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Have you harvested an impressive crop and are wondering how to preserve its freshness and aroma? Improper drying and storage can deprive you of a substantial proportion of valuable terpenes and cannabinoids. We will show you how to dry and store cannabis so that the buds look as though they belong in a magazine and smell intoxicating even after many months.
When looking at ripening buds glistening with resin, it is not difficult to realise that the potency of cannabis is hidden precisely in them. In reality, cannabinoids, terpenes and other important substances in cannabis are stored in the heads of trichomes, tiny glands on the surface of plants, found in the greatest numbers on female flowers. In mature cannabis, the trichome heads are filled to bursting with valuable substances, many of which are easily degraded by heat or UV radiation. Many of the terpenes responsible for cannabis’s distinctive aroma are highly volatile and evaporate even at temperatures slightly above 20 °C. Cannabinoids, the main active substances in cannabis, degrade into inactive forms when exposed to light and heat. Improperly dried and stored cannabis can therefore quickly lose a large part of its potential.
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How to dry cannabis so that it retains its aroma and potency
The greatest killers of the active substances and terpenes in cannabis are UV radiation and heat. It is therefore absolutely essential to dry the buds in the dark at a temperature of 16–20 °C. You can dry the plants whole, or hang them upside down by individual branches. Alternatively, you can divide the buds into smaller sections and dry them spread out on drying racks. Before drying, you can remove only the largest leaves and trim the buds after drying (dry trim), or remove all the leaves, including the sugar leaves, immediately at harvest (wet trim).
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The way in which you process the plants before drying will affect the drying speed. Whole plants take the longest to dry. Individual branches will dry somewhat faster. Drying on racks is the fastest method. Buds stripped of all leaves before drying will dry faster than those with only the large leaves removed.
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Temperature |
Relative humidity |
|
Drying whole plants |
18–20 °C |
50–55 % |
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Drying by branches without large leaves |
16–19 °C |
50–55 % |
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Drying on racks |
16–19 °C |
55–65 % |
Another important factor affecting the drying of cannabis is relative humidity, which should be around 55 %. If you are drying large buds or plants that have been affected by mould, it is better to keep the humidity around 50 % for the first few days and increase it only once the flowers have dried out somewhat.
Drying cannabis should take 7 to 21 days. During this time, the buds will lose around 80 % of their weight. Properly dried flowers are dry, yet springy to the touch, and should come away easily from the stem. Over-dried cannabis crumbles between your fingers.
Curing
Although properly dried cannabis smells wonderful and certainly “works”, there is a way to improve it even further. Curing is a method in which the buds are left to mature for several weeks in sealed containers, which are aired from time to time. During this period, the moisture trapped in the centre of the buds is distributed evenly. In addition, chlorophyll, which gives freshly dried cannabis an unpleasant straw-like aroma and bitter taste, breaks down during curing.
Jam jars or sealable metal containers are best for curing. Plastic bags or containers are not suitable for long-term storage because cannabis contains substances that can break down plastics.
Fill the containers approximately three-quarters full with dried and trimmed buds, leaving some free space inside. Store the containers in a dark place at a temperature of 15–18 °C. During the first week, open the containers every day, inspect the cannabis and leave it to air for a few minutes. In the second week, open the containers two or three times, and in the following weeks and months, air the containers once a week.
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How to store cannabis so that it lasts a long time
Even perfectly stored cannabis will not last for ever. The main problem is the degradation of cannabinoids, especially THC, which degrades into CBN (cannabinol) over time. In a study carried out on cannabis stored at a temperature of 20–22 °C, the total THC content in the dry matter decreased by 16.6 % after one year, 26.8 % after two years, 34.5 % after three years and 41.4 % after four years. The degradation process cannot be stopped, but it proceeds more slowly at low temperatures. This is why some people store their cannabis supplies in a freezer.
Storage at temperatures below freezing really does extend the period during which cannabis retains its cannabinoid and terpene content. However, it also has disadvantages. Frozen trichomes are very fragile and can easily fall off the cannabis during handling. Ice crystals that can form on the dry matter are another problem. Vacuum bags are best for storing cannabis in a freezer, as they eliminate this problem, although at the cost of crushed buds. When storing cannabis in a freezer, it is a good idea to divide the crop into smaller portions and remove only the amount intended for immediate use each time.
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