material well. The effect is more along the lines of a slow release tablet where the duration is in the 12+ hour range with a good 3-4 hours of psychedelic fun.
Emily Kyle
Yes, you are so right, Joshua, I hope she didn't mean all in one sitting! Thanks for sharing your experience with us here 😀
James
Does decarbonating marijuana increase the potency for smoking
Emily Kyle
Hey James, I've had people say yes and no. I think the best option is to try a little bit for yourself and see which option you prefer 🙂