How to Keep Weed Fresh – The Best Way To Store Weed

how-long-does-weed-stay-fresh
Cannabis is a dried and cured product but that doesn’t mean storing the herb in your plastic stash jar or worse, the zip-lock or vacuum sealed bag that it came in will keep your weed fresh. Are you wondering how to keep weed fresh? With cannabis legalization sweeping across the world, cannabis products may come with a “date of harvest” disclaimer but without an expiration date, leaving many cannabis users to wonder just how long their flower will last them for. Interested in figuring out the best way to store weed and how to keep weed fresh the longest? To get the best experience out of your cannabis, you need to know how to store weed properly. Stick with us as we break down the best practices of how to keep weed fresh!

How Long Does Weed Stay Fresh?

best-ways-to-keep-weed-fresh Nothing good lasts forever and nothing gold can stay. Unfortunately, the same holds true for cannabis. Although cannabis goes through a drying and curing process, the active shelf-life of cannabis isn’t as long as you may have originally thought. Fresh cannabis is easy to discern. The nugs will be soft, supple and sticky. A slight squeeze yields a bit of a give and the aroma will be extremely pungent. Aged cannabis, on the other hand, will be extremely dry and almost “crispy.” The pungent aroma will still persist but the shape and feel of the buds themselves will be completely off.  With all that being said, properly dried, cured and stored cannabis should last for a minimum of 6 months up to a maximum of 1 year. There’s nothing wrong with smoking some aged bud, just keep in mind that the potency and flavours will be lacklustre compared to its fresh counter-part Wondering how to keep weed fresh for longer to have the best cannabis experience? Here are 5 tips on how to store weed. 

How to Keep Weed Fresh – 5 Easy Tips

Follow these 5 crucial tips to keep your weed fresh, fragrant and potent!

1. Avoid moisture and keep it dry

best-way-to-store-weed Moisture is one of those things that will completely ruin your cannabis if you let it run rampant. Before cannabis can be sold off to consumers, it goes through a drying and curing process which removes all of the plant’s excess moisture. This curing process enhances the flavour, potency and quality of the smoke and is an essential step of cannabis processing.  How to keep weed fresh? The easiest way is to keep it dry. Excess moisture will increase the risk of mold, which can be extremely hazardous to your health when consumed or smoked.  The best way to store weed to avoid moisture buildup is to transfer your cannabis into an air-tight jar or comparable container and storing it in a dry place.  

2. Keep it in the dark

Long periods of exposure to the sun and its harmful UV rays poses a risk not just to cannabis, but to your skin as well. Ever spent an entire day out in the sun without putting any sunscreen on? Your skin becomes degraded and damaged, with dead skin peeling away in layers while you writhe in agony reaching for some aloe vera.  The same principles apply to cannabis. Exposure to the sun’s UV rays will degrade your cannabis gradually over time until its psychoactive effects and beneficial cannabinoids are lost. Extended exposure to the sun will actually convert your weed’s THC into a different cannabinoid called Cannabinol (CBN) which won’t get you high at all.  The best way to store weed to avoid this conversion process is to place your stash jar in a cool and dark place away from direct sunlight. A cupboard or drawer works best. Any location will work as long as the sun’s harmful UV rays are not directly in contact with your cannabis. 

3. Minimize exposure to oxygen

how-to-store-weed Anything left out in the open air and exposed to the elements will begin to decompose and this is especially true for cannabis. When left to its own devices for a long enough time, Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) will degrade into its non-psychoactive counterpart Cannabidivarin (CBV). This means that your flower will be much, much less potent than before.  Exposure to oxygen can also radically change the terpenes of your weed, ultimately altering and degrading its overall flavour and aroma.  While airtight glass jars are a step in the right direction, the best way to answer the question of how to keep weed fresh is to use opaque, non-transparent, non-see-thru jars. This not only minimizes exposure to oxygen, it also minimizes exposure to light to prevent moisture buildup. Opt for containers with air-tight seals to maximize freshness. 

4. Maintain stable temperatures

Remember our tip of keeping your cannabis away from moisture and exposure to light to avoid moisture buildup? Storing your cannabis at a stable temperature is an equally important component.  When combined with high moisture and light levels, warm temperatures can increase and multiply mold levels. For best results, store your cannabis in a cool, dark place. Temperatures slightly below room temperature will make your weed last the longest.

5. Don’t store it in the refrigerator or freezer

While other consumables such as vegetables, meats and leftovers can be safely stored in the fridge or freezer to drastically prolong their shelf life, the same unfortunately does not hold true for cannabis.  Simply put, the fridge/freezer does not come into the equation when the question of “how to keep weed fresh” is asked. The fluctuating, humid environment of the fridge/freezer lends itself to increased moisture content and the extremely low temperatures can make your flower extremely brittle. Cannabis trichomes, the flower’s sticky, resin dusting can also become dried out and fall off easily from the plant, lowering its potency.  While storing your weed in a cool dark place is ideal, the fridge or the freezer are definitely not options that you should be considering. 

How To Keep Weed Fresh To Maximize Shelf Life

storing-weed-best-practices Armed with these 5 essential tips on how to keep weed fresh, you should now be able to enjoy cannabis that’s been stored for 6 to 12 months with little difficulty.  The best way to store weed is in an opaque, air-tight glass container in a cool and dark place. Keep the temperatures stable and slightly below ambient room temperature for best results and never, ever store it in the refrigerator or freezer.  Hopefully, with this information, we’ve adequately answered your question of “how to keep weed fresh.” Enjoy fresh, properly stored weed wherever you go with this guide!

Leave a Reply