To legally store cannabis many States require a medical marijuana card. You can get your medical marijuana card today through FadeMD. Make sure you register for an account today to get your medical marijuana card. There are more benefits including being able to shop at the best dispensaries, smoke marijuana in public, and having a great understanding of the effects of marijuana on your mental health.
If you’ve ever had a stash of cannabis for a prolonged period, you know that the buds are at risk of drying out over time. When cannabis is not stored correctly, the buds will become brown and brittle, losing their potency. You can’t prevent aging, but you can prolong the lifespan with a few simple ways to store cannabis properly.
Let’s see how you can create the perfect environment to secure the longevity of your bud. Storing your bud correctly means you need to control the environment and ensure the cannabis is safe from elements.
The way you choose to store your marijuana will be the key to your bud’s longevity. And by longevity, we mean potency, taste, and even physical appearance. There are several different ways to store marijuana, so let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each.
The following ways to store your cannabis should help you to avoid this:
How to Store Cannabis Properly
Storing your cannabis is more straightforward than it seems- you just need to know which method you want to use and then ensure you follow it step by step.
Here are the main methods and tools for storing cannabis, with the pros and cons of each:
What Are the Best Ways to Store Cannabis?
1. UV-Proof Containers
UV-Proof Glass stash containers are ideal for storing smaller amounts of bud. The boxes are designed to protect cannabis from harmful UV rays that could accelerate your buds aging process.
Pros:
- Filters UV Rays
- Prevent any smell from leaking out
- They can also be used to cure fresh bud (who doesn’t love a well designed two in one?). This means that while you are storing your cannabis, the buds could continue improving quality and potency, bringing a whole new meaning to working while you sleep.
Cons:
- While they work great for smaller stashes, the UV-Proof glass stash box is not great for larger quantities.
2. Stash Boxes
While we are on the subject of stash boxes, let’s cover these as a whole method themselves. Stash boxes are becoming super trendy at the moment, and they are typically more classy or fancy. ‘Boujee’ seems like the appropriate trendy word to describe these stylish gadgets.
Stash boxes can come in an array of elaborate designs or be more minimal and sleek. Either way, most stash boxes are designed to have a few different compartments to hold all of your ganja paraphernalia.
But beware! The type of wood used for the stash box is essential. Cedarwoods, the kind of wood that most cigar humidors are made from, is a poor wood choice for a weed stash box.
This is because the aromatic cedarwood will seep into your weed. Most stash boxes made explicitly for marijuana will be made out of bamboo, walnut, cherry, teak, or acacia.
Pros:
- Beautiful and ornamental
- Effective
Cons
- Can be expensive
- Some woods can leave your cannabis with an interesting taste.
Bamboo stash boxes are one of the most popular options.
3. The Cheapest Route: Glass Jars
Even though new products on the market are specifically designed to store cannabis, a simple mason jar or any glass jar with an airtight lid can be used. Glass mason jars are ideal for storing cannabis. Just be sure that the lids are airtight and that the bud is stored in a cool, dark place.
The cannabis mason jars should not be stored in an area where they will be exposed to temperatures above 21 degrees celsius. Glass jars, stored in a cool dark place, will preserve the buds for at least a year.
Pros
- Quart sized mason jars are easily accessible from most local supermarkets.
- Cheap and easy yet highly efficient
- Contain the cannabis aroma
Cons
- You have to fill the jar up to at least ¾ fill, or else there will be too much air in the jar.
4. Boveda Packs
Boveda packs, previously known as Humidpaks, can transform any airtight container into a cannabis humidor.
Pros
- Designed specifically for cannabis
- Regulates humidity for optimum marijuana storage
- Can rehydrate dry buds
Cons
- While they help optimize the buds during storage, they still require you to create or use a separate airtight container.
The Boveda is a helpful tool to use for cannabis, alongside a storing method.
Freeze drying your buds are also an option, but this method should be saved for those wanting to preserve their cannabis for several years.
Conclusion: The Best Method
The best method for storing cannabis is also the simplest. Airtight glass jars kept out of sunlight and away from heat are simple, cheap, and incredibly effective.
Of course, if it is in your budget, then adorning your space with an ornate wooden stash box is lovely. But if you are looking for a cost-effective, easy way to store your cannabis, then you can keep it simple with airtight glass jars.
How to Identify Properly Stored Cannabis
Cannabis that has been stored correctly will still have sparkling trichomes, giving the buds their fresh and “youthful” appearance. While the color may not be as vibrant as freshly harvested bud, the dried nugs should still contain their coloring. Most healthy cannabis buds are green with red or orange hairs, and some strains will also have pink or purples hues.
How to Identify Improperly Stored Cannabis
If cannabis has become crumbly and brown, you know that the buds were not stored correctly.
A study published in the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology revealed that cannabinoids could retain their composition for as much as two years. But, there’s a catch- the bud first needs to be cured correctly, and then it needs to be stored correctly, safe from the elements. Do you usually keep your cannabis in a rolled-up plastic bag? It’s time to change that- especially if you want to store your cannabis for a prolonged period of time.