How to keep your cannabis fresh and strong

With more and more states getting your hands on excellent quality buds, it’s getting easier and faster Legalize marijuana. Keeping your bud nice and fresh is nothing new, however, and there are factors to consider if you are looking to extend the life of your weeds as much as possible. This article covers the main factors that decompose weeds and the best storage practices to counteract them.

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Why is good weed storage important?

Many consumers think that weed storage is only to maintain the shape of the buds, but it’s much more complicated than that.

Cannabis is an organic substance, so exposure to light, heat, moisture, and air changes over time.

The most extensive changes do not occur on the visual level, but on the micro level, which is not always visible to the naked eye.

Like the terpenes and cannabinoids, some of them can have a significant impact on how the weeds affect you, how they taste and smell, and more.

While there are definitely some varieties of weed out there, if you’ve ever had bad taste or been hit particularly hard, there’s a good chance it was due to poor storage options.

Are weeds going bad?

In some cases, weeds can go away, e.g. B. when mold starts to grow or something unsanitary is poured on them, but in most cases it doesn’t get as bad as food does. Instead, beneficial components like cannabinoids, CBD, THC, terpenes, and flavanoids begin to break down in a slow process, reducing the quality and effectiveness of cannabis over time. At some point it just becomes worthless and not worth the effort because it doesn’t even get you high.

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heat

High temperatures can be just as destructive as any other factor as high heat sets in quickly and vaporizes many cannabinoids and terpenes. This leaves you with ineffective cannabis that tastes harder and won’t get you high.

To maximize the shelf life of cannabis, keep it in a cool, dark place slightly below room temperature. Around 70 degrees Fahrenheit or 21 degrees Celsius.

Lower temperatures are not as problematic as higher temperatures. Some people will swear by leaving their bud chilled in the refrigerator or freezer. However, lower temperatures make it more difficult for tetrahydrocannabinol (THCA) to decarboxylate to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). A lower temperature can also make the weeds brittle and sensitive, causing them to break and crumble when removed from a cold environment.

Humidity & humidity

The humidity of cannabis plays a big role when it comes to shortening its shelf life.

Cultivators dry their flowers in various ways, but after that they undergo a process called curing. When properly cured, the moisture trapped in the flower can slowly dissolve without changing the cannabinoids or losing terpenes. As soon as the desired moisture content is reached (often between 6 and 9%), it is placed in a sealed package that prevents it from drying out further. Once you’ve opened this wrapper, it’s important to maintain the same moisture levels to keep the weeds and goodness in place.

What about moisture? Cannabis connoisseurs should keep in mind that mold can form at 75 percent humidity or higher, which should certainly be avoided.

To maximize how long you can store your weeds, keep the humidity between 50 and 65 percent. Please note that if you are using a cigar box, you have to change the settings to 50%. Most cigar humidors hold 70% moisture, be careful and double-check the settings before damaging your bud.

Direct sunlight

Direct sunlight on cannabis products is not recommended as it can affect the weeds in a number of ways.

The first is of the ultraviolet (UV) rays, just as they can burn your skin, they can burn your cannabis buds. The second is through heat from the sun’s rays. In fact, the greenhouse effect can also have a detrimental effect on your supply.

UV rays can break down your weeds even if they are kept in a sealed glass container. For this reason, opaque brown glass containers, which will filter out much of the visible light, are more desirable than clear glasses when storing your cannabis.

air

Air may seem harmless as it helps you dry the buds before storing them. However, it is a dangerous factor when exposing your herb.

Oxygen oxidizes the essential terpenes and can alter the overall taste and aroma of cannabis.

Too much air in a container can dry out and produce a harder and less pleasant taste. While it is impossible to avoid all exposure to oxygen, you can minimize the time a container is left open. Also, use an appropriately sized airtight container to reduce excess air inside.

Storing cannabis in a jar?

A glass container with an airtight seal is a great way to keep oxygen out of your supply.

Another benefit of using glass is that it doesn’t carry over unwanted flavors or chemicals, which can be a problem with some plastic containers.

This makes glass the first choice for many people.

However, the use of glass containers has a disadvantage. Clear glass protects against oxygen, but does not prevent it from being exposed to UV light.

So if you are using a clear glass container make sure to keep it in a dark cabinet at a low temperature. Alternatively, you can opt for a brown glass. Brown glass can prevent most of the UV rays from penetrating your weeds and damaging them. However, you should protect this from direct UV light.

The size is an important consideration. So make sure that the size of the jar is suitable for the amount of weeds you will be storing in it. You don’t need to leave too much space in the jar as this space traps excess air and this low exposure is enough to break down the cannabinoids.

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Other ways to store cannabis

Suppose you don’t have any glass containers nearby or you don’t want to use glass containers. In this case, I strongly recommend trying metal containers.

The best type of metal is titanium because it does not change the smell of cannabis. Suppose you don’t want to compromise on your tastes. In that case, looking for a nice titanium cannabis container is a great option.

For the ultimate weed storage, a cannabis humidor is an investment worth considering. These boxes are designed so that you can keep your cannabis in perfect conditions. Not only do they keep out light and air, but they also provide the ideal humidity for your marijuana.

Plastic is one of the least recommended materials because some types of plastic allow easy ventilation and gas build-up. Most plastics are sensitive to light and can be easily heated, which can potentially allow unwanted compounds to enter your weeds. Empty doctor’s bottles are an exception, as they are supposed to keep the contents dry and protect them from contamination. But clean and dry them thoroughly beforehand.

How long can you store weeds?

With perfect storage, you can keep your weeds for up to a year before the cannabinoids break down.

After that, your weeds will start to lose their effectiveness. So don’t keep your stash that long before smoking it, be it in a bong, vaporizer or joint.

The most common mistakes in the storage of weeds

These are some of the most common mistakes people make when storing marijuana.

· Freezing

· Overfilling of the container

· I forgot to expel air from the glasses

· Add other non-cannabis ingredients

· Use toxic storage containers