When it comes to storing weed, there are a lot of different factors that can change the way it keeps over time. The container you use, temperature, humidity, and lighting can all make a difference in how well your flower will hold up in storage. Keep reading for all the dos and don’ts of keeping cannabis flower fresh!
What are the Best Storage Conditions for Weed?
When storing your weed, there are 3 important factors to consider and keep in check:
Temperature
Cannabinoids degrade when they get too hot, which is why you need to make sure to store your cannabis between 50 and 80 degrees. So, avoid leaving your flower in a hot car or outside in the summer. It may affect the potency of your bud.
Light
Sunlight can also affect cannabinoids in your flower. Over time, too much light can reduce the potency of your cannabis, so keep it away from sunlight or store it in a UV-protective container.
Humidity
Cannabis can be tricky when it comes to humidity levels. If your flower is too wet or too dry, it may not hit the way it’s supposed to. You can use a humidity pack or humidor to control the humidity of your flower in storage and extend its shelf life (more on that later).
How to Keep your Cannabis Flower Fresh
If you find yourself with a lot of flower on hand or just need a way to keep it fresh for a while, there are a few things you can do to help it stay in good condition.
- Use a Glass, Air-Tight Container
Glass containers don’t stick to the trichomes on your flower, keeping them where they’re supposed to be and also maintaining the flavors and terpenes in your flower. Air-tight containers also prevent any outside elements from messing with your cannabis.
- Grind What You Need
Grinding too much of your flower before using it can leave you with leftovers. That extra ground-up cannabis might not hold up very well sitting in your grinder, so try to grind a little at a time to avoid having extras sitting outside of their proper storage.
- Invest in Humidity-Control Tools
If you find that your weed goes moldy or gets crumbly in storage, you may benefit from a little help with humidity. There are a few companies out there that make humidity packs that are designed to maintain your flower’s humidity for long periods of time. Humidors, which are boxes designed to store cigars, can also help regulate humidity.
What NOT to Do to Keep Your Flower Fresh
Some of your cannabis habits may actually be causing your weed to go a little stale quicker! Below are a few common mistakes and things to avoid when storing your flower.
- Avoid Buying too Much Flower
We’ve all been here. Your favorite dispo is offering a huuuuuuge discount on flower by the ounce. While some people can go through lots of cannabis in a relatively short amount of time, not everybody is capable of that. Moral of the story: the less time your cannabis spends in storage, the better. So try not to buy in bulk if you can so your flower doesn’t sit in a jar too long.
- Don’t Store Your Cannabis in the Freezer or Fridge
This may seem like a good idea at first. After all, we store all kinds of perishables in the fridge or freezer, so why not put our weed in there too? In reality, your fridge and freezer can fluctuate in temperature quite a bit from opening and closing the door. This temperature fluctuation can cause moisture to build up inside your storage container, spoiling your cannabis. It’s best to avoid this altogether!
- Don’t Use Plastic, Silicone or Metal Storage Containers
As we mentioned earlier, plastic and silicone stick to the trichomes and other cannabinoids on your flower and can pull them off, messing with their potency. A nice glass jar will always be the better option! If you have to use plastic or silicone, you can line the inside with parchment paper to better protect the buds. You should also avoid metal, as it can mess with the flavor of your cannabis.
- Don’t Leave Your Weed Lying Around
Prolonged exposure to air and light can cause the cannabinoids and terpenes in your flower to degrade quite quickly. Instead of leaving your flower in a bowl for later or scattered across a rolling tray, get into the habit of putting back into an air-tight container between sessions!
- Don’t Wait too Long to Use Your Flower
If you’re an occasional enjoyer or tend to keep your flower stored away for a while, you might benefit from buying less bud at a time and using it as soon as you can. You should use your cannabis within 3 months of your purchase. After that point, it may start to dry out and lose its original potency.
Conclusion
There are quite a few things you can do to keep your flower fresh from getting better storage materials to changing your smoking habits. Above all though, the sooner you use your cannabis, the fresher it will be.
If you have any questions about storing your flower or keeping it fresh, you can always reach out to us or ask your local Dreamz budtender. We’ve got lots of locations all over New Mexico, find the one closest to you here! You can browse our strains and where to find them by checking out our products.
