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Fortunately, more individuals now have legal access to cannabis than ever previously. You may simply go to the closest dispensary and choose out the buds you desire. However, if you don’t consume all of your marijuana at once, you’ll be left wondering how to keep it fresh. Let’s look at the best ways to maintain marijuana fresh for as long as possible in order to protect the quality of your stash.
First, why keep weed fresh?
The majority of individuals like to keep their marijuana fresh since doing so protects the quality of the smoke. Stale, mismanaged, or damp cannabis has a weird flavor that no one likes. However, preserving weed fresh goes beyond simply maintaining taste.
Cannabis dries out and becomes brittle, has no taste, and does not deliver the same effects as cannabinoids can change or dissipate. If cannabis absorbs too much moisture, it may grow mold and mildew. Moldy and mildewed items such as cigarettes, food, or beverages are all unsafe to consume.
Don’t Overlook Properly Storing Your Cannabis
So you know how to store your cannabis, but why? Your stash will be damaged if kept incorrectly, whether due to high or low humidity, extreme temperatures, light, or air; all of which can deplete the quality, potency, and flavor of your flower.
While there isn’t an expiration date on marijuana flower, it will deteriorate in quality if not kept correctly. Flower can remain stable for long periods of time if properly stored. What is the shelf life of cannabis flower? Cannabinoids can stay stable for up to two years if the cannabis is properly cured for at least four weeks and stored in a proper storage environment, according to research published in the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology in 1976. Mold and mildew can be caused by too hot or cold temperatures as well as humidity, which may result from storing it incorrectly.
Best Way to Store Cannabis
The golden rule is to keep cannabis in a cool, dark, and dry location at all times. However, how dry, dark, and cold your storage area is matters more than you might think. Humidity, temperature, air quality, and light are all important factors when it comes to determining the success of your marijuana buds and nugs.
Proper Temperature to Keep Cannabis Fresh
Storing cannabis at high temperatures may degrade your terpenes and cause your buds to dehydrate. This might result in an unpleasant flavor as well as a harsh smoking experience. Alternately, storing your stash at the incorrect temperature can also harm terpenes and cannabinoids.
It is suggested that marijuana be kept at temperatures below 74 degrees since mold and mildew thrive in environments above that range. The ideal temperature varies according to the strain, but it should not be less than 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Minimize Light Exposure
When it comes to light, cannabis plants thrive throughout the different growth phases. UV rays can speed up the degradation of your flower after harvesting than anything else. To retain your crop’s valuable terpene and cannabinoid content during storage, keep it away from a direct light source. If you are unable to store your container in a dark place, use opaque containers or cover any openings on the container with stickers or tape to prevent losing important terpene and cannabinoid content during storage.
Reduce Exposure to Air
High levels of oxygen can cause cannabinoids and terpenes to degrade more quickly. “Does cannabis lose potency if it dries out?” is a question that many users and patients ask. Yes, bud does become less potent when it is exposed to air. When buds are exposed to air, they begin to dry out and the terpenes, cannabinoids, and other phytonutrients contained in the plant material begins to be destroyed by oxygen. To safeguard your stash from too much air, keep it in an airtight container. THCA converts into THC slowly under exposure to air and light, then CBN is formed as a result of this process, which has been found to help with sleep.
Reduce the Humidity
When cannabis is kept in the proper humidity levels, it will last much longer. Mold and mildew thrive in high humidity, while low humidity might cause your bud to dry out and cannabinoid and terpene degradation. The relative humidity should be between 54 and 63 percent when storing cannabis. With technologies like Boveda humidity packs now on the market, maintaining an appropriate degree of moisture within your chosen storage container has never been easier.
How Do You Know if Cannabis Has Gone Bad?
When it comes to marijuana flower, different patients and customers may have very diverse ideas about what “gone bad” means. For some people, the distinction between “good” and “bad” is defined by how long the product lasts before degrading in quality. Others define “gone bad” as moldy only after it has started to degrade in quality.
In general, it’s simple to tell when your stash has run out. This may be observed in the appearance of the bud, as well as the feel, smell, taste, and potency. If it is dry and dusty, shows indications of mold or mildewing, or has been kept for many years in a non-airtight container or plastic bag, it is probable that your stash has gone bad. Let’s look at some storage alternatives now that you know how to identify when your cannabis has become rancid.
Best Containers to Store Cannabis and Keep It Fresh
While there is no such thing as the ideal storage container for cannabis, certain options are better than others. Some of these choices are designed to be used only temporarily, while others can also be used for long-term and short-term storage. Some of these choices also include the benefit of being odorproof! Let’s take a look at the finest cannabis storage containers available.
Glass Mason Jars
Some of the most frequently used dried flower containers are mason jars for a variety of reasons. Mason jars are constructed of glass and come with a metal lid that provides a complete seal, making them airtight. Because mason jars are made of glass and transparent, there is the danger of light deterioration; so when storing flowers in glass jars, it’s best to keep them in a dark place. Storing goods in glasses is also better for maintaining humidity and temperatures throughout storage.
Tight Sealing Plastic Bags (Temporary Storage)
Let’s be honest: sometimes all you have is a tight-sealing plastic bag. While this isn’t ideal in any way, shape, or form, it is far superior than leaving your stash exposed to the elements. If you must store your cannabis in baggies, make sure the seal is secure and that you don’t move the contents of the bag too much to minimize static electricity causing damage to your buds. Some people choose to vacuum seal their plastic bags, but make sure they’re safe and free of BPA. Also, try to keep the bag in a dark, cool place away from your pocket and, most importantly, change storage media as soon as possible for long-term preservation!
Humidor
You can also invest in a cannabis humidor if you have a small amount of money to spend on storing your stash. A humidor is a humidity-controlled container for storing cigars, cigarettes, pipe tobacco, or, in this case, dried marijuana. Only use humidors designed specifically for cannabis; otherwise, the wood they are constructed of might harm the taste of your flower. The Cannador is a tiny humidor that keeps and stores up to four different strains of cannabis at once.
Titanium Jars
Metal containers, in particular those made of metal, have a poor reputation among cannabis consumers. Metal can greatly alter the flavor of cannabis flower over time, which is one reason why many customers avoid them. However, titanium jars are the next best choice for people who don’t like glass containers and want to reduce light exposure. Titanium does not alter the taste of your marijuana flower while still protecting it from light damage, unlike other metals such as aluminum or steel.
Avoid the Freezer and Refrigerator
For several reasons, the refrigerator and freezer should be avoided when storing dried flower. The extreme cold temperatures and increased humidity will cause your bud to freeze, becoming brittle. Meanwhile, while this is gradually happening, the precious trichomes that cover cannabis buds begin to freeze and break off, resulting in less powerful, less delicious, and less efficient medicine.
Factors That Affect the Quality of Your Weed
It’s important to understand how to keep marijuana. You’re putting your money into your weed; you want to keep it as fresh as possible until the last puff.
The good news is that your cannabis should last a long time if you keep it correctly. So, first and foremost, safeguard your marijuana from the elements in your house. Otherwise, the quality of your weed will deteriorate.
What exactly do we mean by “elements”? For example, wet and moist conditions are detrimental to your marijuana. Similarly, you don’t want to expose it to direct sunlight or put it in a location that receives a lot of light.
Moisture
Too much dampness might cause mold to develop on your marijuana. Mold is never a good thing for marijuana. Mold that forms on cannabis leaves is poisonous and can lead to lung problems, infection, or other illnesses. It’s all right for there to be some moisture in the air, but too much of it may be fatal to your stash.
Temperature
Your cannabis plant is a living, energetic thing that thrives in specific conditions and has the same thoughts as we do. For the sake of preservation, your marijuana was cultivated in an ideal climate and must remain there.
Terpenes in your cannabis will be destroyed if it’s kept at a high temperature. When your buds dry out from the heat, they may lose their effectiveness and therapeutic effects.
Air
When your marijuana is exposed to too much air, it becomes vulnerable to oxidation. This can reduce the longevity of your favorite plant. Furthermore, when your buds aren’t properly stored, they lose significant amounts of cannabinoid and terpene content.
Simply said, the pleasant flavor and advantages of your cannabis strains begin to fade as they age.
Light
The greatest thing you can do for your marijuana is to keep it out of the light, especially sunlight. Artificial lighting and sunshine degrade and deteriorate cannabinoid content over time, lowering the strength of your cannabis.
Let’s consider another situation. When a vehicle is subjected to excessive sunlight, the paint fades as a result of its exposure. If the automobile is kept in a garage, the paint will remain intact. Your cannabis will deteriorate over time as a result of too much natural and artificial light exposure, just like your car’s paint would if it were left in the sun for extended periods of time.
Storing Cannabis Products
At this point, we hope you are confident in how to store dried flower properly. Have you ever pondered if a joint can spoil? Or whether edibles and tinctures should be kept at cold temperatures? These are excellent concerns as well, and the appropriate storage of these items is just as important as the proper storage of flower. Let’s look at some of the best methods for keeping other cannabis goods safe.
Joints
Is it possible for a joint to go bad? The answer is yes. When subjected to light, high temperatures, high humidity, and air, dried flower in storage can lose quality, flavor, and potency. This also applies to joints you make at home as well as pre-rolls accessible at many dispensaries today.
While most of us don’t start smoking until we’re ready, occasionally we’re proactive and decide to prepare for the day by rolling up a few joints. In circumstances like this, it’s critical to store your joint in a container such as a “doob tube” or another type of container, such as a PotPocket. Joints should be stored in containers that are ideal for dried cannabis flower storage.
Cannabis-Infused Foods and Beverages
If you’re using an infused product or beverage, keep it refrigerated. If the food contains eggs, dairy, or other perishable components, put it in the refrigerator. For edibles like gummies, keeping them in their original container for a few hours is usually okay. However, in order to maintain the greatest amount of quality and flavor in cannabis edibles, they should be kept in a cool environment within an airtight container. In the case of edibles, an airtight Tupperware container is more than enough for maintaining quality and taste.
Tinctures/Oils
Tinctures are one of the most shelf-stable cannabis consumables available. Many tinctures can be kept in a cool, dark location in their original airtight containers without spoiling. Even when stored at room temperature and exposed to light, these things lose potency far more slowly than other goods and may typically survive for several months without taking the storage environment into account.
Concentrates
Cannabis concentrates should be kept in a glass container with an airtight seal, according to many experts. It is often advised to keep your concentrates in the refrigerator when not in use to maintain flavor, potency, and consistency. THC was found to be more stable if it was frozen while being stored as concentrated forms. If you can’t keep concentrates cold, the next best thing is to put them inside an airtight glass container in a dark, cool place.
Conclusion
As you may see, there are several dos and don’ts when it comes to keeping flower and other cannabis goods in the proper condition. Let’s take a look at what we’ve covered so far. When it comes to flower, it is always suggested that your cannabis storage medium be kept in a cool, dark place. Airtight glass containers with a seal are highly encouraged for specific storage media like as glass bottles with an airtight seal.
You can significantly minimize the danger of degradation to your cannabinoids and terpenes by keeping cannabis in an airtight, glass container in a cool, dark place. You’re avoiding exposure to extreme heat, air, light, and humidity because of this. We’ve learned that all of these factors can have a negative influence on the potency and flavor of cannabis. So when you’re ready to store your marijuana, keep these suggestions in mind and pass them along to others!
