What distinguishes a true cannabis connoisseur from an inexperienced one is the way they store their cannabis flowers. As expensive as these flowers are, it is highly important for people to be aware of how to preserve the freshness if they want to consume it for a longer duration of time.
The practice not only saves the people money but also ensures that they are consuming only the freshest flowers at all times. Here is a guide that can help anyone in storing their cannabis flowers properly for personal use. Before listing down the best ways to store them, it is first important to discuss the importance of doing so.
Why Is It Important to Store Your Cannabis Flowers Properly?
The practice of storing your cannabis flowers properly is important because it will ensure that the consumption is always right. If the buds are not protected or stored properly, they will go stale or lose their overall crispiness.
The beautiful structural appearance, the tangy and earthy taste, the potent aroma, and the most enhanced effects can only be experienced when the user takes the pain to store the flowers properly. Consuming only the best quality flowers will help the person in enjoying the beneficial effects of these flower buds for a very long time.
What Can You Do to Keep Your Cannabis Flowers Fresh?
A cannabis user can ensure that the flowers remain fresh for the longest time by practicing the following activities.
Storing the Flowers in an Airtight Container
The first rule a cannabis user must abide by is storing of the flower buds in airtight and UV proof containers. From time immemorial, the users have stored their hemp flowers in glass jars. These jars were believed to be the best containers for storing weed.
However, with the introduction of a lot of technologically enhanced materials, it is possible to store the flower buds in containers that will protect them from overexposure to moisture, air, or even UV rays. This makes for one of the most evolved methods of storage for them. Also to extend the shelf life, even more, the user can easily vacuum the container and remove excess air. This maximizes the life duration of the flowers.
Some of the containers that the user can try out have been listed down below.
Glass Jars
The oldest and the most trusted containers of cannabis flowers that have been used for centuries are simple glass mason jars. They are undoubtedly the most trusted and foolproof containers for weed ever in existence. However, one thing that the users should always remember is cleaning out all signs of humidity to eliminate the possibility of the weed ever going bad.
Also, the jars should almost always be 3/4th full so that there is not much room for excess air to stay in and ruin the stash. The size of these jars makes a huge difference. Hence it is best for the users to be mindful of storing the flowers as per their size into the jar which is most suitable for the bud.
UV Proof Containers
These special jars are quite recent inventions all thanks to the latest technologies. They are perfect for users who are always on the go and need a reliable jar or container to store their weed. One disadvantage of these UV containers is that they are available for purchase at rather high prices.
Not made for everyone, these containers can be bought and used by only people with a fat bank account. They do offer foolproof protection which somehow justifies the price for the users.
Special Stash Boxes
Special Stash Boxes are literally that, special stash boxes. These boxes are specially constructed from wood and made up of different compartments to offer the best storage opportunity to the users.
With these stash boxes, the users will need to be very mindful. They would need to be fully aware of the type of wood that was used in the manufacturing of the box. It is a good habit to practice because the wood from say a cedar tree leaves a strong and potent smell itself. Which could defeat the whole purpose of storing it in a stash box in the first place. Except for the wood part, stash boxes are actually pretty decent for storing a personal stash of cannabis flowers at home.
The users can make use of any of these containers as per need or preference. Keeping a lot of factors like affordability, space and time in mind, the user can decide for themselves.
Maintaining Proper Temperature & Light Conditions
Most often than not, cannabis flower packaging is labeled with a warning to store it in a cold and dark place. This leads us to believe that overexposure of the flower to high temperature or bright light can affect its quality.
If the flower gets exposed to excess light, it might become a breeding ground for mold which will eat away the goodness of the flowers reducing them to a useless stash of weed. Also if the container is kept in the sun, it is quite possible for the flowers to lose their potency over time. Cannabinoids easily react with the UV rays, which leads to the destruction of terpenes, making the flower taste and smell horrible.
Hence there is no denying the importance of controlling the temperature and light conditions for the long life of a cannabis flower. The right temperature range that a user necessarily needs to keep in mind is between 40 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature is any warmer than this, it can lead to excess growth of mold which will deteriorate the quality of the dry weed. And it doesn’t make sense for people to store their stash of weed in such conditions.
Reducing Exposure to Humidity
Humidity or moisture is another important issue of concern for every cannabis user. If it seeps into the container of the cannabis flowers, it is sure to deteriorate the quality of the particular bud. Nobody can consume weed that has become moldy. Moldy weed reduces the overall effect causing extreme dryness and scratchiness in the throat of the smoker.
The ideal humidity condition that must be maintained for the long life of the flower bud is anywhere between 55 to 63%. This is an important piece of information that can extend the life of a cannabis flower from a mere six months up to a year or two.
Buying Low Odor and Long Lasting Flower Strains
What the users can also do to ensure that their cannabis flowers last a long while is by buying the ones that typically have a longer shelf life as compared to others. Inquiring about the shelf life of each cannabis strain is a good practice for any user. It will by default increase the possibility of the particular cannabis flower lasting for a really long time.
Also, if the cannabis flower strain is a low odor then the possibility of the weed flower going bad gets reduced by a margin. Since one of the first things that get affected is the aroma of the flower bud, then it will be in the best interest of the patients to start by buying the low odor flower strains only.
For the benefit of the readers, we have enlisted the important low odor strains that can be grown and stored indoors easily.
- Northern Lights
- Durban Poison
- Polar Express
- Blue Mystic
- Papaya
Final Thoughts
We have successfully covered all the important pointers that a cannabis user must keep in mind to extend the shelf life of the cannabis flowers they buy. Now it is left up to the user to adopt any of the suggested ways to make this possible for them.
For patients who need a regular supply of cannabis to get rid of the severe symptoms in their bodies, these tips will come in handy. With an MMJ card California, the patients can easily find these cannabis flowers at many affordable rates as compared to, say, a recreational user. Hence, with this, we hope that your current cannabis flower supply lasts for a very long time!
