Guide: How to Decarboxylate 1:1 CBD:THC Cannabis

[FR0ST]

The Goal
To decarboxylate 1:1 CBD/THC cannabis to produce maximum THC & CBD potency, whilst minimizing the production of CBN.

Background
I've been doing some pretty extensive research on the best possible process to turn 1:1 CBD/THC cannabis into an active tincture.

I found that solid information regarding the decarboxylation times of CBD very difficult to attain. With most people only interested in maximizing THC levels.

Therefore I want to share this information with anyone else who might find it useful!

The Process
Ideally this process should be done with a precise heating element, but I believe that good results can still be achieved with a conventional oven. Place your bud / trim into an oven safe dish, then cover securely with aluminum foil so that no gas can escape.

STEP ONE:
If you are using fresh trim or bud, you must first evaporate off retained water. This can be done either through the normal process of drying and curing, or as stated in the reference paper (highlighted below in blue):

“Preferably, decarboxylation is carried out in a multi-step heating process in which the plant material is:
· i) heated to a first temperature for a first (relatively short) time period to evaporate off retained water and allow for uniform heating of the plant material; and
· ii) the temperature is increased to a second temperature for a second time period (typically longer than the first time period) until at least 95% conversion of the acid cannabinoids to their neutral form has occurred.
Preferably the first step is conducted at a temperature in the range of 100° C. to 110° C. for 10–20 minutes. More preferably the first temperature is about 105° C. and the first time period is about 15 minutes.”

STEP TWO:
Now that you have removed retained water from your bud / trim, you can proceed to decarboxylate your cannabis, following the steps highlighted in the paper:

“Therefore laboratory studies demonstrate the optimum conditions for the decarboxylation of:
o Chemovar producing primarily CBD is 1 hour at 120° C. or 0.5 hour at 140° C.
o Chemovar producing primarily THC to minimise CBN formation, is 1 to 2 hours at 105° C. or 1 hour at 120° C. (This will result in only 4.1% CBN 1 hour at 120, whilst maximizing THC).

Thin layer chromatography reveals that virtually all of the THCA has disappeared after 4 hours at 105° C. and after 1 hour at 120° C. No THCA is visible at any time point when the herb is heated at 140° C. A small amount of residual staining at this retention value on TLC and the presence at low levels of a peak coincident with THCA on HPLC analysis may indicate the presence of a minor cannabinoid rather than residual THCA.”

STEP THREE:
When the hour is up, take your tray out of the oven, and leave on the side to cool with the foil remaining sealed.

Summary
You should now have fully decarboxylated cannabis with maximum THC & CBD potency, and minimal production of CBN. This is now ready to be used for any cold extraction techniques such as QWISO or Everclear methods.

References
Extraction of pharmaceutically active components from plant materials
United States Patent 7344736
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7344736.html

Disclaimer
I have not tested this method myself. But beleive it to be theoretically sound, based on the reference material.

 

[Redrod]

Have you tried this yet. Please do. Or just ask Some producer like Mary's Medicinals if it is a sound way to do extraction.

 

[sickmanfraud]

PsychedelicSam over at GC (Another Tincture Thread, Try it you'll like it) has done extensive testing had determined that 240 F for 40 minutes to be the best decarb.


The test results can be found in the thread.

 

[looney2nz]

The Goal
To decarboxylate 1:1 CBD/THC cannabis to produce maximum THC & CBD potency, whilst minimizing the production of CBN.

Background
I've been doing some pretty extensive research on the best possible process to turn 1:1 CBD/THC cannabis into an active tincture.

I found that solid information regarding the decarboxylation times of CBD very difficult to attain. With most people only interested in maximizing THC levels.

Therefore I want to share this information with anyone else who might find it useful!

The Process
Ideally this process should be done with a precise heating element, but I believe that good results can still be achieved with a conventional oven. Place your bud / trim into an oven safe dish, then cover securely with aluminum foil so that no gas can escape.

STEP ONE:
If you are using fresh trim or bud, you must first evaporate off retained water. This can be done either through the normal process of drying and curing, or as stated in the reference paper (highlighted below in blue):

“Preferably, decarboxylation is carried out in a multi-step heating process in which the plant material is:
· i) heated to a first temperature for a first (relatively short) time period to evaporate off retained water and allow for uniform heating of the plant material; and
· ii) the temperature is increased to a second temperature for a second time period (typically longer than the first time period) until at least 95% conversion of the acid cannabinoids to their neutral form has occurred.
Preferably the first step is conducted at a temperature in the range of 100° C. to 110° C. for 10–20 minutes. More preferably the first temperature is about 105° C. and the first time period is about 15 minutes.”

STEP TWO:
Now that you have removed retained water from your bud / trim, you can proceed to decarboxylate your cannabis, following the steps highlighted in the paper:

“Therefore laboratory studies demonstrate the optimum conditions for the decarboxylation of:
o Chemovar producing primarily CBD is 1 hour at 120° C. or 0.5 hour at 140° C.
o Chemovar producing primarily THC to minimise CBN formation, is 1 to 2 hours at 105° C. or 1 hour at 120° C. (This will result in only 4.1% CBN 1 hour at 120, whilst maximizing THC).

Thin layer chromatography reveals that virtually all of the THCA has disappeared after 4 hours at 105° C. and after 1 hour at 120° C. No THCA is visible at any time point when the herb is heated at 140° C. A small amount of residual staining at this retention value on TLC and the presence at low levels of a peak coincident with THCA on HPLC analysis may indicate the presence of a minor cannabinoid rather than residual THCA.”

STEP THREE:
When the hour is up, take your tray out of the oven, and leave on the side to cool with the foil remaining sealed.

Summary
You should now have fully decarboxylated cannabis with maximum THC & CBD potency, and minimal production of CBN. This is now ready to be used for any cold extraction techniques such as QWISO or Everclear methods.

References
Extraction of pharmaceutically active components from plant materials
United States Patent 7344736
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7344736.html

Disclaimer
I have not tested this method myself. But beleive it to be theoretically sound, based on the reference material.

there is another school of thought that prefers NOT decarboxylating the plant matter. THCa and CBDa (as examples) both have valid physiological activity in the body, folks might prefer this profile.

 

[sickmanfraud]

there is another school of thought that prefers NOT decarboxylating the plant matter. THCa and CBDa (as examples) both have valid physiological activity in the body, folks might prefer this profile.

The vast majority of articles I have read say that decarbed cannabis (THC vs THCA and CBD vs CBDA) works better for most medical uses.

I would suggest decarbing part of your material and leaving a small amount so you can pick up some THCA and CBDA.

For example if working with 1/2 ounce decarb 12 grams and toss in 2 grams that have not been decarbed to get THCA and CBDA.

If you are making edibles I would suggest decarbing all the material the recipe calls for and then adding in some un-activated (THCA and CBDA) cannabis.

BE advised that THCA, primarily from sativas can exacerbate anxiety.

Also, if you make your decarbed and nondecarbed cannabis together in a tincture, an ethanol tincture will continue to decarb. If you want the THCA and CBDA to not finish decarbing you can put the tincture in the fridge.

I suggest you go to this link and read up on the decarb projects. https://forum.grasscity.com/threads/another-tincture-thread-try-it-youll-like-it.1102315/

 

[looney2nz]

The vast majority of articles I have read say that decarbed cannabis (THC vs THCA and CBD vs CBDA) works better for most medical uses.

I would suggest decarbing part of your material and leaving a small amount so you can pick up some THCA and CBDA.

For example if working with 1/2 ounce decarb 12 grams and toss in 2 grams that have not been decarbed to get THCA and CBDA.

If you are making edibles I would suggest decarbing all the material the recipe calls for and then adding in some un-activated (THCA and CBDA) cannabis.

BE advised that THCA, primarily from sativas can exacerbate anxiety.

Also, if you make your decarbed and nondecarbed cannabis together in a tincture, an ethanol tincture will continue to decarb. If you want the THCA and CBDA to not finish decarbing you can put the tincture in the fridge.

I suggest you go to this link and read up on the decarb projects. https://forum.grasscity.com/threads/another-tincture-thread-try-it-youll-like-it.1102315/

link open in a new tab, thanks!

 

[FR0ST]

Hey guys, sorry I've been offline for a fair while!

Have you tried this yet. Please do. Or just ask Some producer like Mary's Medicinals if it is a sound way to do extraction.

At the time of writing this thread I had yet to try the process myself. But I can now confirm that I've now had some really great success making edibles using the above process! My edibles now seem to be far more potent, requiring far less plant matter to get the same results!

Here's my Process:

First the math -- My strain is 1:1 THC:CBD, and I know it's around 10%. So...

1g == 1000mg
1000mg / 10(THC/CBD%) = 100mg thc/cbd
100mg / 20 = 5mg THC/CBD per dose.

So from 1g of bud, I will get 20 edible doses each containing 5mg THC/CBD (20 squares of delicious chocolate). This is perfect for me, and I can always eat more squares if I want.

Cooking:

First grind your bud up. Then place it on a tray in the oven.

1. 15mins in the oven at 105c, to remove all moisture from the plant matter.
2. 1 hour in the oven at 120c, to optimally decarboxylate the plant matter.
3. Take your plant material out of the oven, set the oven to 100c, and wait for the temperature to drop.

At this point I moved my decarboxylated bud from the tray, into a small glass bowl.

1. Place around 20g of coconut oil on top of your bud in the little bowl.
2. Place your plant material + coconut oil mixture back in the oven. (Note: once the oil melts, all of your plant material should be nicely submerged. If it's not, add some more oil).
3. Leave it for 1 hour in the oven at 100c. This step is very important, it's the infusion of your decarboxylated THC and CBD into the fatty coconut oil!

You're safe to leave the bud infusing into your oil for an hour now, maybe even two. But I found 1 hour to be sufficient. 100 degrees c is not hot enough to cause the THC or CBD to degrade. It's just speeding up the infusion times.

Final step:

Melt chocolate in a double boiler (a pan on the hob, filled with a few cm of boiling water, with a bowl resting on top with the chocolate in it. Which is heated by the steam, to avoid burning the chocolate).

Once the chocolate is melted, strain the coconut oil (to get rid of the leaf).
Then whilst the coconut oil is still hot, mix it into the melted chocolate.

Mix it up real good !

Pour chocolate into a tray, shake to even out, then leave to set (probably easiest to put it in the fridge, and cover it with some clingfilm or whatever).

Once it's set, divide it up, and you've got some great potent edibles to enjoy!

 

[Nesta]

Hey guys, sorry I've been offline for a fair while!



At the time of writing this thread I had yet to try the process myself. But I can now confirm that I've now had some really great success making edibles using the above process! My edibles now seem to be far more potent, requiring far less plant matter to get the same results!

Here's my Process:

First the math -- My strain is 1:1 THC:CBD, and I know it's around 10%. So...

1g == 1000mg
1000mg / 10(THC/CBD%) = 100mg thc/cbd
100mg / 20 = 5mg THC/CBD per dose.

So from 1g of bud, I will get 20 edible doses each containing 5mg THC/CBD (20 squares of delicious chocolate). This is perfect for me, and I can always eat more squares if I want.

Cooking:

First grind your bud up. Then place it on a tray in the oven.

1. 15mins in the oven at 105c, to remove all moisture from the plant matter.
2. 1 hour in the oven at 120c, to optimally decarboxylate the plant matter.
3. Take your plant material out of the oven, set the oven to 100c, and wait for the temperature to drop.

At this point I moved my decarboxylated bud from the tray, into a small glass bowl.

1. Place around 20g of coconut oil on top of your bud in the little bowl.
2. Place your plant material + coconut oil mixture back in the oven. (Note: once the oil melts, all of your plant material should be nicely submerged. If it's not, add some more oil).
3. Leave it for 1 hour in the oven at 100c. This step is very important, it's the infusion of your decarboxylated THC and CBD into the fatty coconut oil!

You're safe to leave the bud infusing into your oil for an hour now, maybe even two. But I found 1 hour to be sufficient. 100 degrees c is not hot enough to cause the THC or CBD to degrade. It's just speeding up the infusion times.

Final step:

Melt chocolate in a double boiler (a pan on the hob, filled with a few cm of boiling water, with a bowl resting on top with the chocolate in it. Which is heated by the steam, to avoid burning the chocolate).

Once the chocolate is melted, strain the coconut oil (to get rid of the leaf).
Then whilst the coconut oil is still hot, mix it into the melted chocolate.

Mix it up real good !

Pour chocolate into a tray, shake to even out, then leave to set (probably easiest to put it in the fridge, and cover it with some clingfilm or whatever).

Once it's set, divide it up, and you've got some great potent edibles to enjoy!

Can you clarify the measurements of the ingredients?

I assume you're decarbing one gram of bud, is that right? And I see you use 20g of coconut oil.

How many grams of chocolate do you use?

As far as the math...you're assuming the oil is absorbing 100% of the cannabinoids but that's probably not the case.

All in all this looks like a promising & easy recipe. Thanks for the work!

 

[C No Ego]

could add here- lecithin. add it in somewhere in the process detailed above for potentizing maximum effects of the decarbed plant compounds

 

[FR0ST]

Can you clarify the measurements of the ingredients?

I assume you're decarbing one gram of bud, is that right? And I see you use 20g of coconut oil.

How many grams of chocolate do you use?

As far as the math...you're assuming the oil is absorbing 100% of the cannabinoids but that's probably not the case.

All in all this looks like a promising & easy recipe. Thanks for the work!

Sure @Nesta ! (Hmmm I tried to edit my previous post, but couldn't work out how to. Is it not possible?)

Either way:

Yep I was using 1gram (1000mg) of my finest CBD Crew "CBD MediHaze" bud.

I used 20g of Coconut oil, although this was not a particularly scientific value as you pointed out - so I can't be sure what percentage of cannabinoids were actually absorbed into the oil (but it certainly seems to be a decent amount ).

I used Green & Blacks Organic White Chocolate Bar 100G. You could use at much or as little chocolate as you want really. It's the coconut oil that you mix into the chocolate that contains all of the goodies.

It was a super easy process. Mainly just putting stuff in the oven, setting a timer and coming back when it's finished!

I divide my final product into 20 pieces as I like to micro dose, so approx 5mg per piece.

Let me know if you try it out yourself, I'd love to hear how it works out for you !

could add here- lecithin. add it in somewhere in the process detailed above for potentizing maximum effects of the decarbed plant compounds

Interesting... I had a real quick look into this just now. Seems like it increases the bioavailability? I'll do some research and try incorporating it into my next batch. Thanks for the tip @C No Ego !

 

[CarolKing]

5 mg thc is a very low dose. I need approx 120 mg thc to get a buzz. That is because I am a regular user. Somebody that isn't accustomed to cannabis probably would start out at 5mg though. It would depend on the person.

A lot of different philosophy regarding the decarb process. @looney2nz you be the person to use a oz and see if you can make your medicated oil/butter without decarbing.

I've lost enough cannabis with trial and error. I want a sure thing. If that's possible? I always decarb. I've been successful with the Magical Butter Maker but I put it through at least 4 runs.

 

[looney2nz]

5 mg thc is a very low dose. I need approx 120 mg thc to get a buzz. That is because I am a regular user. Somebody that isn't accustomed to cannabis probably would start out at 5mg though. It would depend on the person.

A lot of different philosophy regarding the decarb process. @looney2nz you be the person to use a oz and see if you can make your medicated oil/butter without decarbing.

I've lost enough cannabis with trial and error. I want a sure thing. If that's possible? I always decarb. I've been successful with the Magical Butter Maker but I put it through at least 4 runs.

Hi Carol,

I haven't been able to cook or bake in some time, but here's a recipe that I've used for decades and shared widely (never had a bad report). It's not 'from scratch', but it's not too bad. It doesn't use a discrete decarb stage, but since it's being heated in an oxygen free environment (cooking oil), it also decarbs.

>> this is (at this juncture) a 40 year old recipe: How to make the BEST brownies ...

Using anywhere from 1/2 to 1 oz of quality shake (or bud if you can afford it!).
many folks made this using 1/4 oz of bud.

Preferably have 3-5 grams of kief to add in (if you’re not a lightweight).

I’ve made REALLY crazy brownies with 4 OZ of high quality bud, and large amounts of Kief mixed in…
but it's a PITA to do (repeated processes), you have to jump through bunches of flaming hoops to accomplish this, and most folks will do MORE than fine with the approach described below 

But for some patients, they need pretty big guns to get a response.

Run the shake/bud through a food processor until finely crushed (carefully clean the processor, don't waste!)

Take slightly under 3/4 cup of vegetable oil (this allows for some absorption), place the oil in the upper half of a double boiler (if you’re not allergic, peanut oil is great).

Fill up the water bath for the double boiler and set the burner on high.

Lower the upper half of the double boiler (with oil) into the lower half of the double boiler (the water line should be just beneath the upper half <not touching!>).

Mix the processed shake into the oil with a fork.
Periodically stir the oil every 5-10 minutes, and heat for 30-45 minutes.

(you will have to periodically check the water bath, and do not let the lower
half empty of water)

If you have it, I toss in the keif in the last 20 minutes, and mix that in.

After 30-45 minutes (the double boiler should keep the oil from frying, a dark green color with fresh plant matter), turn the heat off, and then bring a medium to large size sieve lined with cheesecloth over the (empty!) large pyrex mixing bowl you will use to mix all the ingredients.

Pour the oil through the cheesecloth, use a silicone spatula to scrape all oil/pulp out of the upper half of the
double boiler into the sieve.

I originally used a ladle to squeeze the pulp in the sieve.

I then wait, let the stuff in the sieve/cheesecloth cool down, then twist the cheesecloth and squeeze every drop of oil possible out of it (you will end up with oily fingers, DO NOT lick them!!!... scrape them down with the same spatula).

I have since found an old-school potato ‘ricer’ that has long handles for much better leverage,
and I can pop the cheesecloth package in there and squeeze the living heck out of it!  Don’t like to waste!

I use the Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownie mix
http://www.continentalmills.com/brands/ghirardelli/brownie_mixes/Dark_Chocolate_Brownie_Mix/
(or any mix that requires 1/2 cup oil... Ghirardelli preferred),

I follow the directions on the box, but I use 2 eggs.

With the 2 eggs and 1/4 cup of water I whisk those with the (cooled) oil and then add in the dry ingredients and mix THOROUGHLY with a whisk and spatula. The point is to distribute the oil as evenly as possible.

Scrape the blended mix into a pre-sprayed 9X9 dark metal pan.

Place the partially full pan into a pre-heated 325 degree oven (300 in a convection).

Cooking time should be around 35-40 minutes, but everything varies with altitude, humidity, etc... check 'em with a toothpick or fork.

After they are removed from the oven, let the pan sit and cool for probably 30 minutes.
Then carefully cut the pan into 16 squares, you can then cut these 16 again into 4 pieces each, so you have a total of 64 cubes. Some folks can handle 1 of the smaller cubes, others can handle a whole 16th square!
(I never tried to figure out dosage when I was making these, but it should be vastly easier now with lab tests)

Know that edibles provide a very different response, don't be in a rush...
don't eat more than 1 cube at a time (unless you're a real hard case!) and give them a good hour or so to activate in your body. The length of time is variable by how much food you have in your system, your body mass, your body chemistry/metabolism, digestive enzymes, etc.

Be careful, it is easy (TOO easy) to overdue it with these "snacks",
they should be kept out of sight and either frozen or refrigerated.....
and I highly recommend having non-medicated healthy snacks around after you've eaten an edible (edibles should not be easily accessible!).

It may take anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours to take effect (predicated on the previously mentioned factors, it can be a bit deceiving, as it can be slow and subtle) ...

Once it does take effect, it can last for QUITE a while....
you can bring yourself down somewhat by eating regular food.

ENJOY !!!

 

[C No Ego]

Sure @Nesta ! (Hmmm I tried to edit my previous post, but couldn't work out how to. Is it not possible?)

Either way:

Yep I was using 1gram (1000mg) of my finest CBD Crew "CBD MediHaze" bud.

I used 20g of Coconut oil, although this was not a particularly scientific value as you pointed out - so I can't be sure what percentage of cannabinoids were actually absorbed into the oil (but it certainly seems to be a decent amount ).

I used Green & Blacks Organic White Chocolate Bar 100G. You could use at much or as little chocolate as you want really. It's the coconut oil that you mix into the chocolate that contains all of the goodies.

It was a super easy process. Mainly just putting stuff in the oven, setting a timer and coming back when it's finished!

I divide my final product into 20 pieces as I like to micro dose, so approx 5mg per piece.

Let me know if you try it out yourself, I'd love to hear how it works out for you !



Interesting... I had a real quick look into this just now. Seems like it increases the bioavailability? I'll do some research and try incorporating it into my next batch. Thanks for the tip @C No Ego !

NP, happy to help. lecithin increases the lipid fat content and cannabinoids are molecular crystalline structures with a lipid fat coating. pharmacological effects from cannabinoids are attained via the phospholipid bilayer of the cell wall transferring lipid signals through the walls with cannabinoids connected to the lipid fats . lipid fat transference is how our endocannabinoid system works, when medicating with cannabis we are just augmenting our own endocannabinoids with phyto cannabionoids. the lecithin is also a brain booster because of the lipid fat content...

edit- you can boost bio availability of the cannabinoid too with black pepper oil and D-limonene oil. These oils are precursor compounds ( terpenes) that direct direction of the main compounds like THC, CBD and it is really beneficial to use the oils when using ABV- ( already been vaped ) as ABV has lost all its terpenes from evaporation.

Hi Carol,

I haven't been able to cook or bake in some time, but here's a recipe that I've used for decades and shared widely (never had a bad report). It's not 'from scratch', but it's not too bad. It doesn't use a discrete decarb stage, but since it's being heated in an oxygen free environment (cooking oil), it also decarbs.

>> this is (at this juncture) a 40 year old recipe: How to make the BEST brownies ...

Using anywhere from 1/2 to 1 oz of quality shake (or bud if you can afford it!).
many folks made this using 1/4 oz of bud.

Preferably have 3-5 grams of kief to add in (if you’re not a lightweight).

I’ve made REALLY crazy brownies with 4 OZ of high quality bud, and large amounts of Kief mixed in…
but it's a PITA to do (repeated processes), you have to jump through bunches of flaming hoops to accomplish this, and most folks will do MORE than fine with the approach described below 

But for some patients, they need pretty big guns to get a response.

Run the shake/bud through a food processor until finely crushed (carefully clean the processor, don't waste!)

Take slightly under 3/4 cup of vegetable oil (this allows for some absorption), place the oil in the upper half of a double boiler (if you’re not allergic, peanut oil is great).

Fill up the water bath for the double boiler and set the burner on high.

Lower the upper half of the double boiler (with oil) into the lower half of the double boiler (the water line should be just beneath the upper half <not touching!>).

Mix the processed shake into the oil with a fork.
Periodically stir the oil every 5-10 minutes, and heat for 30-45 minutes.

(you will have to periodically check the water bath, and do not let the lower
half empty of water)

If you have it, I toss in the keif in the last 20 minutes, and mix that in.

After 30-45 minutes (the double boiler should keep the oil from frying, a dark green color with fresh plant matter), turn the heat off, and then bring a medium to large size sieve lined with cheesecloth over the (empty!) large pyrex mixing bowl you will use to mix all the ingredients.

Pour the oil through the cheesecloth, use a silicone spatula to scrape all oil/pulp out of the upper half of the
double boiler into the sieve.

I originally used a ladle to squeeze the pulp in the sieve.

I then wait, let the stuff in the sieve/cheesecloth cool down, then twist the cheesecloth and squeeze every drop of oil possible out of it (you will end up with oily fingers, DO NOT lick them!!!... scrape them down with the same spatula).

I have since found an old-school potato ‘ricer’ that has long handles for much better leverage,
and I can pop the cheesecloth package in there and squeeze the living heck out of it!  Don’t like to waste!

I use the Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownie mix
http://www.continentalmills.com/brands/ghirardelli/brownie_mixes/Dark_Chocolate_Brownie_Mix/
(or any mix that requires 1/2 cup oil... Ghirardelli preferred),

I follow the directions on the box, but I use 2 eggs.

With the 2 eggs and 1/4 cup of water I whisk those with the (cooled) oil and then add in the dry ingredients and mix THOROUGHLY with a whisk and spatula. The point is to distribute the oil as evenly as possible.

Scrape the blended mix into a pre-sprayed 9X9 dark metal pan.

Place the partially full pan into a pre-heated 325 degree oven (300 in a convection).

Cooking time should be around 35-40 minutes, but everything varies with altitude, humidity, etc... check 'em with a toothpick or fork.

After they are removed from the oven, let the pan sit and cool for probably 30 minutes.
Then carefully cut the pan into 16 squares, you can then cut these 16 again into 4 pieces each, so you have a total of 64 cubes. Some folks can handle 1 of the smaller cubes, others can handle a whole 16th square!
(I never tried to figure out dosage when I was making these, but it should be vastly easier now with lab tests)

Know that edibles provide a very different response, don't be in a rush...
don't eat more than 1 cube at a time (unless you're a real hard case!) and give them a good hour or so to activate in your body. The length of time is variable by how much food you have in your system, your body mass, your body chemistry/metabolism, digestive enzymes, etc.

Be careful, it is easy (TOO easy) to overdue it with these "snacks",
they should be kept out of sight and either frozen or refrigerated.....
and I highly recommend having non-medicated healthy snacks around after you've eaten an edible (edibles should not be easily accessible!).

It may take anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours to take effect (predicated on the previously mentioned factors, it can be a bit deceiving, as it can be slow and subtle) ...

Once it does take effect, it can last for QUITE a while....
you can bring yourself down somewhat by eating regular food.

ENJOY !!!

@looney2nz

I just leave the plant in there and eat it. it can benefit a great bowel movement from the fibers in the plant

 

[looney2nz]

NP, happy to help. lecithin increases the lipid fat content and cannabinoids are molecular crystalline structures with a lipid fat coating. pharmacological effects from cannabinoids are attained via the phospholipid bilayer of the cell wall transferring lipid signals through the walls with cannabinoids connected to the lipid fats . lipid fat transference is how our endocannabinoid system works, when medicating with cannabis we are just augmenting our own endocannabinoids with phyto cannabionoids. the lecithin is also a brain booster because of the lipid fat content...

edit- you can boost bio availability of the cannabinoid too with black pepper oil and D-limonene oil. These oils are precursor compounds ( terpenes) that direct direction of the main compounds like THC, CBD and it is really beneficial to use the oils when using ABV- ( already been vaped ) as ABV has lost all its terpenes from evaporation.



@looney2nz

I just leave the plant in there and eat it. it can benefit a great bowel movement from the fibers in the plant

<still laughin'> I created this recipe PRECISELY because my 1st couple experiences eating it had me picking it out of my teeth all damn night (stems and seeds from the early 70's included)

and good stuff on the lecithin. all the terp's play into stuff, I'm looking forward to the day that lab-tested also includes terpenes. beta-caryllophene is the terp related to black pepper (among other plants), very helpful with Crohn's patients.

I used to hand out digestive enzymes along with my brownies to increase absorption

 

[C No Ego]

<still laughin'> I created this recipe PRECISELY because my 1st couple experiences eating it had me picking it out of my teeth all damn night (stems and seeds from the early 70's included)

and good stuff on the lecithin. all the terp's play into stuff, I'm looking forward to the day that lab-tested also includes terpenes. beta-caryllophene is the terp related to black pepper (among other plants), very helpful with Crohn's patients.

I used to hand out digestive enzymes along with my brownies to increase absorption

ha ha, yeah man. I had some homemade Kombucha tea yesterday that was great and a digestive aid too.

also, when I made brownies with the cannabis still in it I used no pudge brownie mix that just uses yogurt as the base and the liquid in the yogurt was enough to absorb the plant and not stick as bad later... I added more yogurt than called for in the recipe to make up for the cannabis in there... mostly now though my edibles are abv edibles only and that fiber always gets eaten and not strained...

 

[Nesta]

NP, happy to help. lecithin increases the lipid fat content and cannabinoids are molecular crystalline structures with a lipid fat coating. pharmacological effects from cannabinoids are attained via the phospholipid bilayer of the cell wall transferring lipid signals through the walls with cannabinoids connected to the lipid fats . lipid fat transference is how our endocannabinoid system works, when medicating with cannabis we are just augmenting our own endocannabinoids with phyto cannabionoids. the lecithin is also a brain booster because of the lipid fat content...

edit- you can boost bio availability of the cannabinoid too with black pepper oil and D-limonene oil. These oils are precursor compounds ( terpenes) that direct direction of the main compounds like THC, CBD and it is really beneficial to use the oils when using ABV- ( already been vaped ) as ABV has lost all its terpenes from evaporation.



@looney2nz

I just leave the plant in there and eat it. it can benefit a great bowel movement from the fibers in the plant

There's some really good info flowing here.

But I have a question about using lecithin. I've heard a report (and only that one report) that lecithin can cause heart damage. Has anyone else heard this warning?

 

[looney2nz]

There's some really good info flowing here.

But I have a question about using lecithin. I've heard a report (and only that one report) that lecithin can cause heart damage. Has anyone else heard this warning?

News to me, but I'll try to remember to go take a look. It's widely used in food as an emulsifier, and also sold as a nutritional supplement... and has been probably since the 60's at least.

 

[C No Ego]

There's some really good info flowing here.

But I have a question about using lecithin. I've heard a report (and only that one report) that lecithin can cause heart damage. Has anyone else heard this warning?

I've never heard of the harms but other than my adding lecithin to cannabis edibles we've been using lecithin with vit c for a few years as lyposomal Vitamin C. basically add lecithin and vit c together in an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner and run it a few cycles. the ultra sonics causes the lecithin to encapsulate the vitamin c molecule that in turn allows for deeper absorption to get past over digestion of the vit c molecule in our gut.

I've wondered how this could be accomplished with the cannabinoids but have not researched that much on it.

after trying lecithin as a supplement a couple years ago I noticed an increase in awareness and it literally felt like food for thought

 

[looney2nz]

oh, I forgot one thing, and apparently can no longer edit the post...

my cousin swears by Dr. Bronner's Virgin Coconut Oil for making a multitude of things.
I should have included that.

One of the last batches I was able to make was very concentrated (bud, hash, keif), and in case I crossed any kind of 'can't take anymore cannabinoids into these here lipids' threshold, I kept each batch I used for a second run for another purpose (but as I recall, it appeared that I got the bulk of it in there).

One of my friends was going through aggressive prostate cancer treatment, and as and old stoner I was sure he was blazing plenty... so as 2 legal CA patients, I brought him one of the small squares from this batch.

He called me the next day and said 'what did you DO to me?' (laughing the whole time), but he said after the initial 'trippy' intense portion of the ride, he felt much better and had an appetite!
He came over a couple times for me to teach him how to make them.

Most mortals do fine with a 1/4 oz of bud in their brownies, but some of us have vastly different requirements!