Editor's note: This article has been reviewed and updated for accuracy in 2026. Whether you're just looking to get creative with your weed and want to try making your own edibles or if you're a gourmet cook who is just trying to learn how to make cannabutter this is the guide for you. Decarboxylation is the process of turning the psycho-inactive THCA (THC acid) into just plain old psychoactive THC. This is done by very carefully and precisely heating flower product to 220 degrees or 104.44 celsius. The exact duration will depend on the quantity, how finely the product is ground and it's freshness. Decarbing is an essential chemical reaction for turning raw, unprocessed cannabis plant into psychoactive sellable material. For pre-dried product decarbing may only take 30 minutes. For juicier, fresher product it could be upwards of an hour. Outside of heating there is a second way to decarboxylate marijuana and that is via aging or curing. Curing weed is more of an art than a science, as there are numerous uncontrollable variables such as air temperature, humidity, starting moisture content of the organic material etc. Aging is a fun way to experiment with smaller quantities of cannabis but for consistent, reliable and scalable decarbing heating is the industry's preferred method.