If you care about great cannabis the way we do, you’ve probably wondered how to keep weed fresh, and for good reason. Cannabis is a natural product, and like every plant it changes over time after harvest.
If you want to know how to store weed like a pro so that it retains maximum potency and flavor, today’s post contains must-know information from the pros at our family of dispensaries. Some of the topics we’ll cover include:
- Does weed go stale?
- Does cannabis lose potency and flavor over time?
- Can you smoke old weed?
- Does weed actually go bad?
- How to store weed (the right way)
- How to rehydrate weed that’s gotten too dry
Okay, that’s a lot of ground to cover! Let’s get rolling so you can get maximum value from your cannabis products.
Does Weed Go Stale?
In short: Yes. While we don’t consume cannabis fresh out of the ground—some amount of drying and curing is necessary—there’s a sweet spot between its wet, just-harvested state and the point at which we’d consider it stale. And beyond this point, especially with flower that hasn’t been carefully stored, you’ll notice a distinct drop-off in terms of flavor, aroma, and potency.
This isn’t just folklore, either. Researchers have studied the effects of oxygen, light, and time on cannabis, and found that at room temperature (~70° F), THC content degrades at a rate of roughly 4% a month, with other variables having an effect as well. Especially if you’re shelling out for top-shelf weed, that’s definitely something you don’t want happening.
Can You Smoke Old Weed? Does It Actually Go Bad?
That depends. In most cases, the main challenge is that—for the reasons we named above—old weed is less potent (and far less flavorful) than the freshly cured stuff. There’s also an enduring belief that old weed makes you sleepy. Some have theorized that this is because weed loses THC (but gains the cannabinoid CBN) as it ages, a finding that’s cautiously backed up by a recent sleep study.
But potentially more importantly, old weed can be moldy. Mold can be hard to see on flower, but it typically resembles pale, powdery blotches. There’s a musty smell associated with it as well, which some people compare with the scent of hay.
While it’s unlikely that mold on weed will make you seriously ill, it can trigger coughing fits, even nausea and vomiting. If you see it on flower of any age, we recommend you toss it out rather than take a chance.
How to Store Weed for Optimal Freshness and Longevity
As we mentioned earlier, heat, light, oxygen and most of all time are the enemies of fresh weed. Here’s how you can reduce their impact on your stash.
Select the Right Storage Containers
In our experience, flower is best stored in airtight glass or metal containers, which can help protect against humidity while having the advantage of containing its aroma. Metal containers have the added benefit of blocking light, which has a particularly negative effect on the breakdown of THC.
Adjust Humidity If Needed
Speaking of humidity, the relative humidity levels of your storage conditions can also greatly impact the quality and freshness of your flower. The relative humidity levels best for cannabis are generally agreed to be in the 55%-65% range. While storing flower at humidity levels below this range would likely mean your flower simply dries out more quickly, storing cannabis above 65% relative humidity could increase your chances of developing mold.
There are a number of products designed to help regulate the moisture in your storage environment, some of them quite affordable. Two-way humidity packs are perhaps the simplest and easiest solution: just drop a pack into your storage container and it will increase or decrease humidity as needed. While they’re certainly not mandatory, you may well find that they extend the lifespan of your stash.
Adjust Temperature If Needed
What about temperature? Because refrigerators and freezers are designed to keep food fresh, it would seem to follow they’d do the same for weed. Unfortunately, that’s not really the case—at least not for flower. Some people have had success storing concentrates such as wax or shatter in the freezer. Of course, being concentrates, they’re significantly different from fresh flower in a number of regards.
That’s why we recommend you store your flower in a dark, dry spot with few temperature variations. Skip plastic baggies and on that note, skip plastic altogether if you can. Some plastics release harmful compounds such as BPAs, and they provide a relatively poor shield against the elements.
How to Rehydrate Weed That’s Gotten Too Dry
What if your flower has gotten too dry and crumbly? Is there hope for it yet? Maybe. There are a number of simple remedies for this sad state of affairs, and while none of them are foolproof, they may help in a pinch.
One of the oddest sounding is to take a piece of bread or a tortilla and seal it in a container along with your flower. Leave it in as long as overnight, by which point it should feel dry, but not longer. It shouldn’t introduce mold, but it’s always good to be on the safe side.
Alternatively, you can boil a saucepan of simmering water, remove it from the heat, and then place a rag or tea towel on top. Place your dried-out flower on top of the cloth and allow the rising water vapor to rehydrate it, being sure to rotate it every few minutes. It’s crude, but it could buy you a couple of precious smoke sessions in an emergency.
As mentioned, you can also use a two-way humidity pack to restore some moisture to your dry bud.
Keep Your Weed Fresh with Mission Dispensaries
As we’ve seen, cannabis definitely can and does go stale over time. In addition to losing that sparkly green hue we know and love, it’s also losing precious cannabinoids and terpenes, which is why old weed can taste “dead” and lifeless. Fortunately, careful preventative maintenance can keep your stash looking (and tasting) its best, and a relatively small investment in proper storage will pay big dividends over time.
Want to deepen your cannabis knowledge? Start with this guide on how to dry and cure cannabis. Whether you’re a budding home grower or just curious about the mechanics of cannabis growing, we promise you’ll learn a lot!
And if you’d like to bulk up your own stash, we’d love to help with that! Start by choosing the Mission dispensary closest to you, where you’ll find a huge selection of fresh flower in every possible strain, style, and amount—and the storage containers you’ll need to keep your flower its freshest.
Still have questions about how to store weed? Stop by any of our locations and ask any of our friendly budtenders for more information. We’re here to help!
