How to Keep Weed Fresh and Long-Lasting

“Just add a piece of bread to your weed baggy.” If you’ve heard and followed this advice of how to keep weed fresh, you’re in for a surprise. Bread grows mold when it gets old, and the mold spores transfer to your weed, causing severe illness. 

But we get it. You want to keep your stash as fresh as a daisy for as long as possible. Old and stale hash loses its potency and flavor. And who wants a less potent high?

So you’ve gotta learn the best ways to keep your dope fresh. After all, fresh weed equals potent weed equals a great high. 

What Degrades Weed? 

Time

Weed starts degrading once harvested because the plant doesn’t receive nutrients from its roots. 

Degradation is an unavoidable process, even if you store your Mary Jane perfectly. The only way to slow degradation down is by managing the environmental factors (humidity, light, air, and temperature). 

Temperature 

When the temperature is too warm, your flower buds will dry out, and sensitive terpenes will evaporate. If there’s some humidity, mold will grow on your pot. 

Your weed also degrades when the temperature is too cold, so don’t put it in your freezer. When frozen weed thaws, the water molecules evaporate and with it the precious terpenes and cannabinoids. 

Air Exposure 

Air exposure (aka oxygen) can also degrade your weed. The psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) breaks down into the non-psychoactive cannabinol (CBN). While CBN helps treat sleeplessness and pain, if you want to get high, CBN isn’t going to kick it. 

Light 

A 1976 study found that light is one of the most significant contributors to weed degradation. When exposing your buds to light for an extended period, tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) changes to THC. Then THC eventually turns into non-high-inducing CBN. 

Oxygen also oxidizes essential terpenes, so your weed loses much of its flavor and aroma. Eventually, your weed will smell like grassy hay. 

Moisture 

Moisture has a significant influence on whether your ganja stays fresh and potent. Too little moisture causes your weed to dry out, and the bud will disintegrate. Good luck trying to smoke that. 

Exposing your cannabis to too much moisture or humidity makes it hard to smoke. Mold and mildew grow quicker, and inhaling or ingesting moldy weed has serious health consequences.

How to Keep Weed Fresh

You want to keep your cannabis fresh for as long as possible, which means storing it correctly. Proper storage extends the holy herb’s life by a year or two.

Choose the Right Container

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The right container to store your buds is essential to help you manage the environmental factors that influence the degradation process. A glass container is ideal because it doesn’t contain damaging chemicals like those found in plastic. 

An airtight glass container like a glass mason jar is the best way to store your weed. Once your buds are safely in the container, protect them from heat and light.

Another option is a blacked-out ultraviolet airtight glass jar. Now you don’t have to worry about light “killing” your weed. You just need to ensure the temperature is suitable, so don’t place the jar where it’s hot, like near the stove. 

A cannabis humidor is also your best friend. These boxes are designed to store cannabis. They are airtight to keep oxygen out and opaque to keep light out. The weed humidor also maintains optimum humidity levels at 55 to 65 percent. 

You can opt for a stash jar like a CVault. These are made to protect and keep your cannabis buds fresh. The most effective stash jars: 

• Are the right size
• Seal properly to prevent air exposure
• Have a protective exterior so UV light doesn’t penetrate the interior 
• Have odor protection 
• Work with humidification pods 

Keep Humidity in Check 

You don't need to worry about humidity if you smoke all the buds you bought within two weeks and simply store them in an airtight glass jar in a cool, dark place. 

To keep your ganja fresh for longer, add a humidity pod or pack like Boveda to the container. These humidity packs come in two relative humidity (RH) levels: 58 percent and 62 percent. The higher the humidity, the stickier the bud. 

Pro Tip: Only fill the container halfway with your buds, and add the humidity pack. Place some more weed in the container, and leave some breathing room before securing the lid. 

Maintain Moderate Temperatures

To protect the cannabinoids and terpenes in the weed, store your stash at 70℉ or below. 

Keep away from the fridge, freezer, and areas near an oven or stove. 

Avoid Sunlight and Find a Cool, Dark Spot 

Preserve your ganja’s aroma, flavor, and color by avoiding heat and sunlight. Keep the weed container in the kitchen pantry, closet, or cabinet. 

Don’t Add Organic Matter 

Don’t listen if your stoner friends suggest adding organic matter like veggies and fruits to the weed jar. An orange with your buds in the container simply creates a happy haven for mold and mildew to grow. Same goes for bread

Only add your buds and the humidity pack to the stash jar.

How to Keep Weed Fresh is a Science

You can store your weed for a couple years by ensuring it’s protected from environmental factors like high humidity, light, oxygen, and moisture. 

Choose the right storage container, add a humidity pack, and keep it in a cool, dark location to enjoy a potent high even when time has passed.