Not all smokers are chronic ones. Many rely on cannabis for medicinal purposes, leading to regular usage. But just as many recreational smokers don't partake every day. For those who can stretch out an ounce for long periods, it's imperative to understand the key to how to keep weed fresh.
Keeping weed fresh is integral to ensuring that it doesn't lose its potency. Furthermore, the risk of cannabis getting stale or becoming moldy is very real if products aren't stored properly. These aren't issues or concerns limited to casual consumers but dispensaries, who have to keep large quantities of cannabis in their inventory for extended periods. Degrading cannabis will impact the taste, the potency, and the effects associated with a strain. The potential degradation will ultimately affect every business's bottom line if it results in tossing products.
Fortunately, there are a few ways to maneuver through this — many online tips detail the different factors to consider if you're seeking the best way to keep weed fresh. The packaging material and the storage space environment are critical points that require the most focus.
Below, we've shared a few ways to ensure that your cannabis products, whether at home or in-shop, remain fresh until they are ready for consumption. But first, we'll explain how to identify if weed has gone bad.
Can Weed Go Bad?
Yes, like any organic product, cannabis is susceptible to going bad. However, cannabis can have a long shelf-life if it's stored properly. Specific research revealed that cannabis potency deteriorates by 16% after one year, 26% by two years, and 41% by three years. Similarly, cannabis will lose its aroma and flavor entirely within that same time. Regardless, growers highly recommend consuming cannabis within a timeframe of six to eight months after being purchased.
If the flower produces no scent, it's probably no longer suitable for consumption. The texture will also indicate how good the cannabis is. If it's too dry and brittle or if it feels a little too spongy, then it likely is no longer fresh.
Though old cannabis isn't necessarily harmful to consume, it can be if there's mold. You can typically spot this if there are white powdery, fuzzy spots on the bud. Mold won't kill you, but it will likely make you sick.
How To Keep Marijuana Fresh
Packaging
Whether you want to know how to keep an ounce fresh or just a few grams, the trick always lies with your packaging material. First and foremost, ensure that what type of packaging you use can carry the specific amount of cannabis you want to keep fresh. Trying to stuff a quarter ounce into a bag for eighths won't bring substantial results.
Different opinions surround the best way to keep marijuana fresh regarding packaging. Whether using mylar bags or jars, you want to ensure that no sunlight penetrates the contents inside the bag. After its cure, sunlight and humidity are the biggest enemies of dried cannabis. Plus, proper packaging can also help keep out air. UV and humidity are considerable threats to keeping cannabis fresh.
Regarding packaging materials, people have often praised the use of glass jars. Since they provide airtight seals and many also have UV-proof protection. Though plastic and metal are popular, they both have ways of degrading cannabis. Metal leaves an underlying aroma and scent, while the static charge in plastic can break flower and trichomes.
Temperature
Where you store cannabis plays a massive role in keeping weed fresh. We often walk into dispensaries and see glass jars lined up on shelves of the products, but the display shelf isn't the most excellent place to store cannabis. An early lesson in learning how to preserve weed is to keep your products in a dark, cool space, far away from sunlight and UV rays. Some experts suggest keeping cannabis products in areas where it's 70 degrees Fahrenheit -- a middle ground that prevents cannabinoids and terpenes from drying out.
Humidity
The moisture levels in storage space are just as critical as the packaging itself. Excessive moisture can lead to mold, which we explained can make you sick if consumed. However, too little moisture is what can dry out your flower entirely and take away from the potency, flavor, and aroma. Though some might find it tempting to throw excess cannabis in the freezer, that, too, can present issues.
So what's the greatest way to understand how to keep weed from drying out? While technology in cannabis has advanced significantly over the years, some relatively new products on the market intend to help control moisture. Humidity packs are available, specifically for cannabis. Throwing a few of these into your jars will answer any concerns about how to keep weed moist.
What's The Best Way To Preserve Weed?
You want to keep packaging and storage space in mind as we've broken down. The marriage between these two aspects of cannabis is critical to maintaining cannabis fresh for longer times. The best option available is glass jars with airtight child-resistant seals. Along with UV protection, storing the cannabis in a dark, cool place hovering around 70 degrees Fahrenheit is imperative. But beyond those two things is diving into humidity levels, temperature, and light exposure that can potentially be detrimental to the products. If you have trouble understanding how to keep marijuana moist, then look into humidity packs. Brands like Boveda and Integra are some of the top-performing brands available on the market.
