Understanding where cannabinoids come from
Before explaining why decarboxylation is important, it will help us understand how cannabis and other Cannabis sativa subspecies produce cannabinoids. As a young seedling, hemp does not automatically contain high amounts of CBD. In the earliest stages of life, this plant generally contains little cannabinoids.
You can compare all the different cannabinoids found in cannabis to a huge family tree, all of them derived from the cannabinoid precursor CBGA. As the plant grows, it undergoes various chemical changes. With each change, new cannabinoids are created, some of them change their structure, and many of them completely disappear.