Can decarb continue after making oil?

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I made some relatively potent coconut oil from my outdoor SSH crop. I decarbed my trim and popcorn buds but didn’t grind them to a very fine powder. 45 minutes later, I dropped the material into my slow cooker with coconut oil for 8 hours, turned it off, and let it sit overnight. I strained the next day.

I’d baked with it exclusively for a while, but I just made capsules. 1/8tsp is pretty strong in baked goods. But in capsules, it doesn’t seem nearly as effective. Therefore, my question is this - is it possible some “non-decarboxylated” THC was solvent in the coconut oil, and during my baking it decarbs? That would explain why the baked goods seem to be more potent than the capsules. The other could be that I’m a terrible measure in my recipes and am not dosing what I think I am. :smiley:

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How did you decarb you material to start with ?
Id say no if done properly
Can it be you not getting the same dise like in your edibles

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If it was not decarbed first which actually serves to activate THC in materials the reason baked goods seem more potent is the heat from baking activates THC. Some swear you can bake raw flower but for salves tablets and non cooked goods decarb helps to activate THC
A long read but informative
All cannabinoids contained within the trichomes of raw cannabis flowers have an extra carboxyl ring or group (COOH) attached to their chain. For example, tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) is synthesized in prevalence within the trichome heads of freshly harvested cannabis flowers. In most regulated markets, cannabis distributed in dispensaries contains labels detailing the product’s cannabinoid contents. THCA, in many cases, prevails as the highest cannabinoid present in items that have not been decarboxylated (e.g., cannabis flowers and concentrates).

THCA has a number of known benefits when consumed, including having anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective qualities. But THCA is not intoxicating, and must be converted into THC through decarboxylation before any effects can be felt.

RELATED STORY
What Is THCA and What Are the Benefits of This Cannabinoid?

What Causes Decarboxylation?
Cannabis joint
The two main catalysts for decarboxylation to occur are heat and time. Drying and curing cannabis over time will cause a partial decarboxylation to occur. This is why some cannabis flowers also test for a presence of small amounts of THC along with THCA. Smoking and vaporizing will instantaneously decarboxylate cannabinoids due to the extremely high temperatures present, making them instantly available for absorption through inhalation.

While decarboxylated cannabinoids in vapor form can be easily absorbed in our lungs, edibles require these cannabinoids present in what we consume in order for our bodies to absorb them throughout digestion. Heating cannabinoids at a lower temperature over time allows us to decarboxylate the cannabinoids while preserving the integrity of the material we use so that we may infuse it into what we consume.

RELATED STORY
Dosing Homemade Cannabis Edibles: Why It’s Nearly Impossible to Calculate Potency

At What Temperature Does Decarboxylation Occur?
Cannabis concentrate on dab tool
The THCA in cannabis begins to decarboxylate at approximately 220 degrees Fahrenheit after around 30-45 minutes of exposure. Full decarboxylation may require more time to occur. Many people choose to decarboxylate their cannabis at slightly lower temperatures for a much longer period of time in attempts to preserve terpenes. Many mono and sesquiterpenes are volatile and will evaporate at higher temperatures, leaving potentially undesirable flavors and aromas behind. The integrity of both cannabinoids and terpenoids are compromised by using temperatures that exceed 300 degrees F, which is why temperatures in the 200’s are recommended.

Heat and time can also cause other forms of cannabinoid degradation to occur. For example, CBN (cannabinol) is formed through the degradation and oxidization of THC, a process that can occur alongside decarboxylation. CBN accounts for a much more sedative and less directly psychoactive experience.

RELATED STORY
What Is CBN and What Are the Benefits of This Cannabinoid?

How to Decarboxylate Cannabis at Home
Woman opening an oven
In order to decarboxylate cannabis at home, all you need is some starting material, an oven set to 220-235 degrees F (depending on your location and oven model), some parchment paper, and a baking tray. Finely grind your cannabis until the material can be spread thin over parchment and placed on your baking sheet. Allow the cannabis to bake for 30-45 minutes, or longer if desired.

Cannabis can also be decarboxylated in a slow cooker by introducing solvents such as cooking oils or lecithin. These methods create infusions that can be used in a variety of cooking recipes, topicals, and even cannabis capsules. Since they contain decarboxylated cannabinoids, they will be effective any way you choose to consume them.

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@Countryboyjvd1971 @Donaldj

Thanks for the responses. I get the science behind decarboxylation. Perhaps my question is written more concisely as: Is THC-A fat soluble? If so, it would imply that further cooking with dissolved THC-A in oil would increase potency. But that only would apply to incompletely decarbed material going into oil.

My guess is that it is not fat soluble and any THC-A remaining in the plant matter was thrown in the trash. Which would mean it’s just dosing inconsistency. But I am interested in the question regardless.

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Actually THC-A is fat soluble and is how all THC starts it is simply that it requires heat to activate it’s intoxicating effect freeing molecules from it so it bonds with receptors in it’s bulkier THC-A form it performs like CBD oil requiring a buildup effect. This is desirable for people who want added health benefits without the high but if hunting for a body stone or high you need the heat to activate. When used in baking the internal temps of items baked reaches 210-220f if not decarbed in advance of making butter you typically bring butter to a almost boiling point 212f for water higher for most oils which is hot enough to activate THC and break bond
Smoking Points of Cooking Fats & Oils
Fat/Oil

Smoke Point °F

Smoke Point °C

Avocado Oil

570°F

271°C

Butter

250-200°F

120-150°C

Canola Oil (refined)

400°F

204°C

Coconut Oil (extra virgin)

350°F

177°C

Coconut Oil (refined)

450°F

232°C

Corn Oil

440°F

227°C
As you can see you can get oils pretty hot before they start to burn boil or separate which means breaking THC-a bond should be easy to achieve

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Thanks, @Donaldj.

Indeed, I finally found a summary document that discusses the lipophilic properties of THC-A, among other interesting factors such as conversion rates of THC-A to THC (smoking is only about 30% efficient while cooking and extraction can be 70-90% efficient, for example).

It’s good reading, and one can find it here:

https://www.catscientific.com/dissolving-acidic-cannabinoids-for-a-thca-cbda-solution/

What this tells me is that my inkling that my oil is more psychoactive when used in baked products may be legitimate. Perhaps there is dissolved THC-A still in the oil and another bake further converts that to make it more psychoactive. I suppose I could heat my oil to 240 for an hour and see if that converts more as well.

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O took a quick look at the link @nostril interesting i gave it a quick once over but will be circling back fir a better look later
Thanks fir sharing it

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Another bump to this thread; you may have read that adding lecithin (soy or sunflower) can make your edibles more potent. This is because the THC becomes more bioavailable in the presence of phospholipids.

Here’s where it gets a little interesting: eggs and chocolate contain some phospholipids. Box brownie mix contains soy lecithin. So one reason my oil caplets are not as effective as my baked goods could also be that they’re less bioavailable due to the lecithin.

I’m about to make some new oil this week out of my recent Gold Leaf harvest. I’m going to add lecithin (1 teaspoon per cup oil). It’ll be interesting to see if this is the root cause of what I’ve noticed.

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Brilliant, I always add lecithin, but now I know what it actually does. I didn’t know it made that much of a difference.