Properly Storing Your Stash - Spoiler Alert…Those Plastic Bags Are Not Cutting It

You’ve gone through all of the steps to get your hands on some bud. You’re planning on making an entire weekend out of the experience. You’ve cleaned your bowl, you’ve stocked up on Twisted Bee hemp wick, munchies are lining the pantry shelf and you’ve got your favorite show queued up for a binge-watching marathon. However, there’s one thing you may have overlooked and that’s how you’re storing your cannabis. Let’s take a look at a few things you may be doing incorrectly that can completely reinvent your entire cannabis experience. Trust us, it makes a difference!

Light Exposure

Have you ever wondered why medicine bottles are tinted or why tinctures often come packaged in amber bottles? It is because UV light is notorious for wreaking havoc on the majority of non-UV blocking synthetic and organic items. Just like you should be doing with yourself, your weed also needs protection from the Sun’s rays. In fact, studies have reported that UV rays are the #1 contributor of cannabinoid deterioration. Fortunately, protecting your bud is a little easier than constantly lathering up with sunscreen. Simply keeping it out of the sun and in a dark place is enough to do the trick. This is the point where your creative juices should begin flowing. Surely you’ve got an unused drawer somewhere that could provide UV protection. If you need to keep your Mary Jane mobile, there are tons of options when it comes to pocket or backpack friendly containers that not only provide the UV protection you’ll want but, also other cool features like scent blocking and air-tight waterproof seals. 

Storage Container

We’ve all done it….you link up with your plug…err…dispensary and you’re handed the quintessential plastic sandwich bag that’s thinner than the bargain toilet paper your cheap uncle uses. Your initial concerns probably lie along the lines of, “is everyone going to be able to smell my bud through this thin ass baggie?”, “at least I don’t have to worry if they tared the weight of the bag before weighing out my stuff” or “I wonder if this baggie is going to disintegrate in my pocket before I get home?”. What if we told you that there is an even larger concern you should have about those stupidly thin plastic bags (or even the heavy-duty thick ones for that matter!)? You see, while you were worried about the scent escaping and putting you on blast, there was an annoying little gremlin by the name of static electricity that was doing damage to your stash. Plastics generally contain static electricity and as you know, static loves to attract things like debris, dog hairs, lint and oh, trichomes! Now if you weren’t aware, trichomes are those sticky little crystals on your cannabis. Why should you care? Because that’s where high concentrations of your cannabinoids and terpenes reside. Therefore, when your bud comes under siege of static in a plastic bag (or even plastic container like a pill bottle unless specially treated), your weed risks losing some of its kick. What’s your solution? Glass! Grab yourself a few glass jars (amber ones for bonus points) and begin storing your stash in those. You’ll not only notice that your weed is less likely to turn brittle and dry but you should also notice longer lasting flavor and possibly even more potency!

Humidity 

This is one factor that most people tend to forget about and until recent years, was also one of the trickier variables to get right. That’s because too much humidity leads to mildew and mold growth on cured cannabis flower (not something you want to be inhaling) while humidity that is too low leads to a brittle dry flower that can be exceptionally harsh on your throat, burn more quickly and can lead to your trichomes shrinking. For ages, people have tried storing their weed with orange peels and wet napkins but unfortunately, relative humidity needs to be dialed in a little more than an old fruit rind is capable of. That said, we’re here to remind you that you’re living in the age of innovation and for just a few bucks, you can score a handful of humidity control packs. These nifty pouches are designed to maintain a perfect humidity homeostasis of 59-63% in your stash. Check out options from Boveda or Integra for a multitude of size options. They work as simple as dropping a pouch into your stash and they do the rest! If you’re exceptionally OCD about knowing your goods are being stored at the proper humidity, you can always pickup a hygrometer for less than $10 on Amazon. Think of these as a small digital (or analog) thermometers. They’ll give you a readout of the relative humidity wherever they’re placed. 

Temperature

We can’t mention humidity without also bringing up temperature. All those suggestions of keeping your cannabis in a cool and dark place weren’t just for shits and giggles. You’re a big kid now so it is time to stop storing your stash out in the hot garage. 77-86 degrees Fahrenheit is the range where mold starts to eyeball your cannabis as its next favorite hotspot. Much like we stressed with UV exposure, regulating the temperature at which your weed is stored is probably the second most important factor. Not only can hot temperatures lead to mildew growth but it results in terribly harsh sessions on your throat due to the terps drying up. In the same respect, you don’t want to store your bud in freezing temperatures either (unlike what your college buddies told you about keeping it in the fridge). That’s because cold air throws your humidity all out of whack. Even if you’re using humidity control packs! Instead, you should aim to keep your cannabis stored somewhere that the temperature remains constant (so no wild fluctuations) and in the range of 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit, which should be relatively easy for most households. See! Not everything has to be complicated!

If you incorporate these 4 things into your cannabis storage habits, you will not only keep your product fresher for longer (studies show around 2 years before THC begins to degrade if the flower is stored properly) but you could very likely end up saving some cash in the long run. Your lungs, your throat and your friends who constantly mooch off of you will also be grateful for the consideration you’ve put towards storing your cannabis like an adult!