Where are cannabis buds stored?
WHERE ARE CANNABIS BUDS STORED?
Every person has their own ambient conditions and their own perfect method of storing and storing their cannabis buds. However, there are many different methods of storing cannabis buds, and we'll tell you all about them in detail in our online grow shop!
The container in which we want to store our weed must be ideal so as not to lose its properties. So that we can smoke the buds in the best conditions and without them spoiling.
STORING WEED IN CARDBOARD BOXES
Cardboard boxes are the most basic option for storing our harvest. Who hasn't stored cannabis in a shoebox? But it is not really a suitable material for the medium to long term storage of cannabis.
Cardboard is an ideal material for slowly drying the buds due to its high breathability and ease of absorption. With them we can absorb the humidity of the buds and evaluate how dry they are, but, on the other hand, as they are not airtight, they give off a lot of odour and can absorb external smells. For this reason, we do not recommend storing cannabis buds in cardboard boxes.
CAN CANNABIS BE STORED IN METAL CONTAINER?
The metal canister is a more commonly used container for storing everyday paraphernalia. They can hold cigarette papers, cardboard filters and some buds. But it is not the right container for storing cannabis.
If we store cannabis in an airtight metal pot, the cannabis will expel all the moisture from the bud, as metal is a rather cold material. Therefore, the preservation conditions will not be the best and will facilitate the appearance of fungus. As we all know, iron is not a friend of air and water, so when it expels all its moisture it can slightly oxidise the pot, which can leave rust stains on our buds. To avoid rusting of the metal, we recommend using a stainless steel container, which will prevent rust in the pot and will not stain our buds. Even if we use a stainless steel pot, the humidity will still remain inside our container.
Another drawback of metal is that it alters the properties of cannabis, so the buds would end up having a slight metallic taste that is not very pleasant.
If you use metal pots to store your cannabis sporadically there will be no problem with this, but to store it for several months it is not recommended, as long as the inside of the pot is made of metal. If the inside is made of another material and you are not sure whether or not it is possible to store your weed, send us a message and we will help you find the best way to store your buds.
STORING WEED IN WOODEN BOXES
Like cardboard, wooden boxes have an excellent absorption that allows the exchange of gases between the flowers and the air, thus achieving the degradation of volatile compounds before they evaporate or are transformed into other less interesting compounds. Thanks to this, wooden boxes are the perfect container for the first weeks of cannabis curing. If you have never done it before or want to know how to properly cure your buds, we recommend you read our post "How to make a good cannabis cure".
STORING CANNABIS IN ZIP BAGS
Zip bags are better known by everyone. The bags are an option available to everyone because they are very easy to obtain, we can choose the size and thickness we want and they are economical.
There are many different bag options, ranging from flimsy, thin plastic bags to fully airtight vacuum bags. Airtight bags are an option to preserve cannabis for a short period of time, they do not have a very long shelf life. However, depending on the type of plastic bag used, they can be a great ally for cannabis preservation. Read on to find out what kind of bags are best for storing cannabis and what is the ideal way to preserve them.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I KEEP CANNABIS IN A BAG?
As mentioned before, the factors to take into account for the preservation of cannabis are light, temperature, humidity and oxygen. The transparent plastic allows light to enter the buds, so they would lose quality. Although humidity cannot penetrate inside the bag, temperature does interfere with good preservation, causing flavours and aromas to be lost and reducing potency. It should be noted that there is a wide variety of airtight bags and the best for preservation are vacuum bags. As we know, oxygen is another of the main reasons for the degradation of cannabis, so with vacuum bags we will be able to extract the air completely and store the buds in plastic bags correctly.
IS IT BETTER TO STORE CANNABIS IN PLASTIC POTS?
Plastic jars or containers have arrived to replace the famous airtight plastic bags. Nowadays, we can find containers of all sizes and shapes, in all kinds of materials and colours.
Plastic is a material that can cause the weed to "sweat", which means that the buds release internal moisture. So, depending on the quality and type of plastic, the buds will dry out excessively, losing aromas and flavours. As well as producing a very unpleasant harsh smoke.
STORING CANNABIS IN PLASTIC TUPPERS
As we have already mentioned, tupperware is one of the most accessible containers for every grower. We can get tuppers of all sizes and with different lids. We can also find them made of glass, and we will talk about glass or crystal jars later on. We can find them with locking lids to close them completely or we can even find them with valves to close them under vacuum. Cannabis can be kept for a short period of time in plastic tupperware, as the possible sweating of cannabis in some materials could spoil the buds. However, in glass tuppers it is a very different story, read on to find out all about glass containers.
VACUUM SEALED CONTAINERS
Vacuum containers are a better option than simple plastic tuppers. Preserving cannabis without air allows you to maintain the quality by preventing oxidation of the buds. Tight Vac containers made of quality, super-resistant plastic in dark or opaque colours are one of the best allies for cannabis preservation. Even so, we still have the disadvantage that cannabis packaged in plastic can get sweaty, so the ideal complement for a good preservation in vacuum-packed jars are the Boveda or Integra Boost bags. Boveda bags and Integra Boost bags regulate the humidity in the jar, keeping it at the ideal humidity for storing cannabis at all times.
If you are thinking of storing your cannabis in a vacuum, we recommend that you use Boveda or Integra Boost sachets.
HOW LONG DOES VACUUM-PACKED CANNABIS?
By extracting the air from the container in which we store our buds, we eliminate excess humidity and reduce the level of oxygen. In this way, we will be able to preserve the qualities of the cannabis in the same way as when we put it in the container, that is to say, we will preserve all the quality, flavour, aroma and effect. We will also prevent our flowers from drying out and the appearance of mould or fungus created by humidity.
The best way to keep the buds under vacuum is in opaque vacuum bags, in order to achieve hermeticity and solar protection, preventing the entry of light, oxygen and humidity. Another advantage of vacuum bags is that they take up very little space. Having extracted the air from inside, the packaging is compact and takes up little space so that it can be stored without being too bulky.
In conclusion, vacuum-packed cannabis in a dark, dry place at a stable temperature can be kept vacuum-packed for years without losing any of its qualities.
STORING WEED IN GLASS OR CERAMIC JARS
Glass or ceramic containers are undoubtedly the best option for storing cannabis. We must control the amount of air inside the container, as the more air, the greater the loss of quality of the buds. Fortunately, you can buy glass or ceramic jars of all sizes, so, depending on the amount of cannabis you have, the ideal is to buy a glass jar for the amount of buds you have. Depending on how many grams of cannabis we have, we will buy jars of the amount that is closest to the amount of buds we have, but it should always be slightly more than the amount of buds we have. This way the buds are not squeezed and do not spoil. The more airtight the glass jar the better, so that the least amount of air can get inside.
Another important factor is the opacity of the jar. Glass or crystal containers are usually transparent, while ceramic jars are perfect for preventing light rays from penetrating into the container, as they are completely opaque. Moreover, we can use our ceramic jar as a decoration (as long as the humidity and temperature parameters are correct).
If you can't get glass containers that are completely opaque, you can do a number of things to make glass jars opaque. From covering it with a sheet of paper around it, to spray painting around it.
At Calle25 we strongly recommend keeping cannabis in glass or ceramic pots for medium to long term periods, given their hermeticity, ease of keeping them cool and humid. This will reduce the ageing of our buds.
IS IT BETTER TO STORE CANNABIS IN GLASS OR WOOD?
Wood, unlike glass, is an absorbent material, so wood is more suitable for the first part of the cannabis curing process. With the wood we manage to absorb the moisture from inside the buds, while glass would not absorb the moisture and we should open the glass jars often to extract that excess moisture, otherwise we could have fungus or mould.
But we did say that glass jars were the best way to preserve weed, didn't we?
The process to follow should be as follows. After drying, place the buds in a wooden box so that the moisture inside the buds can escape and be absorbed by the wood. This is how we would start the curing of the cannabis. When the buds are dry, we should store them in glass jars to preserve all their properties to the maximum.
Therefore, it is much better to store cannabis in glass containers.
Now that we know where we can and cannot store cannabis, we need to know how to store it. To find out how to properly store buds in jars, take a look at the post "How to preserve cannabis".