How Does Decarboxylation Make My Cannabis Last Longer?

Many people wonder how they can make their cannabis last so they can save their money. The best way to make your cannabis last is to properly decarboxylate (or activate) it so that you can use your cannabis for psychoactive properties. If you decarb your cannabis correctly, you need to use much less of it and therefore it lasts longer. There are many ways consumers are able to decarboxylate their cannabis but many of the methods don’t get the most out of your bud. This week Miggy and Tom were joined by Shanel Lindsay, Founder and President at Ardent, to discuss how to get the most bang out of your bud.

What is Decarboxylation?

Decarboxylation is the process of using heat and time to activate compounds in cannabis such as THC.

Decarboxylation (decarbing) is a chemical reaction caused by heating your product to a specific temperature over a period of time. Most consumers instantly decarboxylate their cannabis by lighting their product with a flame – but you can’t do that with edibles. For edibles, tinctures, and capsules you can’t just throw your cannabis product into your recipe, you have to activate the THC. The process of turning tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), which is not psychoactive, into tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is called decarboxylation.

Top Five Ways for How to Make Your Cannabis Last Longer

Here’s our top ways to make the most of your cannabis supply so you can save money. 

• properly decarb it so you do not waste valuable cannabinoids
• buy in bulk if possible to get better value
• skip the wake-and-bake, unless you’re at a Bud & Breakfast.
• use one-hitters instead of joints
• use a vaporizer that sets precise temperatures to control the decarb process

“There’s an old myth that you can’t get more than 70% of it (THC activation) or you start degrading it. I think part of it comes from that in most cases you’ve tried the oven method and you can’t really hone in on that time and temperature.” – Shanel Lindsay

After medical marijuana became legal in Massachusetts, Shanel visited her local laboratory to get a deeper understanding of the decarboxylating process. After years of using the oven and crockpot method, she found out she was still missing 30% of activation. She worked with the lab and soon discovered a precise time and temperature to get the most activation out of cannabis.

“I learned it’s virtually impossible to get a full decor with these conventional appliances. Every method I tried fell short. I commissioned testing with MCR labs on the science to finally solve this grey area in the cannabis world. Armed with this breakthrough research, I developed the NOVA – an inNOVAtive in-home device that delivers decried marijuana to patients looking for an alternative method to consume.” – Shanel Lindsay

When consumers use old methods of decarboxylation they often waste a significant chunk of their product because they’re not activating the full plant.

“It pains me to see people use an ounce of weed to make a pan of brownies…if you have bud that’s 20%-21% THC when it comes out that’s 200 milligrams in every gram so you’re talking about 0.1 gram to get 20 milligrams so think about how much you can stretch that.” – Shanel Lindsay

What is Ardent?

• Founded by Shanel Lindsay in 2015
• Values science and testing
• Premier product – The NOVA
• Headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts

What is the NOVA (The Lift)?

Courtesy of Ardent

• The NOVA is a device that offers full activation of THC and CBD in cannabis flower, kief, and concentrates
• Uses dual sensor technology and hi-tech thermal blanket to accurately heat cannabis product
• Utilizes precision heating cycles to achieve full activation
• Odorless and mess-free
• Holds up to 1 ounce of cannabis flower or 5 ounces of kief

Check Out:

• The NOVA by Ardent
• Tom Howard at CannabisIndustryLawyer.com
• Miggy at Cannabis Legalization News

Interested in coming on as a guest? Email our producer at lauryn@collateralbase.com.