How to Store and Preserve Cannabis

Cannabis prices tend to incentivize bulk purchases. Those that want to save money, in the long run, are encouraged to buy higher quantities of cannabis products than they might have otherwise. But while buying big might be a great way to save a little bit of money, it creates a problem for more casual consumers: how can you keep your purchase from going bad?

In this article, we take a look at how to store weed.

What Does Old Marijuana Mean?

When it comes to marijuana, old is kind of a relative term. In fact, aging (or curing, as cultivators call it) is an important part of the growing process that can unfold for months. Curing cannabis adds flavor and potency, making it more enjoyable for consumers.

As Robert Miller, owner of Purefectionery, puts it, "Flower changes as it ages. A lot of people say they feel like the more cannabis ages, the more CBD-like quality it takes on. My thing with older weed is, if you take care of it, it can last like a fine wine and age will change it in good ways. Flavors can be enriched or more complex."

That said, once the product is in your house, the curing process has ended, and "freshness" still needs to be considered.

The idea that cannabis gets too old is a bit of a misnomer. Those wondering how to keep weed fresh have a relatively simple answer: proper marijuana storage.

The best way to store weed is actually similar to that of the methods associated with maintaining high-quality tobacco. Using a cannabis humidor, you can create an atmosphere that is most conducive to the preservation of freshness and potency.

A good weed humidor not only helps maintain an ideal temperature and humidity level (40-50% humidity, and below 70 degrees for temperature), but it also helps to exclude contaminants and rot from gaining access to the flower.

Once you figure out how to keep marijuana fresh, "old weed" becomes less of an issue. Your stash can dependably be counted on to last for a year or longer.

How to Store Weed Seeds

Like the seeds of most plants, cannabis plant seeds can last almost indefinitely without any fear of going bad. You don't even need to invest in a marijuana humidor. The answer to the question of how to store marijuana seeds may be as simple as buying a mason jar and keeping it sealed air-tight.

Plant seeds of any kind can usually be stored for several years at a time without going bad. What's more, the plants that derive from a ten-year-old seed are usually no less vibrant than those that come from fresh materials.

How to Store a Weed Eater

"Weed eaters" are products that are specifically designed to absorb the noxious odor that is typically associated with cannabis. Ideally, your weed eater will be kept in close proximity to the cannabis itself. Keeping the weed eater fresh is not necessarily the highest priority in this case. Let it do its job, and then replace it with a new one when you notice diminished efficacy.

Edible Storage

Edible storage differs somewhat from the process that we have discussed to this point in that it introduces perishables into the equation. Naturally, once you cook your cannabis, you can expect it to last approximately as long as the food item itself.

Store your edibles the same way you would any other food item of its kind, and don't expect it to last longer than a week. Cannabutter (the base material require for edibles), on the other hand, can usually last for several weeks before turning rancid. Frozen, it can last even longer, with an increased life expectancy that can stretch up to a year.

Read Also: Cannabutter Guide: Recipe, Effects, Dosage

Conclusion

The secret of how to store marijuana is actually relatively straightforward and, indeed, not so different than the methods you might take for any form of long-term storage. It is true that cannabis will go truly "bad" eventually — to the point that it won't deliver the results you paid for. As Zach Romey, founder of Robhots puts it "the THC will degrade into CBN, and will have more sedative effects."

In general, however, most true enthusiasts will have consumed their stash well before reaching this point.

With cool, air-tight storage, you can master how to store weed for long periods of time without any worry of rot or deterioration.

References

https://www.getmyster.com/blogs/blog/what-is-the-best-humidity-for-growing-cannabis-plants

https://sparc.co/store-weed/

https://www.thespruce.com/how-long-do-vegetable-seeds-last-1403089