If your cannabis hasn’t been delivering the expected effects, it could be that it just isn’t fresh. It might seem a little high maintenance to worry about how you store your cannabis, but if you buy it in bulk, don’t smoke too often, or you bought that really dank strain for special occasions only, your cannabis will eventually get stale.
This is because the THC in cannabis breaks down over time, so it doesn’t produce the same effects as it ages if it hasn’t been stored properly. This is due to oxidization into CBN which is the main cannabinoid for sedation. It will also start to taste harsh over time, which can be a real buzz kill!
So, it’s worth the effort to keep the integrity of your cannabis well preserved once you bring it home from your favorite weed store in Calgary. Here are a few easy storage tips to maintain the quality of your cannabis over time.
Three Enemies of Cannabis
Generally, there are three things that make your cannabis age faster:
- Humidity: Moisture can lead to mould while being too dry causes the high-producing components in marijuana to fade.
- Temperature: Since temperature impacts humidity levels, you need to find the ideal temperature, which is between 21ºC and 25.5ºC, to avoid staleness.
- Light: UV light impacts all the elements in cannabis including terpenes, THC, and cannabinoids. Amber glass works great.
The goal is to find a storage system that prevents all three!
Cannabis Storage Tips
How do you keep your cannabis fresh? Here are some proven techniques:
Curing: The easiest placed to start is by buying cannabis that has been cured properly At 13th Floor Cannabis, we love quality craft cannabis, which is grown in small batches and then hand cured to perfection.
Airtight Containers: Using glass or ceramic airtight containers works best. An excellent option is mason jars. They are cheap and easy to find, while providing a very friendly environment for your cannabis. It’s wise to avoid plastic containers, but you can use vacuum sealed bags. They remove air, so your pot won’t sweat. However, the best choice is an airtight ceramic jar because they combine the best of both worlds: a) they are airtight and b) they keep out the light.
Dark Places: Store your jars away from the light, especially direct sunlight. If you use clear mason jars, they offer an excellent environment, but would then need to be placed in a dark cupboard.
Ideal Temperature: Keeping your cannabis below 25.5ºC is important, with the ideal temperature sitting at around 21ºC.
Adding moisture packs, boveda and such can help extend the life of the cannabis. Periodically checking them for dryness. The moisture pack such a boveda is pre set to release only a certain amount of moister, so it is a two way, so it also helps the cannabis from getting to moist while also not allowing it to dry past a certain moister level. Dewbie stone is another product for retaining moister in your cannabis. Old school method, a piece of apple, carrot, orange peel and bread can be used as well. But you must keep checking in to make sure the cannabis has not been over moistened. Very important mold grows within in 3 days. Over hydrating weed is worse then over drying. It changes composition of bud.
To Freeze or Not to Freeze
This is a common debate amongst cannabis lovers: Can you (or should you) freeze your cannabis? We are big believers that all concentrates should be kept in a freezer as a rule. If you only smoke occasionally, or you keep marijuana on hand for guests, you can keep your cannabis fresher in the freezer for up to two years. You just need to thaw it out before you smoke it. Keep in mind this might not work as well for the weed edibles Calgary stores offer, so speak to your cannabis expert before trying this at home.
If you are looking for a new go-to weed store in Calgary, visit 13th Floor Cannabis at one of our locations or online through our website.