People typically don’t keep large marijuana stashes, nor do they last too long. As a result, most people haven’t experienced what aging cannabis is like. However, if you’ve had a stash lying around for a while, you’ve probably noticed the buds drying. As the buds dry, the high you get from consuming the cannabis weakens.

While keeping a stash has its benefits (most notably convenience), you have to grapple with aging cannabis and gentler highs. However, if properly stored, you can significantly slow that aging process. Here’s why you should and how you can properly store marijuana.

What Happens to Poorly Stored Weed?

When marijuana is exposed to oxygen, UV rays, and heat, the resultant reaction leads to THC and CBD breaking down. As a result, THC’s high and CBD’s healing properties weaken. With time, the reactions convert THC into CBN (cannabinol), a less psychoactive cannabinoid. Additionally, CBN needs to work with other cannabinoids to get you high.

Besides cannabinoids breaking down, the terpenes in the cannabis also die. Terpenes are responsible for marijuana’s taste. As they die out, the weed’s taste becomes worse and harsher.

What Causes Weed to Deteriorate?

Four things cause marijuana to deteriorate:

  1. Light: Constant exposure to UV lights causes the chemical reaction that breaks down cannabinoids and kills terpenes.
  2. Temperature: High temperatures can cause mold and mildew to grow, as well as causing the terpenes and cannabinoids to degrade.
  3. Humidity: If there’s too much moisture in the storage area, mold and mildew will begin to grow on the weed.
  4. Containers: While too much moisture is bad, low moisture is equally bad. Plastic containers can cause marijuana to lose moisture, and that’ll dry up the weed.

Brownies laced with CBD

How Should You Store Your Weed?

Properly storing your weed involves minimizing stash’s exposure to the above causes. You should find a dry, cool, and dark area to store your weed. This limits exposure to sunlight, high temperature, and too much moisture, all of which can speed up the degradation process. Additionally, split up your stash and keep it in mason jars, but don’t fill up the jars (keep them 20% to 25% empty).

Properly storing your marijuana is neither difficult nor expensive. Just do the following, and your cannabis’s quality will remain constant for a long time. If you’re looking for medical cannabis in California, New York, or Minnesota, contact us at IndicaMD. We provide medical marijuana cards in Manhattan, Queens, and other places throughout New York, California, and Minnesota.