Moldy Weed – How To Avoid And Prevent It

Finding moldy weed is never fun, but it can happen to anyone, novice and seasoned tokers alike.

Most of us can likely recall the feeling of being thoroughly grossed out by seeing mold on our weed. It is not ideal, to say the least. 

But how do we know for a fact that it’s mold? 

Have no fear. For today, we are going to answer that very question.

This article will discuss why moldy weed is bad for you and what to do if you find it.

By the end, you’ll be able to improve your chances of never finding moldy buds by learning how to stop it from happening. 

What is Moldy Weed? Why is it Bad For You?

Moldy weed is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a flower or bud that has mold growing on it. 

Shocking. We know.

The colour of this harmful growth tends to be whitish-grey with some dark spots. 

All cannabis strains can develop mold, but some strain types can be more prone to it than others. Even the top cannabis strains can grow mold. 

Mold is an equal-opportunity buzzkill, literally and figuratively.

Mold grows when humidity, moisture, air, and light factors are not well-controlled. The best way to avoid that meddling moldy weed is to ensure that the relative humidity and moisture content are managed appropriately. 

Prevention is the best option because, once mold starts growing, you can’t stop it.

Unfortunately, the only thing to do once you discover your buds have mold is to throw them out, as burning and ingesting them could cause some severe health risks.

Weed plants grow under conditions that can potentially lead to a breeding ground for various types of mold. How cultivators harvest and dry their buds is a crucial indicator of whether or not mold will develop.

Most growers use multiple techniques to prevent this from happening to provide dispensaries and tokers with the safest product possible.

How to Tell if You Have Moldy Weed

It’s likely not news to you, but moldy weed is usually visible under the naked eye. You can literally see it to believe it.

The best way to not smoke moldy weed is by looking for the right signs. Top visual indicators include dark spots or unusual spores on your bud, as well as a web-like material or fuzz. 

This fuzz and web-like growth can come in multiple colours from white to grey to black, or even yellow and brown.

Powdery mildew is another type of mold that can appear like dusted kief to some. But if you look closely enough, you’ll note that it appears more like sawdust or the puff of dust produced by certain mushrooms. 

Mold can also appear like powdered sugar, as a fine white powder on your weed. 

Another sign to look out for is slime. If you see slime on your bud, it is a definitive sign that you should toss out your weed. 

It is not the stretchy, gooey, fun time slime like you see in all those YouTube videos.

If you ever find something this gross on your weed, go back to your source or hit the ‘contact us’ button on their website and report your findings to whoever cultivated or sold you this weed. 

There should never, under any circumstance, be something slimy on your weed.

Whether you find white powdery mildew or mold spores, the specifics don’t matter. The weed is bad and needs to be thrown away or returned. 

Contact your grower or dispensary if you can, and see what they say. Those who grow cannabis professionally use plenty of techniques to prevent mold, but it still can happen sometimes.

There are a few ways to enhance your eye spy skills and spot those tiny bits of mold that you might otherwise miss. 

For example, you can use a black light to help make it mold more visible. A cannabis microscope or simple magnifying lens can also enhance your vision to make it easier to spot mold.

Another way to check your icky sticky for mold spores and mildew is through smell.  There is a particular musty smell, similar to urine or sweat, that occurs in spoiled weed. 

Weed that smells less dank and more disgusting serves as a clear indicator of potential trouble. It needs to be investigated closely for any visible signs of problems. 

If you’re growing your own strains, you can also investigate the roots. If they are discoloured, then you know your plant is in trouble. Roots provide a significant indicator of overall plant health.

What do You do if You Have Moldy Weed?

Do not smoke moldy weed. Only smoke bud, whether medical marijuana or recreational, that is mold-free. 

One more time for the people in the back, never smoke moldy weed.

This basic rule applies to every kind of weed, whether it’s CBD, THC, or a hybrid. No matter how much you want to smoke this bud, just don’t.

Smoking moldy weed can result in a variety of adverse health effects. It is especially dangerous for anyone with a compromised immune system. 

With medical weed, it can be hard to throw away your marijuana medication. But, for the sake of your immune system, do not use this weed, even if you really want it. 

If your nugs look like they could have mold spores, sadly, you must throw it away. It hurts, we know, but it has to be done.

How to Stop Your Weed From Getting Moldy

So, now that we have driven the points home of how weed gets moldy and what to do if it does, we’ll get to the critical issue, how to prevent mold from growing on your weed. 

Again, we cannot emphasize enough the importance of avoiding smoking of moldy weed, it is essential for all lovers of wonderful weed.

Proper Storage of Cannabis

The most effective method of preventing your bud from growing mold is to follow proper storage habits to keep weed fresh. Once you buy your bud and take it home, the rest is up to you.

Use an airtight glass jar and store it somewhere cool and dark. It is vital to get your green storage system in order, even if you’ve never experienced mold in your weed before. 

It can happen to anyone at any time. 

The good news is that proper storage is simple. Unfortunately, the process of mold growth could have started long before you bought the bud. 

This is why proper cultivation and processing techniques must be put in place to safely prevent mold growth, whether you are a paying customer or growing your own plants at home.

If you Grow Cannabis at Home

When it comes to growing weed at home, there are specific things to check for, like the roots and smell, as we mentioned above. 

It is crucial to have the appropriate conditions, such as proper ventilation and suitable light, to ensure your plants’ health and to avoid mildew and mold from growing.

In terms of proper ventilation, free up some space for your buds by trimming them to avoid conditions where dense foliage prevents good circulation.

Get some good people to help guide you through this stage if needed. There is plenty of advice online to set you on the right path toward big green buds with plenty of trichomes. 

Whether growing medical marijuana with high-CBD or high-THC recreational marijuana plants, the basic growing principles are the same.

After you grow your bodacious, beautiful bud, up next is the drying and curing process. 

The best way to ensure your healthy weed stays that way is through a proper drying process. The curing process also plays a role, but the drying stage is particularly about preserving terpenes for a more flavourful smoking experience. 

When you dry out your weed, make sure that it is thoroughly and completely dry before distributing to others to prevent spores and other problems. 

For CBD strains specifically, keep them filled with trichomes but free from problems by taking your time at this stage.

Moldy Weed – Not Safe and Not Worth it

There will never be an instance where it is necessary or smart to smoke moldy weed. We honestly cannot state this enough. 

Get it? Got it? Good.

The negative health consequences of ingesting impure and unsafe cannabis are not worth it. 

However, key indicators will let you know if your weed has mold on it, including visual and scent-related cues and if you are a grower, the colour of your plants’ roots. 

If you believe that you have received a tainted product, it is best to contact the grower or dispensary where you purchased the product immediately to let them know that the bud is bad. 

More often than not, they will want to know this information to rectify the situation. 

The best way to ensure that your weed lasts as long as possible with the highest quality is to ensure that you are using appropriate storage methods to keep your bud fresh. Such practices include using airtight glass containers and maintaining the proper heat and light conditions. 

As always, stay safe and enjoy!