Properly storing your cannabis can help keep it fresh longer and give you the best experience.
If you’ve ever had cannabis that was old or too dry, it’s not an overly pleasant experience, but there are ways to ensure you keep your products fresh for longer. Storing cannabis flower in proper containers with optimal humidity levels is the best way to start and if you have buds that are already overly dry, don’t fret – there are ways to fix it.
How can I store cannabis flower without it drying out?
Once you’ve bought cannabis flower, storing it in optimal conditions makes it stay fresh. After harvesting, drying and curing cannabis, it lasts for around two years without losing much of its potency. One of the best ways to stow away cannabis buds is in an air-tight jar in a dark and colder space. Excessive heat and sunlight can dry out and degrade cannabis, creating harsh and unpleasant smoke.
Keeping the temperature of the space you're storing your cannabis in the optimal range helps prevent problems with dryness or mould. Temperatures between 77 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit attract mould and mildew, and lower temperatures will help maintain the appearance, flavour and potency of your cannabis.
Along with the temperatures of your space, the humidity levels in your container ensure your cannabis stays fresh. The optimal humidity levels to store cannabis are 55 to 65 percent which is easily achievable with a humidifier pack such as Boveda to minimize oxygen exposure.
Does cannabis expire?
Cannabis technically doesn’t expire, but old cannabis isn’t going to be nice to smoke for most people. When a plant gets harvested, the clock starts ticking on how long the cannabinoids, terpenes and overall texture will last if not stored properly. It will slowly begin drying out, and eventually, the cannabinoids in the buds start to degrade.
You can salvage old cannabis though so check if there's a way to use what you have before tossing it away.
What do I do with overly dry cannabis?
If you’ve ever smoked cannabis that was too dry, you know how unpleasant it can be on the throat. While you may not be able to restore it to the exact state it was in when it was fresh, there’s quite a bit you can do to rehydrate it again.
Two-way humidity control packs are one of the best ways to help bring moisture back to dry cannabis and prevent it from drying out further. Humidity control packs can be left in containers until they become firm and need replacing.
You can also use fruit peels from oranges or lemons with natural oils to safely and cheaply rehydrate cannabis. Rehydrating stones can similarly fix dry cannabis by wetting the stone with a few drops of water and leaving it inside your container. Pay close attention to how long you keep these in containers since too much time can create mould. You can typically rehydrate overly dry cannabis in one to three hours, but make sure to remove the rehydrating material immediately after.
While picking out your cannabis products is fun, taking care of them afterwards is just as important. It’s the best way to ensure you’re always having the best cannabis experiences possible and requires little effort.
Looking for jars or humidity packs? Shop one of our Canvas Cannabis locations locally!