Snoop Dogg, our generation’s king of all things weed, never ceases to surprise. His latest blunt-smoking modus operandi involves putting a fully-rolled joint into the microwave for 11 seconds, which he says helps to “trap all the ingredients.”

Why you might be wondering? Let’s look at the science, which Snoop obviously did. 

What happens then? Decarboxylation is a chemical reaction that causes a carboxylic acid to release carbon dioxide. Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, THCa, is a carboxylic acid. During the decarboxylation process, THCa gives off one carbon atom and two hydrogen atoms (which form carbon dioxide CO2). The process also converts cannabolic acid (CBDa) into CBD.

Why Then The Microwave?

The first commercially available microwave oven, "Radarange" developed in 1947 by Raytheon (NYSE:RTX), was huge and cost nearly $5 grand. Once the size and price shrunk, they became popular in middle-class homes in the 1970s.

Instead of producing natural heat like an oven, a microwave targets water molecules (moisture) in the food or anything you put in the microwave.

Why Don’t We Do This All The Time?

If decarboxylation is so effective, why doesn’t everyone pop their blunt into the microwave for 11 seconds? Actually, we're already decarbing our weed as we smoke it by creating the heat that activates the THC, which happens when you puff, puff pass or puff puff hold. 

Do we need the weed to be any stronger than it already is? That's a question of opinion. But, don't ask Snoop. We're already pretty sure what he'll say.