So, you’ve grown or bought more bud than you can smoke through in the next month or two. Need to stash it without compromising the quality? After all this is a investment and you want only the best for your high quality medicine.
Incorrectly stored cannabis can reduce the quality of your smoke and the high . It will lead to a harsher toke as the weed burns way to hot instead of giving a nice smooth smoke when too dry. Your buds will burn unevenly, your joints constantly go out and you could potentially get bud rot. Both will negatively effect your health and the quality of your smoking experience.
The smell and strength of a buds smell can matured like a fine wine over its lifetime. Correct storage will bring out the best in your bud.
The Science behind the Cure!
There are several steps and effects that happeb during curing that can scientifically explain the increase in potency and improvement of the smoke in cured cannabis.
Moisture Content
Moisture is very important for the curing process, it can be both your best friend or worst enemy. If too much moisture and instead of curing you run the risks of molds and bacteria. The first warning sign of excessive moisture in curing cannabis is the apparent smell of ammonia. This will very quickly ruin the taste and potency of your stash. However, without the necessary moisture metabolic processes essential for correct curing do not take place and everything drys out.
Fresh cannabis plants are around 80% water (% by weight); curing generally begins after the cannabis has lost half roughly 70% of it's initial mass, and contains approximately 33% of it’s initial water.
Once curing is complete and the pot is “cured”, it should still contain around 10-15% moisture, approximately 2-5% of the initial water while the plant was alive. This is an ideal moisture content because most bacteria and molds can not grow below 15% water content, and below 10% cannabis buds tend to crumble or powder.
Cannabinoid Conversion
As the metabolic processes naturally continue during cannabis curing, the conversion of cannabergerol to tetrahydrocannabinol will continue and the potency of the pot will increase. This is because cannabergerol (CBG) is the non-psychoactive precursor for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Of course, the exact change in THC content will be dependant upon the concentration of CBG in the fresh material when harvested. Any remaining precursors necessary to form additional cannabidiol (CBD) and other cannabinoids will also be consumed and eventually converted.
Note: If curing is excessively prolonged (most connoisseurs would agree after 6 - 8 months no more benefitial factors could come from curing), the conversion of THC to non-psychoactive cannabinol (CBN) will occur only up until a certain point. The exact rate of decomposition can vary widely depending on handling, storage, strain conditions, and can be less than 10% to greater than 40% decomposition per year.
What should I be storing my buds in?
Plastic Tupperware style containers and Ziplock bags offer a cheap tough practical solution, but glass is ideal as it does not leave a residual. Plastic can give off a aroma or squish your buds. Therefore Glass jars are the preferred storage choice of many a toker. Bankies are a definite no-no. They’re great for on the go or scoring small amounts. They are not reliably airtight and do not offer bud protection from handling . Vacuum sealing is an excellent solution for storing large commercial quantities for a long-term, but is not practical for most home users. Recycled glass jars offer the most affordable and practical solution.
What you will need for your Glass curing jar.
- Food grade glass
- Airtight lid
- No cheap plastic or rubber seals
- Size (it does matter)
- Must be clean.
Whether your jar is a recycled peanut butter jar or something new straight off the shelf, the most important thing is to make sure that it has a good air tight seal, preferably with a silicone or rubber sealing lip. These last significantly longer that than the stiff plastic or soft rubber seals, which tend to go tatty pretty soon or fall apart.
Standard food or peanut butter jars work great! Just give them a good clean and you are good to go!
Soft rubber seals don't last too long and tend to crack
Clasp jars are the best! Easy to open, with a long lasting and airtight silicone seal you cant go wrong. You can buy these stash jars online, starting at R30 on aliexpress.com
The plan is to keep your bud at a relatively cool temperature, in a dark and dry spot. Exposing the contents to as little air and light as possible. Light and air exposure are the enemy and cause the buds to decompose. Dark colored jars are always a much better option, particularly beer bottle brown, as they easily keep out light. A good DIY trick is to spry paint the outside of the jar black with a can of aerosol paint.
Size is certainly a factor, as you won’t want your buds in a giant jar full of air. Air absorbs the little bit of moisture that you do want in the bud and breaks down the trichomes. Buds that are properly packed, not compressed but firm, will maintain their shape and sparkle. Always ensure that there is as little air in the jar as possible.
Tip: A wide mouth on the jar also makes accessing buds easier than trying force and pull the through a narrow mouth knocking and breaking of trichomes.
Ideal moisture and dryness
If you feel that you buds may be a bit moist (the stems aren’t snapping rather just bending ) or you’ve had problems with mould or bud rot before, some dry rice or silica sachets at the bottom of the jar will absorb excess moisture.
Buds that are too dry (going to dust when handled), can be saved by adding a citrus peel into the jar. It will slowly release moisture and increase the humidity in the jar which will in turn be absorbed by the buds allowing the curing process to continue, . This however is a high risk, as the peels need to be regularly monitored for mould that could spread onto your stash.
Final moisture and texture is very much a personal choice and will take a little practice before you find your own style of doing things.
Correctly stored quality buds will mature and evolve, much like a fine wine. Some connoisseurs store their buds for years. I know of people who discovered a long forgotten jar under the couch. Either way, making even just a little effort with the storing of your stash will help bring out the best in what you are saving.
Some homegrown Durban Poinson, curing nicely in a custom glass jar.
Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed, looking forward to any comments!
Cheerz