How to Properly Store Your Cannabis

How old was the oldest batch of cannabis you ever smoked?

And when you smoked it, was it still fresh? Or was it stale and harsh on your lungs and taste buds?

If it was the latter, don’t despair! You don’t have to deal with nasty-tasting weed just because you didn’t get around to smoking it the first few months you had it.

Yes, it’s no secret that marijuana can lose its freshness, flavor, and potency over time.

But if you learn how to properly store your cannabis, you’ll be able to enjoy that bud for the long haul. Here’s how to do it!

The 4 Enemies of Fresh Cannabis

1. Light

With respect to George Lucas and the Star Wars movies, cannabis prefers the “dark side.”

That’s because UV light breaks down cannabinoids such as THC. The more light bombarding your bud, the less powerful that bud will be.

2. Air

Air exposure not only causes your cannabis to dry out more quickly, but the oxidation process can turn THC into the cannabinoid CBN.

The bright side is that CBN can help you sleep better, but that’s not very comforting if what you really want is that THC magic.

3. Heat

Ideally, you want to keep your cannabis at a temperature of around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything higher than that can turn the cannabis into a mold-making factory. But if the heat gets too high, the bud will dry out, ruining its cannabinoids and terpenes.

4. Humidity

When it comes to storing cannabis, the “Goldilocks zone” for relative humidity is between 55 and 62 percent. This level will help your cannabis maintain its flavor, aroma, and strength. If the percentage is greater than that, however, you run the risk of mold growth.

3 Tips on How to Properly Store Your Cannabis

1. Use an airtight glass container

Mason jars are a great, inexpensive option. Their sealable lids can prevent air from getting in or out.

Make sure the jar is the appropriate size for the amount of weed that you’re storing. You don’t want to put a little bit of weed in a large jar. Otherwise, you’ll be leaving room for more air to get in, which can degrade the quality of your flower.

2. Keep it out of sunlight

Store your cannabis in a cabinet or a drawer. If you can keep the cannabis itself in a dark or black Mason jar, that’s even better.

3. Store it in a cool, dry place

• Don’t store it in the fridge or the freezer. Contrary to popular belief, neither of these places will keep your weed fresh.
• A fridge’s temperature and humidity level aren’t reliably stable because a fridge is constantly being opened and closed.
• The freezer is especially problematic because your bud’s trichomes can freeze, become brittle, and fall off. The trichomes are the part of the flower that usually contains the most THC, so you definitely don’t want to lose them!
• Don’t store it near or on top of any appliance that gives off heat.
• Ideal storage places are cabinets/shelves that are close to the ground or a basement.

Do you have any tips on how to keep your bud fresh? Do you tend to store cannabis for long periods of time, or are you a “get-it-and-smoke-it” type of user? Post your experiences on the Essence Facebook page!