Our Top Tips for Storing Cannabis

When you hold a fresh cannabis bud between your fingers, the first things you’ll notice are the sticky texture and strong smell. Both of these are indicators of the bud’s potency. That stickiness means your flower contains lots of resin from the trichomes that make up the plant compounds, and the intense aroma you smell is thanks to a large presence of terpenes. These benchmarks are used to distinguish quality cannabis from the low-grade stuff. Storing cannabis properly is the key way to make sure your products retain their strength. Unfortunately, if left out or not properly stored, cannabis can actually lose many of its unique psychoactive properties that bring you relaxation or that uplifted feeling you seek. You don’t want to miss out on the full effects of a strain’s cannabinoids because of improper storage.

Learning how to correctly store cannabis makes the difference between a worthwhile time and a waste of money. If you leave marijuana exposed to fresh air for too long, it loses its cannabinoid strength. A cannabis stash stored in humid temperatures could grow mildew or mold and lead to a trip to the hospital. If this is your first time storing cannabis, it’s important to remember that technically it cannot expire, but the product’s potency can be affected by many environmental factors. First-time users who want to learn how to store marijuana like a pro, look no further. Even if this isn’t your first rodeo, these top tips are a great refresher.

First, let’s cover the basics. Conditions are everything when it comes to storing cannabis. The best way to store cannabis is with the intention of keeping the THC or CBD hemp flower as fresh as when you first bought them. Here’s what we’ve found that works best:

Use a Sealed Container

When storing cannabis, make sure you use a container with an air-tight seal. Cannabis that has been exposed to air for too long will go through its natural oxidation process. This lowers the potency of the cannabinoids and ultimately means less effective cannabis. Unfortunately, smoking cannabis that has been sitting in the attic since 2003 will most likely lead to a harsh, unsatisfying experience. Finding a proper container should be the easy part, but here are some containers to consider:

So long as it can be properly sealed, most containers you find at home are capable of effectibely storing your cannabis.

Check the Temperature

The best way to store cannabis is in a sealed container in an even-tempered location. If you leave your stash in a humid room, your cannabis could produce mold or mildew. If you leave it in the sun or in an area where it could receive direct sunlight, you may end up with brittle cannabis with effectively no cannabinoids left. You want your cannabis to retain all of its psychoactive compounds that induce the experience you’re seeking. Keep your stash in a temperature-controlled room to maintain its aroma, color, and strain attributes. For reference, the ideal temperature for cannabis is 70° F.

Use Ground Flower First

Keep in mind when you’re storing all your cannabis: full buds last longer than ground up ones. Even if stored correctly, the grounds are not nearly as potent as the buds. When you’re figuring out where and how to store cannabis, it may be smarter to separate your full buds from the ground cannabis that sits at the bottom of your container. Designating a container for the grounds gives you easier access for when you’re ready to pack a bowl or roll your next one.

Stay Away From the Freezer

It’s a common misconception that cannabis and coffee grounds maintain their full potency when stored in the freezer. Conventional refrigerator and freezer temperatures are too intense for storing cannabis. Extremely cold temperatures can cause the trichomes on the buds to actually break off or potentially induce mold and mildew. It can either be extremely dangerous or quite disappointing (or both) when used.

If you’re looking for how to store cannabis in the long term, a tightly sealed glass jar hidden from sunlight will do the trick just fine. The main concern with long-term storage is humidity, but a humidity pack attached to the bottom of the lid can help combat outside moisture and protect the quality of your saved buds. If it’s the sun you’re worried about, invest in a container that protects against UV rays.

When in Doubt, Vacuum Seal It

Just as important as using a container with a secure lid is making sure you’re storing your cannabis in a container that is the proper size. You don’t want to store your cannabis in a lidded container three sizes too big, or a plastic bag that has taken in a lot of air. If there is a significant amount of air space to fill in the container, the natural oxidation process of cannabis will start to occur, even if it’s air-tight. This is why smoking cannabis that’s been stored in a sandwich bag may not provide the relaxing effects you desired. If you must use a plastic bag, be sure to push out any excess air that may have collected. The goal is to extend the lifetime of all the cannabinoids present.

A Lesson to be Learned

Store your cannabis right or pay the price. Marijuana is meant to be enjoyed, and when you neglect quality buds, you ruin your own experience. Storingcannabis the right way is the only way to ensure all of the strain profile remains in peak freshness. You don’t have to start from scratch; Your CBD Source has a wide inventory of CBD flower and bud that come in a perfect container for storage. All of our products are third-party tested to ensure potency, so all you have to do is learn how to store your cannabis properly.