A friend has one. Says I should have bought one 3 yrs ago, when they were ONLY $800. 249% price increase. I can buy 28 gal. of Everclear for that.
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I watched a YT video yesterday, “Understanding Cannabinoids - Samantha Miller”. She states that for reliable CBDA to CBD conversion, to heat your flower in the oven at 295 deg.F for 90 minutes. Also, for THCA to THC conversion, 212 deg.F for 90 minutes. Much different than the 240F/40 min most of us use. Is 240/40 a compromise, where, say 75% THCA & 25% CBDA are converted? What are your thoughts on this?
Edit: Added link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COxEoW_rsLw
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The reason we decarboxylate THCA is to make it psychoactive. Since CBD isn’t psychoactive, there is no reason to decarb it.
The 240°F/40 min is supposed is not a complete decarb, rather it maximizes THC as THC degrades to CBN.
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Thanks @ReikoX.
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@ReikoX is Great help with logical ideas.
Alot like myself
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I never decarb my CBD, it’s always worked great for me.
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@ReikoX
If we don’t need to decarb CBD, then how do we convert CBDa to CBD? It doesn’t happen all by itself, does it?
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The effects of CBDA and CBD are the same, they are not psychoactive. CBDA/CBD targets the CB2 receptors throughout the body while THC targets the the CB1 receptors in the brain, leading to the psychoactive effect. THCA cannot pass the blood brain barrier, therefore needs to be converted to THC in order to get you high when taken orally. When smoked or vaped, the THCA is converted to THC.
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Thanks @Shadey & @ReikoX for the CBD explanation. I had added some to gummies without decarbing but got to second guessing myself if that was the right way to do it.
So if I buy a bunch of CBD flower I can just run the alcohol extract without decarbing!? Thats great, one less step and that one smells the most too 
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I do my cbd bud fresh now, dont even bother to dry it, as it soaks up less alcohol than the dried bud.
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I found this article, which is what I have read in many others…
https://blog.thecbdistillery.com/cbda-vs-cbd/
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**What is CBD?
CBD is the commonly used abbreviation for the cannabinoid cannabidiol, a plant-based cannabinoid (phytocannabinoid). CBD is the most abundant of the phytocannabinoids in hemp extract but is not produced in the plant itself. CBD is the neutral counterpart of cannabidiolic acid.2 CBDA converts to CBD when raw cannabis is exposed to heat or sunlight, a process known as decarboxylation. The decarboxylation process converts acidic compounds and “activates” the cannabinoid.3
**How CBD Works
Ideally, your body would create all the neurotransmitters needed to keep your Endocannabinoid System functioning at optimal levels. Under the strain of illness, stress, or injury, your body may not be able to generate enough endocannabinoids to relay vital information to essential systems. If your body is not producing enough messengers to interact with your ECS receptors, communication can falter, and essential processes may not function efficiently.
CBD mimics the effects of the cannabinoids produced in your body to keep critical processes functioning harmoniously.4
**What is CBDA?
CBDA is the acidic precursor to CBD found in raw plant material, essentially CBD in its pre-evolved state. While CBDA was once considered an “inactive” cannabinoid, current research suggests CBD and CBDA have similar health and wellness potential.
Since CBDA is found abundantly in cannabis plants, some people consider CBDA to be the more natural of the two cannabinoids even though cannabinoids are not considered “active” unless they undergo decarboxylation. Juicing raw plants, medical marijuana, in particular, is one of the most common methods of obtaining a product high in CBDA. Once dried, the plant is no longer suitable for juicing.5
**How CBDA Works
CBDA does not directly bind with endocannabinoid receptors but is believed to interact with the ECS by inhibiting the function of COX-2 enzymes and enhancing the function of serotonin-producing receptors. While CBDA is commonly found in raw cannabis, it can also be found in lesser amounts in full spectrum CBD tinctures, topicals, and CBD capsules.
**How CBDA Differs from CBD
While CBD and CBDA are chemically similar, they are not interchangeable. CBDA converts to CBD during extraction and processing as temperatures rise, changing the molecular structure of the cannabinoid. That makes CBD a byproduct of CBDA. CBD is easier for your body to utilize than CBDA.
While CBD is the predominant cannabinoid in full spectrum hemp products, the processes used to extract hemp oil do not convert all the available CBDA to CBD. CBDA is commonly found in small amounts in full spectrum products as a minor cannabinoid.
CBD and CBDA work together with the many other cannabinoids in full spectrum products and contribute to the Entourage Effect. The Entourage Effect explains how the inactive elements in cannabis combine to magnify and multiply the effects of individual plant components. It’s because of the Entourage Effect that many CBD users believe full spectrum products more potent than products made with pure CBD (CBD isolate).
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What I am reading is that CBDa does not bind with receptors and that only when the CBD (the byproduct as they call it) is “extracted” (which I assume is through decarboxylation) that it is able to bond. They say that CBDa has benefits of it’s own, just not the same as CBD.
They may be wrong, and hell, I would rather not decarb my high CBD flower and lose all those good and tasty flavors, but like I said, this is pretty much what I have been reading.
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I could imagine the water in the plant material making the extraction less effective, but don’t know really.
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Its not been a problem, I freeze it for a week first then freeze the alcohol for 24 hours minimum then add the bud to the alcohol and let it all sit in the freezer and take it out and agitate and then put it back and repeat a few times. The filter off the alcohol and distill it.
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Let me ask you folks a question.
I have one of those 1Gal counter top water distillers (which I have been using for distilling oils and the base for my GD). I know that, in most cases, you are only making a few ounces at a time, but if I were to make a larger batch (let’s sat a quart or two), could I use that to recapture the alcohol?
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Thats what I use, a morphon water and alcohol distiller holds 4 liters. If it was designed purely for water distilling it may have a hole in the condensing tube, in case anything obstructs the vapour exit and blows it up from pressure. You can cover that hole as it will leak alcohol vapour out and that’s not good. You also have to watch for the oil being scorched when it gets near the end of all the alcohol being removed.
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Where, in the lid section or where it exits? Have a still head coming for my boiler, but don’t want to take it apart, yet, if I don’t have to.
Ever have the dragon turn brown on you?
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Yeah when I leave it in the jar for a month.
Yours may not have it, it usually sits on the last bit of the coil, above the fan blades, before it comes out into the outer collection chamber.