How to Store Weed

Purchasing items in bulk is cheap, sustainable, and less wasteful. It encourages conscious shopping, reduces shipping costs, and ensures that you only purchase what you need. Many people do their shopping in bulk, and when they buy weed, it’s no different. However, with a large weed batch comes the challenge of storing it and preserving its freshness. Even when you don’t buy a big batch, you may need to store a joint or two for later. The weed needs to be as fresh then as when you purchased it. 

The rule of thumb when storing marijuana is that it should be dry and cured before storing it in a cool, dry place. In the right conditions, there is no definite expiration date for the weed. It may last for 6 to 12 months before it starts to lose its unique flavour or lower its potency. 

That said, storage is not as easy as shoving your weed in a bag and stashing in a dark drawer. The environment must have particular characteristics to support this longevity. 

The Ultimate Storage Tip

The secret to storing your weed correctly is to protect it from the elements. Light, moisture, temperature, and air affect your weed quality, limiting your enjoyment of quality marijuana. See how each element affects your weed stash, and learn ways to shield your weed from them.

The Buzz Killers

1. Light

Light is the biggest enemy to your weed. It is made up of harsh rays that dull the colour of your weed and burn its terpenes and cannabinoids. Even if you store the buds in heavy glass jars, the UV rays will still penetrate. You may have mason jars at your disposal, but the better container is an opaque one. 

If you insist on a container that will allow you to see the contents, choose a brown glass container resembling beer bottles. Brewers use these bottles because the brown colour filters out the visible, ultraviolet light. Keep the brown container away from direct light still because the glass only effectively blocks 30 percent of the UV rays. 

2. Temperature

When the temperatures go so high up, your weed may dry out too much and evaporate the terpenes in it. Without terpenes, you will be smoking weed that produces a harsh flavourless smoke. High temperatures also create warmth that encourages mould and mildew growth. Mould grows when the temperature ranges between 78 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, store your cannabis at a temperature lower than this range. 

Experts advise that the ideal storage space would be a cool dark place, and to some people, a refrigerator meets this description. Unfortunately, the fridge has high moisture content due to the items stored there and possible spillages. Therefore, do not keep your weed in the fridge.

3. Air

You would assume that a constant airflow would keep your weed crisp and tight, but not really. Air contains oxygen, which affects the viability of the weed. Too little air increases the humidity in the weed and the container, encouraging mould and mildew growth. Too much of it speeds up the process of degradation. Oxygen exposure oxidizes the terpenes, causing the weed to smell like grass or hay. Since it would be hard to determine the optimal oxygen level, it’s best to stop the aeration altogether. The best way to preserve weed is to vacuum seal it. 

Unfortunately, not too many people have a vacuum sealer lying around. The next best alternative is to store your weed in an airtight container that seals easily and whose lid holds tight. The container should also be of proper size, so even if it doesn’t allow air in, not much air is trapped inside the closed space. Do not store a small amount of weed in a large container. Also, avoid crowding the buds. Crowding traps humidity and encourages fungi growth. 

Inevitably, whenever you pop the lid to grab some weed, some air will enter the container. The entry of air introduces more oxygen into the container. Reduce the frequency of opening the container. Also, avoid opening your container in highly ventilated or windy areas. 

Be aware that the degradation of weed due to air and light exposure also changes the chemical composition of the cannabinoids in the weed. It converts the THCA in cured weed into THC. If your weed is not cured and has THC, that too deteriorates into cannabinol (CBN). CBN is a cannabinoid that is not psychoactive. All these changes reduce the potency of the weed significantly.

4. Moisture

Moisture is highly depredatory to your cannabis. Avoid it at all costs. You must ensure that the weed is moisture-free always. You cannot allow the cannabis to dry out too much, though, because dryness degrades the cannabinoids and the terpenes. Use a salt-based moisture control sachet to regulate the humidity in the container. Salt-based control sachets help maintain optimal storage conditions in the container by maintaining the relative humidity between 0.55 and 0.65. 

You may also source a cannabis humidor box, a specially designed box that maintains the proper moisture. There are humidor boxes of various capacities and designs in the market. But, be careful not to store your weed in a cigar humidor. This type of box is usually lined with cedar wood that contains oils to enhance the cigar taste, but these oils are destructive to marijuana. The cigar humidors also have propylene glycol or sponges to help maintain high humidity for the tobacco. This moisture level is harmful to cannabis. 

If your weed is too dehydrated, use a humidity control pack to reintroduce moisture. Although the humidity does not bring back the terpenes lost, it keeps the smoke from being too harsh. 

Closing Thoughts

Overall, your weed will not last forever. With time, its molecular structure changes as the weed increasingly gets exposed to light, heat, moisture, and air. The aroma and potency degrade over time. However, controlling the weed’s exposure to these elements helps extend its shelf life. This way, you enjoy your high-quality weed every time. Seeing that you can preserve weed, source some of the best weed from Get Kush. We stock a wide variety of cannabis and cannabis products.