Smoke or Vaporize it
I know what you’re thinking, why would I need to decarb my cannabis if I’ll be smoking or vaping it? Doesn’t it get decarbed during the smoking and vaping? While it is true that smoking and vaping perform some decarb during the process, they aren’t efficient and there is waste. A joint is a great way to understand this concept: While the smoke is caused by the combustion (or flame) you use to light the joint, nearly all of the cannabinoids that come into contact with the combustion will simply burn off or quickly turn to ash. Each time you take a puff of your joint, you are pulling the hot air through the rolled cannabis.
That hot air is vaporizing the cannabinoids in the joint and some decarb is occuring as well, but the time it takes you to smoke the joint is much faster than the full decarb process can be completed. While you still may feel a strong effect, you only consumed a fraction of what that joint could have given you. On the other hand, smoking a joint filled with decarbed flower from your Nova means all that the hot air needs to do is pull the already activated THC off the plant matter, and into the smoke you inhale. Whatever touches the flame will still burn off, but the additional mg’s of activated THC in your smoke will give you a stronger, more effective joint. Combustion on already decarbed flower will also create more CBN, which is very sedative. Many patients who are seeking a deep relaxation effect (for example patients suffering from PTSD or insomnia) prefer to decarb before smoking to both maximize THC and increase the CBN intake.
The same principles apply to vaporizing, which means with decarbed flower, you will get more yield while vaporizing. You can also vape at the lowest possible temps while still experiencing a strong effect