For any dispensary or smoke shop owner, knowing how to store weed properly is arguably just as important as knowing about different cannabis strains and consumption methods.
As most of us know, marijuana is a plant that is grown, dried, harvested, and cured before it becomes smokable. Like any other organic plant material, you must store it correctly after this process to prevent quality issues. In this guide, we will discuss how to keep weed fresh, the best way to store weed, and our recommendations for the best storage containers for weed on the market.
Does Weed Go Bad?
Weed will not expire the same way old milk does in your fridge. However, cannabis is still a natural and organic plant material, so it will not last forever. Stored properly, it can last up to a year without losing potency. However, even after being adequately stored for a year, marijuana will lose approximately 16% of its total THC.
If exposed to certain environmental factors, marijuana can go bad faster, so it's crucial to ensure it is kept in the right weed storage container. Factors like temperature, light, humidity and oxygen can affect the smell, flavor, and potency potential of cannabis.
Prolonged exposure to these environmental factors can turn the THC in your cannabis into CBN. CBN is short for cannabinol, a more mild and less potent cannabinoid. It's about 25% as effective as THC so the weed will not be as psychoactive as it was before. If you don’t mind a mellow buzz, it should still be safe to consume as long as it doesn't get moldy, get exposed to light, or dry out.
How to Know if Weed has Gone Bad
If you or your customers find an old stash, it's essential to ensure it hasn't gone bad before lighting it up. If the cannabis is moldy, it could be hard to see unless you look very closely. Mold on marijuana will typically look like tiny, white, powdery or fuzzy spots. Another way to spot mold is with your nose, so if your bud smells musty instead of musky, it should be thrown out. Smoking mold is horrible for the lungs and can cause serious health problems, so it is always better to be safe than sorry.
How to Keep your Weed Fresh
Now that we have discussed how, why, and when weed goes bad, it's time to talk about how to prolong its shelf life. You can tell your customers to keep a few key things in mind to preserve their pack. Here are our biggest tips for how to keep weed fresh and the best ways to store it.
Keep at an Ideal Temperature
Just like how perishable food needs to be stored at a specific temperature, your flower needs to be kept at an ideal temp too. Extremely hot or cold temperatures are unsuitable for your bud because they will dry out terpenes and cannabinoids in your flower. Since mold can live on weed if it's kept at temperatures above 77° F, we recommend keeping your weed somewhere more temperate. On the other hand, freezing or refrigerating your bud can also be detrimental to your bud's longevity. So, the sweet spot for storing your weed is approximately 50° F.
Control Humidity Levels
Controlling humidity levels is also an important factor in proper weed storage. When flower is kept in a dry environment, it can become brittle. If kept in too humid environments, it can also grow mold. So, keeping your marijuana flower in a controlled environment is essential to maintain its longevity, potency, aroma, and flavor profile. We recommend stocking your dispensary or store with humidity packs so you can help your customers monitor and control their stash humidity levels.
Minimize Sun Exposure
Just like how UV rays are harmful to human skin, they are also harmful to your flower. Direct contact with sunlight can degrade your stash over time. Even research suggests a 0.5% decline in potency per hour of exposure to UV light.
Keep it Air Tight
Although we need air to breathe, weed does not once it has been harvested. Oxygen is one most significant contributors to THC degradation. Cannabis exposed to oxygen will degrade faster than it does in other environments. We recommend keeping your bud in an airtight container to avoid speeding up the aging process. Vacuum seal weed storage containers are a great upselling opportunity at any smoke shop or dispensary to ensure your customers keep their stash secure.
What Is the Best Way to Store Your Weed?
Now that we've discussed what factors are essential to keep in mind when preserving cannabis, it's time to discuss the best way to store weed so you can educate your customers as they shop for weed storage solutions.
What Material is the Best for Storing Weed?
When it comes to storing weed, glass is better than metal or plastic because it can affect the flavor and aroma of the bud. Glass is also a great option because it's airtight and not porous. Mason jars are one of the most popular choices for cannabis storage; however, they have both benefits and drawbacks that are important to note.
Mason Jars for Weed Storage
Mason jars are airtight, protecting marijuana from drying out or degrading from too much oxygen exposure. They are also made of glass which can be suitable for preserving the flavor and aroma of the bud compared to other materials like plastic. In addition, they come in various sizes and are easily accessible. However, they are not the best solution for weed storage. Most Mason Jars are made from soda lime glass which is not as durable as borosilicate glass which is the best option for weed storage. In addition, mason jars are transparent, which won't protect cannabis against UV rays, so they will need to be stored in a dark place without direct sunlight. We recommend looking into other container options designed specifically for weed storage to offer your customers.
Different Types of Storage Containers for Cannabis Products
Now that you know how to store your weed, you are in a great spot to give educated advice to customers about the best cannabis storage options available. Plus, we even laid out a cheat sheet of our top expert recommendations so you can stock your store with options your customers will love!
Long-Term Cannabis Storage
Ugly House Airtight Marijuana Stash Jar
Another great option is The Stash Air by Ugly House, which is also made of glass and features a food-grade silicone sleeve to add a layer of durability and UV light protection. In addition, it has a unique feature that your customers will like, an aluminum lid with a rubber component that vacuum seals the jar shut when activated. All they have to do is press down on the lid for a child-resistant and smell-proof vacuum-sealed cannabis storage solution.
Canlock Airtight Vacuum Stash Jar
One of the most effective storage containers on the market is the Stash Jar by Canlock. It comes in multiple sizes, so your customers can choose a variety based on their weed consumption. These jars are unique because every Canlock lid features a built-in airlock pump to lock in freshness. When the button on the lid is pumped, a pressurized seal creates a vacuum. Plus, their jars are also made with borosilicate glass, the recommended long-term cannabis storage material.
How to Store Dabs
For most of this guide, we have discussed how to store flower, but it's essential also to note that there is a proper way to store dabs. Just like with bud, your customers will want to keep their concentrates in a dark, temperature and humidity-controlled environment. Borosilicate Glass and food-grade silicone jars are both excellent options because they are durable and easy to use. It's also important to store different strains of dabs in separate jars to preserve their unique aroma, flavor, and potency.
Ooze Honey Pot Concentrate Container
The Ooze Honey Pot silicone concentrate container is another excellent option for wax storage. It is water-resistant and non-stick, and it has two individual spaces to store wax so your customers can switch up their strain mid-session. Finally, the Honey Pot Wax Jar comes in a 30ct tub, which should be displayed near the cash register for an easy upselling opportunity.
Choose A Reputable Wholesale Weed Storage Distributor
Now that you know what products to get, it's essential to make sure you find the right wholesale distributor. We recommend comparing prices from different sellers and shopping around so you can identify which online wholesalers have the best pricing. Finding a wholesale weed storage distributor like Cannatron with exclusive pricing on popular brands like Ooze is the perfect way to maximize your profit margin while getting the products your customers will love.