Many factors can affect your flower. Things like humidity can cause a decrease in the quality of what you’re getting.
That’s why it’s best to leave the plastic baggies in a kitchen drawer and purchase an actual storage container. This way, your bud will be protected until ready for use.
What’s Humidity, and Why is it a Big Deal?
Humidity is the amount of water vapor present in the air. The more that’s present, the higher the humidity levels will be.
If you have ever stepped outside on a hot summer day and felt like you walked out of a sauna, or if you’ve ever heard someone say something like, “it feels sticky outside,” they’re referring to how humid it is.
Relative humidity, also known as RH, is often referred to in weather reports and by cannabis officials as a percentage present.
Humidity impacts a lot in our day-to-day lives. But in the marijuana industry, it can cause all sorts of problems such as mold and mildew.
While a bit of moisture is good for preserving the flowers and protecting trichomes, too much of it means certain doom.
Mold on Your Weed and What it Means for Your Health?
Not just a problem for your plant but also your health, mold can be extremely dangerous. It can cause minor effects such as a cough but can also lead to nausea and vomiting.
For those with underlining health conditions or a mold allergy, sinus pain, wheezing, congestions, dizziness, and asthma attacks may occur.
Smoking moldy weed could also lead to infections and serious illnesses. The common fungus aspergillus found in moldy weed potentially can cause lung infections.
Even though this all sounds pretty bad, there are ways to dry out the weed and prevent this from happening.
A Balancing Act
Before it can be sold, marijuana goes through the curing process, which ages and drys buds, making them okay to consume.
When done right, the process allows moisture trapped in the buds to slowly dissipate without affecting the cannabinoids (what determines the strain’s effects) or its terpenes (aroma).
The goal is to have a moisture content between 6-9%; once it’s reached, the buds are safe to pack and sell.
After they leave the store, it becomes the buyer’s job to keep the moisture levels balanced. This is where proper storage becomes important, as too much or too little moisture will change a lot. Storage goals are an RH level between 59-63%.
How to Manage RH Levels for Weed
Different tools are available to maintain humidity levels in cannabis, such as humidity packs, airtight and humidity control containers, and moisture control storing bags.
ATMOSIScience inc., a global leader in humidity control solutions, has an array of products to keep your weed fresh, terpenes intact, and mold-free.
Humidi-Cure™: 2-Way Humidity Control Packs
The most useful of these tools are humidity packs, also known as weed moisture packs, which are typically made from a mix of water and salts.
Not all humidity packs are created equally. If you want the best humidity packs for weed, you may want to do some research beforehand to find the best products.
2-way humidity packs containing water have sometimes been said to leak or are corrosive. In contrast, Humidi-Cure™ do not contain water or salts and are an ideal solution if you’ve previously experienced leaks or corrosion.
The packs are placed in containers to help balance the moisture by removing and releasing humidity based on the RH levels and the weed it contains.
Humidi-Cure™ packs come with free RH level indicator cards to place inside your container to ensure visibility and show the moisture levels inside.
The RH indicator cards help with peace of mind knowing that your flower is protected, but it also prevents contaminants like mold from occurring due to limiting the physical contact between your bud.
HumidiShield™: 2-Way Humidity Control Containers
Airtight containers such as mason jars are an inexpensive, relatively effective, and popular method to keep buds fresh.
You can enhance your airtight containers to keep your buds at the proper RH levels with a Humidi-Cure™ 2-way humidity control pack.
However, if you’re looking for something a little more streamlined, you can take this one step further with HumidiShield™ humidity control containers.
These aren’t your average storing containers. These weed humidity jars have proprietary 2-way humidity control technology built right inside. Just simply place your buds inside, and you’re to go for months.
ruksak™: Humidity Control Storing Bags
Baggies are iconic in cannabis culture. If you live in a state or area where cannabis is not legal, Ziploc or plastic bags are common. Regular plastic bags are not ideal for storing cannabis because air can seep in, slowly deteriorating your buds.
Even in states and areas that sell legal cannabis, some dispensaries still use bags. However, bags used by marijuana dispensaries are of higher quality and specifically designed for buds.
Dispensary bags are a step up as they are UV tinted to protect from the sun’s rays, child-resistant, and relatively airtight for preservation.
If you want to really raise the bar, ruksak™ weed bags are top-notch for storing. The bags share important similarities to dispensary bags, such as UV tints, child-resistant zippers, and airtight locks.
However, there is a key difference, the advanced 2-way humidity control technology is built right inside the ruksak™ bags.
When choosing your method, consider: how much weed you’re purchasing, how much money you want to spend, and how much maintenance you are willing to do.
Some methods will require more regular attention than others, while some are disposable and some are not.
How to Store Weed Safely When at Home or Away
When storing cannabis, remember the amount of light near the area, the container used, whether or not the space is cool and dark, and how long it will be kept there.
If used in a few days, the same steps aren’t necessary as someone storing it for weeks on end.
Glass jars are a popular form of storage as they are often air-tight and help prevent the destruction of the weed, while plastic containers will cause it to sweat and release moisture affecting the RH level.
Don’t leave your weed on the window sill as direct contact with the sun for prolonged times will damage it beyond repair.
Instead, keep it in a cool, dark place such as a desk drawer or pantry. If children are around, child-proof equipment will be a good investment.
How to Properly Store Cannabis-Based Products
Marijuana flowers are not the only product on the market. More and more product variations are found regularly, requiring specific storage requirements.
For example, baked items, chocolates, gummies, drinks, and oils will need to be stored differently than the weed you smoke.
When storing chocolate edible, store it in aluminum foil in an air container placed in a cool, dark place, preferably the fridge.
An airtight container is best for baked goods, whether kept on the counter or in the freezer for later enjoyment.
Cannabis oils are sensitive to light and heat, so a cool dark place is their friend.
When storing products, be sure to check any labels, as it may give you specific instructions on how to best store it.
Whatever it is that you’re using, however you choose to store it, make sure it’s the best option you have available.
Which is your favorite variation of weed product?