When it comes to storing weed, many people in the 420 community will tell you: “Keep it in a cool, dark, and dry place.”
While that’s a good start, there’s more to it. If you have more fresh weed than you need now, proper storage becomes essential to maintain its flavour and potency.
To store weed correctly, focus on controlling humidity, temperature, and light exposure, choosing the ideal storage container, and considering how long you plan to store it.
In this article, we’ll explain the best ways to store marijuana to keep it fresh and potent for as long as possible. Plus, we’ll cover how to store edibles and seeds, too.
How To Store Weed: Key Takeaways
- The best storage solution for fresh weed is a glass jar with an airtight lid. The jar should be blacked out or stored away from direct light.
- Fresh weed can stay fresh for 1-2 years if stored properly. However, we recommend consuming it within 6-8 months.
- Edibles should be tightly and individually wrapped for the best protection and stored in the fridge or freezer (for homemade edibles like cannabutter).
These days, there’s a wider variety of cannabis products than ever before. If it’s just buds, the approach to storage will be different from that of weed edibles or oils.
Each flower or edible has specific storage guidelines to keep it fresh and potent.
But proper storage isn’t just reserving the freshness; there’s more to it than that.
Why Proper Cannabis Storage Matters
Proper storage is mainly necessary to keep the buds fresh and prevent mould or mildew from forming on them. However, it also concerns safety.
- Safety: Proper storage ensures that only you can access your products. For homes with pets, kids, or curious roommates, proper storage will help ensure nothing goes wrong.
- Freshness: Over time, cannabis can lose its potency and quality. Old buds become less aromatic, lose their stickiness, and offer a less enjoyable experience. Proper storage helps preserve the flavour and freshness much longer than leaving your cannabis out on a table or counter.
- Potency: THC and other cannabinoids naturally degrade with time, especially when exposed to light, heat, or humidity. Poor storage can cause THC to break down, dry out the flower, and lead to trichomes falling off.
Ideal Conditions for Storing Weed
The first thing you want to consider when about to store fresh marijuana is the condition of the area.
What’s the level of temperature? How’s the humidity? What amount of light exposure is too much? Let’s look at these factors in detail:
Temperature
Cannabis needs to be kept at a “just right” temperature, like in the story of Goldilocks.
The sweet spot is between 65°F and 73°F. If it gets too hot, bacteria may grow, and if it gets too cold, mould can start to form.
Humidity
Moisture levels are important for cannabis. Too much humidity brings in water, which leads to mould and mildew.
On the other hand, too little humidity dries out the cannabis, making it brittle and harsh to use.
The ideal humidity range for storing cannabis is between 59% and 63% relative humidity.
Light Exposure
Ultraviolet (UV) light can affect fresh cannabis, even though we can’t see it with our eyes.
If cannabis is left in sunlight, UV rays will quickly break it down and lower its potency.
To prevent this, always store cannabis in a dark place. This is where using the right type of container or package comes in. We will consider this in more detail in the next section.
Best Methods for Storing Weed
Now that you know the ideal environment for storing cannabis, you can determine such conditions by putting your weed inside either a glass jar with an airtight seal, humidity control packs, or even a vacuum seal for long-term storage.
Glass jars with airtight seals
A simple glass jar with a screw-on lid is one of the best options for storing cannabis.
It’s airtight, which prevents harmful oxidation, and the tightly sealed lid ensures it won’t accidentally pop open when moving it around.
QUICK TIP:
- When choosing a jar, choose one that fits the amount of cannabis you’re storing. Choose a dark, UV-resistant glass container to block light and prevent degradation for added protection.
Also, when you place the cannabis buds into the mason jar, ensure it doesn’t fill to the brim. Leave about 30% space in it.
Use of humidity control packs
This is an extension of using glass jars. If you’re particular about controlling the humidity of the jar, you can add a humidity pack inside.
These are small square or round packs filled with certain salts and water; they control humidity in small, airtight places. Boveda is a good example of this product.
They work by removing or adding moisture in an environment when placed inside an airtight jar or bag.
Vacuum Sealing for Long-Term Storage
A strong-smelling strain like Sour Diesel or Zkittlez Autos can announce itself before you even have a chance to.
If you’re aiming for discretion, vacuum-sealing your cannabis is the best option. Vacuum-sealed bags specifically for cannabis are available online and in dispensaries, but you can also use food packaging.
Vacuum-sealing is also ideal for keeping cannabis fresh for several months. The process removes air from the bag and then seals it shut with heat, preventing any air from returning.
Since exposure to air can degrade cannabis or reduce its potency, vacuum-sealing protects your product from this risk.
Common Weed Storage Mistakes to Avoid
Unlike popular opinion, fridges and freezers aren’t ideal for storing cannabis. But many people make the mistake of putting marijuana in it.
Of course, they are cool and dark, but the fridge can create too much moisture, leading to mould, while the freezer dries out cannabis, making it brittle and less enjoyable.
Other mistakes newbies make are:
1. Not using ground weed quickly
Another common mistake is storing ground weed for too long.
Once cannabis is ground up, it doesn’t last as long as whole flowers, even with proper storage.
It’s best to use ground weed within 30 days to preserve its flavour and aroma.
2. Using plastic bags
Some people want to work with what is immediately available, so they put the weed in a plastic bag. This is a serious error.
Plastic bags aren’t great for cannabis storage because air can seep through them, causing the buds to become dry and brittle.
3. Disregarding air, light, humidity and temperature
These four factors can ruin cannabis if not managed well.
The best storage solution is a glass or ceramic jar with an airtight lid.
Unlike plastic containers, these materials keep your buds fresh and safe from harmful elements, which can trap moisture and affect the flavour.
How Long Can Weed Be Stored Before It Goes Bad?
Cannabis can remain fresh for 1-2 years if kept in a dark, airtight container.
However, for the best experience, it’s ideal to use it within 6–8 months to enjoy its freshness and potency.
What about Storing Weed Edibles?
Not all cannabis edibles are the same, even though they’re all tasty. The ingredients and makeup of each product vary, meaning their storage needs and shelf life are different.
For most candies and gummies, it’s best to store them in a dark, dry, and cool place. Thanks to sugar’s natural preservative properties, these treats can last a long time.
- Hard candies, however, can absorb moisture, making them soft and sticky if not stored properly. To avoid this, keep them in an excellent spot like a pantry.
- Soft edibles, like caramels, should always be wrapped individually before storing.
- Baked marijuana goods, jellied candies, and fudge tend to dry out quickly when left exposed to air.
To keep all your edibles fresh, ensure they’re tightly wrapped. This simple step can extend their freshness for up to nine months.
What about storing weed seeds?
The place where you store your cannabis seeds should be cold, at 5°C (41°F) or lower, and humid (between 15% and 30%).
Keep the seeds in a dry, airtight container. Store them in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer for a more steady temperature that will increase their germination rate. Don’t open the storage containers too often to prevent contamination.
Meanwhile, it’s possible to store cannabis seeds in the freezer, but it’s not always necessary. It depends on how long you want to keep the seeds in storage.
Under the right conditions, those weed seeds will stay viable for the next ten years, but we recommend using them within the first 1-2 years.
You can buy high-quality feminised cannabis seeds in Australia from Aussie Hemp Seeds.
The Bottom Line
The key to properly storing cannabis is to keep it in a dark, cool place. To maintain freshness, use an airtight glass jar and pack the flower tightly.
Pre-rolls can stay fresh in their original container or a glass jar.
If you’re worried about odour or need to store cannabis for a longer time, vacuum-sealing is the best option.