If you care about flavor and potency, you should care about cannabis storage. Cannabis doesn’t last forever (if only!). It’s perishable – and like any other perishable item, it must be stored properly for maximum freshness. Read more about keeping cannabis fresh to maintain its potency, effects, and flavor.
When Good Weed Goes Bad
You don’t want to consume cannabis flower past its prime. It generally won’t make you sick like expired food might. But it also won’t give you your desired experience. Cannabis that isn’t stored properly can either get too dry or too wet.Â
Dry Cannabis
- Harsh to Inhale – Dry weed is harsh weed. You may experience throat and lung irritation as you inhale. This can cause excessive coughing.
- Decrease in Aromas and Flavors – Dry cannabis causes fragile terpenes to quickly degrade, leaving you with less flavorful and aromatic flower.
- Offers Less Potency – Overexposure to heat, light, and oxygen causes cannabinoids to break down. This decreases potency and effectiveness.
Damp Cannabis
- Causes Mold – Keeping cannabis fresh is crucial to avoid mold and mildew formation. DO NOT consume moldy cannabis. It can cause coughing and throat irritation, or even fungal infections in those with mold sensitivities.
- Difficult to Grind – High moisture content makes cannabis extremely difficult to grind. It just gets sticky and balls up in your grinder!
- Difficult to Burn – Moisture makes combustion almost impossible. And if you can get it to heat, it doesn’t burn evenly.
Keeping Cannabis Fresh
Cannabis requires specific storage temperature and humidity conditions. It’s sensitive to heat, light, humidity, and oxygen, which will reduce its quality and effectiveness. So, what is the best way to preserve cannabis?
Avoid Prolonged Light Exposure
Think of cannabis like a vampire – it doesn’t like light. Light, especially UV light, is one of the biggest contributors of cannabinoid degradation. UV light will cause THC to convert itself to CBN, which is much less potent than THC.
Avoid prolonged light exposure and keep your cannabis in a dark place for peak freshness. Short periods in light for grinding and rolling won’t cause any harm.
Don’t Grind in Advance
Only grind what you need. Grinding flower breaks off trichomes and speeds up the rate of terpene degradation. Ground cannabis will also dry out much faster. This leads to not only less flavor but less potency.
Keep it at an Optimal Temperature
Temperature is key to keeping cannabis fresh. It should be stored at temperatures between 32° and 70° Fahrenheit. Many consider somewhere between 60° and 70° F to be the sweet spot. This is because high temperatures can dry out cannabis flower and potentially cause mold and mildew growth. But too low of temperatures and trichomes can break off.
Temperature Don’ts
- Don’t store by a heater or radiator
- Don’t keep by a windowsill
- Don’t store it in the refrigerator (though some edibles can be kept in the fridge!)
Temperature Do’s
- Do store in a cool, dry place
- Keep it at room temperature
Watch the Humidity Levels
Cannabis storage temperature and humidity are critical for freshness. Warm, humid environments are ideal for mold and mildew growth thanks to high moisture levels. This also impacts flavors. Low humidity isn’t much better; it causes weed to dry out. What’s the optimal humidity for keeping cannabis fresh? Aim for 55% to 65% humidity. And don’t leave it sitting out overnight!
The Best Way to Preserve Cannabis
High-quality cannabis deserves high-quality storage. Don’t store weed in plastic or metal. While they’re acceptable for short-term usage, they can impact flavor over time. Plastic storage also exposes cannabis to too much light and moisture, which degrades quality.
An airtight, glass container is one of the most effective methods for keeping cannabis fresh because they prevent oxidation. They are also great at controlling odors. Just add a humidity pack to your jar to help maintain optimal humidity, and you’re good! The only downside to clear glass containers is that they don’t prevent light degradation. You’ll want to keep your container in a cool, dark place or look for a blacked-out glass container. There are also vacuum-sealed stash jars and food-grade stainless steel jars that are effective at keeping cannabis fresh.
Do not use a cigar humidor for cannabis. While seemingly ideal for cannabis storage temperature and humidity, these humidors are lined with oil-preserved wood. These oils enhance the flavor of cigars, but ruin your cannabis. Humidors may also create too high humidity levels for cannabis. However, there are humidors specially made to preserve the potency and flavors of weed.
Keeping Your Other Cannabis Products Fresh
What is the best way to preserve other cannabis products? All cannabis products – cannabis concentrates, THC edibles, cartridges – require a highly specific environment.
Edibles
Temperature and humidity are also important for cannabis edibles storage. They can discolor and experience a change in texture. This is why they should generally be kept in a cool, dark, and dry environment. Proper storage varies depending on the type of edible and ingredients used. However, glass jars are most common. Some edibles can even be kept in the refrigerator! But you should always check your edibles for any storage directions first.
Concentrates
Keeping cannabis concentrates fresh requires storage away from light, moisture, heat, and air. The best storage will vary depending on your concentrate’s consistency. Glass containers are great for firmer concentrates like budder and crumble. But these containers won’t work for concentrates like shudder – they’ll get stuck to the glass. You can try using medical-grade silicone jars instead. The only caveat is that silicone is best for short-term since these containers aren’t airtight.
Cartridges
The best way to preserve cannabis concentrates is to keep them in an upright position with the mouthpiece facing up. This will help prevent leakage. You should avoid high temperatures and direct light, which can degrade potency.
Maintain Proper Cannabis Storage Temperature and Humidity
Keeping cannabis fresh ensures an enjoyable experience. So does starting with fresh, high-quality cannabis. Shop our dispensary in Washington, DC now for quality cannabis held to the highest of industry standards.
