Ask a Stoner: Will Citric Acid Activate THC Without Heat?

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Dear Stoner: Can I activate the THC in my weed with citric acid instead of heat, similar to the way ceviche is cooked? I’d like to try making a weed smoothie with lemon or orange juice.
Boulder Bob

Dear Bob: This side quest takes over a cannabis forum every few years, and the consensus is that citric acid or vinegar can activate THC. Adding heat to the process helps, though, and the citric acid method is usually more messy and time-consuming than heating ground herb in an oven. That said, you might have just inspired a summer project for both of us.

click to enlarge

Citric acid can do a lot of things, but can it activate the THC in your weed?

Flickr/Ed Chadwick

There are dozens of posts online detailing how to soak buds in a solution of citric acid and water, dry them out under a towel for about a week and then eat them. The buds tasted like booty, according to the amateur-scientist posters, who claimed to get high from eating them. There are also ways to extract cannabinoids from a liquid concentration with citric acid, using methods employing red or apple cider vinegar. Our first test will be a smoothie recipe involving raw cannabis juice, whole citrus fruits and raw coconut. If that works, it’s on to no-bake guacamole.

Send questions to [email protected].