How to Keep Your Stash Fresh

The question of how to keep your stash fresh is as potent as man's perpetual quest to live forever. The thought of eternal bliss enters the mind and touches the soul. Is there a fountain of youth in the mythical Land of Eldorado? Did Coronado and Cortez fire up a joint on such a journey? Let's embark on a quest of our own, in search of how to find the everlasting cannabis plant. If you don't possess a map for such a journey, and you're thinking about exploring other possibilities like how people probed cryogenics and Alcor Vitrification, stop right there! Here is some information and advice on how to keep your stash fresh.

Cannaisseurs 101

It doesn’t matter if you have been smoking all your life or are just starting your journey, there are a few things that everyone should know. For starters, cannabis is more precious than gold, and that is why you should treat it with finesse and precision. Storing cannabis properly keeps it fresh longer and protects it from natural adversaries such as mold, humidity, and light exposure. These tips will act as a fountain of youth that will rejuvenate your bud as if it was the day that you purchased it.

Protect Thy Pot

Please don’t use sandwich bags to preserve your weed, keep those to satisfy your on-the-go munchies. The reason being, they cause the bud to get pulverized, degraded and abused, resulting in a pile of shake. Remember you want to smoke the bud, not cook with it. Continued use of sandwich bags will result in a loss of scents and flavors. Under those conditions, one would become uncivilized. If fragrances are released, moisture is released as well. No moisture means bland tasting ganja and harsh smoking sessions.

Avoid Excess Heat and Light

Light degrades THC, which dilutes the potency of the plant. Light and heat are more than close relatives, they are vultures that prey on ganja. If you leave your cannabis out in the sun, the THC in your bud will fade like over washed blue jeans, and you can’t use color guard Tide on weed. To keep your weed fresh, don’t store it above appliances such as ovens, microwaves, and the electric refrigerator.

The heat that rises will dry out your bud and the high temperature will degrade your beloved Mary Jane into the cannabinoid CBN, which is basically nature's alternative to NyQuil. It won’t get you high, but it will help you sleep.

Glass Equals Class and Fresh

Go to your neighborhood hardware or container store and purchase some airtight glass jars. Remember, don’t buy a huge jar if you're only storing an 8th of bud; because extra space means extra air. Air is good for breathing and cooling you off; however, it is not good for cannabis. It will dry your bud rapidly and with no shame.

Glass is a natural substance, it is impermeable and apathetic—nothing leaves and nothing enters. The cannabis will stay fresh like the day you rolled that first joint, but that's until it is exposed to oxygen. Still, the glass will not protect it from light damage. Similar to a wine cellar, cannabis is aged in a cool dark place eluding deterioration and expiration. Store your weed in places such as a cabinet, closet, or drawer.

If the glass isn’t your cup of tea, consider using dark airtight metal like titanium to retain flavor. With emphasis, never use plastic because when heated it releases odors and harmful compounds, which ruins your weed.

Fridge Doesn't Equal Fresh

Please, don’t store your stash in the refrigerator in hopes of keeping your weed fresh. This appears to be an urban legend, and it also applies to stocking the plant in your freezer. Temperatures and humidity levels fluctuate too much. The freezer is much more drastic. Temperatures below freezing can separate trichomes from your pot.

I don’t like mold on my bread, and I definitely don’t like it on my weed. I can’t stress how important this is. Mildew, molds, and organic matter thrive in temperatures between 77 degree and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Excessive heat can dry out cannabinoids and terpenes that have taken months to develop.

If the RH, the Relative Humidity, is stored between 59 percent and 63 percent, the weed is one happy leaf. It preserves and enhances color, consistency, aroma, and flavor. Keeping RH below 65 percent reduces chances of mold. If the RH drops too low, the trichomes are at danger, resulting in fragile and dry weed that is void of essential oils.

Have you ever gnashed your teeth when you realized your bud has become stale and dank? Do you feel the need to build a house when your ounce has been converted to brick weed? Then, take heed of the advice mentioned earlier on keeping your weed fresh. Pot is a great best friend to have, so treat it with kindness.

Get to know your weed and separate your strains to preserve their individual flavor profiles. Cherish the perfumes of the bud, let it bring joy to your spirit. Bask in the aroma caused by terpenes, which gives bud it’s sweet fragrance. Smelly, lovely cannabinoids, how wonderful you are.

If you choose not to follow this advice, then the madness will swallow you whole like a blue whale. May these words help you on your quest to keep your weed fresh. Bon Appetite!