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Curing weed is one of the most important processes weed undergoes before you can enjoy your cannabis buds. Curing your cannabis effects the preservation of it as well as the flavor profiles. Good weed, bad weed and mid-grade weed should all be cured for the best possible smoke. If you cure your cannabis sloppily, you could severely alter the terpene tastes of your tastes of your. The cure won’t effect the THC content but can enhance potency. What does potent mean? It doesn’t only mean the percentage of THC, but also of the percentage of other cannabinoids and terpenes combined with it – the entourage effect.
We know it’s hard to let your tasty buds sit on the shelf to cure, but, trust us, it’ll be worth the wait! Photo: @the_cannabis_critique
Good weed vs. bad weed
We can all tell the difference between top shelf cannabis weed cannabis plants and seedy slop grown, but whether it’s good or bad, mid-grade or sticky weed, the curing process will enhance your smoke experience. Here is your guide to how to cure marijuana, curing buds for best taste for best taste and troubleshooting – all your questions answered about curing weed.
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Make your drying and curing efforts worth it with this Avocado spoon pipe from Empire Glassworks. Are you hungry? We're getting hungry, and we promise it's not the munchies!
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Wondering how much bud you're working with? Weigh it out! Accurate down to .01 grams, and with both Tare/Zero features, any serious weed connoisseur needs to have a trusty scale by their side. We recommend this Truweigh Storm Mini Scale.
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Prior Planning Prevents Poor ….toking! Photo: @lilly_mcpilly
Curing marijuana and why?
Curing cannabis involves a drying process, and then letting those beautiful cannabis flowers sit for a while – like letting your steak rest – for the best taste possible. Curing marijuana can be done simply by “air curing”, freeze dry, water cure or even with dry ice. Your harvest needs a cannabis cure for five important reasons:- Prevents mold - plant matter comes with naturally high moisture content, so the drying process removes water content
- Reduces anxiety -
- Smoother smoke - when you light up properly dried buds, you're only burning through green, which is all you want to burn up anyway
- Enhanced high and taste profile - cured cannabis is cannabis with unlocked cannabinoid content. Enjoy it!
- Prolong the shelf-life - Talk about reduced anxiety! Dry bud will last you a long time.
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If you've aced the drying and curing of your weed, then you need the perfect way to smoke it. We recommend a high quality vaporizer like the Pulsar APX V2. 5 pre-set temperatures enable you to find the perfect temperature for your favorite cannabis strains. Its size and battery life make it ideal for on-the-go toking, and a variety of patterns to choose from let you truly make it yours.
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How to cure bud?
Drying and curing buds is important for the taste and preservation of your weed. You can cure marijuana buds in just a few weeks, but many growers agree: the longer the better. How long to cure weed? At least 2 to 3 weeks, but 8 weeks will improve the quality significantly. Curing weed can easily be done in 5 simple steps, which we have outlined below.
Before you start to dry, you need the right set-up. You need an area where you can administer humidity control - somewhere well-ventilated - so you don't experience mold growth on your precious herb. Don't just throw your cannabis on a drying rack in any old room; consider designating a specific drying room where humidity levels can be monitored. If you can't dedicate an entire room to this process, consider ordering a grow tent (or two!), where you'll have more control. Having a dedicated space will also allow you to better monitor the cannabis aroma that will be wafting out of this space.
5 steps to air cure weed – the easy way
Trim your plants – cut off the branches of your plant instead of individual nugs as this makes it easy to dry your weed.
Tie the cannabis crop up. You can do this a few different ways, including by clipping it to a string that's strung across the room, or by hanging it across clothes hangers and hanging those up.
Let them dry for a few days before curing.
To manicure your buds, you want to trim off each individual nug and remove any stems and leaves.
Store your buds in cannabis jars – the best way is in dark-colored jars, though they're not necessary. If you only have glass jars like mason jars, be sure to store your jars in a dark cabinet or closet so no light is exposed. Make sure to seal these jars air-tight. You don’t want any air to seep in for the first few weeks – kind of like wine – you don’t want oxidation as a result of unwanted air exchange.
Store your jars in a cool, dark room where your buds won’t be exposed to light.
During the first week in its new drying environment, let your bud breath every day. Like a good wine, you want it to breathe before enjoying. Every day for about a week, open your jars a few times a day for a few minutes to release any moisture and humidity in curing jars.
Weed smells
What does weed smell like before curing? It smells like weed. It is an earthy and skunky smell. During the curing process, keep your nose alert to the smell of ammonia. If you smell this, it means the weed was not dry enough in the beginning and now will most likely mold. You can try to dry the weed further and try to cure again, but be warned that it might be too late.Water curing weed
This is like a bath for your buds – it washes off substances that create a harsh smoke. Many people prefer water curing because it is much faster than the air cure, taking just 1 week. With that being said, water curing requires a bit more maintenance than air curing and you have to be very careful to completely dry your buds so mold doesn’t form on those precious marijuana plants.4 steps to water cure weed
Trim individual buds off of your plant, making sure to remove stems and leave.
Pack your buds into jars - a mason jar is fine - and use DISTILLED water to submerge the buds all the way.
You'll want to change the water every day for 6-8 days. You are trying to clean your cannabis, so letting them sit in filthy water defeats the purpose and can destroy your bud quality and cannabinoid content.
This is the most important step. You need to be sure to dry your buds all the way. Start off by draining your jars and patting down the buds with paper towels. Then you will want to dry your weed as fast as possible in a well-ventilated area.
Dry weed fast
You can easily dry weed with a well-ventilated room. You can also place the buds on a porous steel grate with fans blowing from underneath it. It is very important not to have the buds in plastic or an enclosed space as it will maintain water and cause mold to form. An herb drying box can be a helpful tool for successfully drying weed. Many people might get impatient and wonder can you smoke wet weed? The answer is no. Don’t try to smoke wet weed unless you accidentally got your last nug wet… it won’t be pleasant.
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Treat your plant material with the dignity it deserves. The 00 Pocket Box Mini Humidor was hand-crafted for just that. This portable humidor will keep your weed fresh, which should keep you super happy!
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If you need a way to store your cannabis while traveling, we highly recommend a smell-proof travel kit like this one from RYNO. Specifically designed to meet all of your smoking needs, this kit ensures lighting up on the road is as easy as ever.
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We love the hanger idea: creative and organized! Photo: @greenjarproducts
We know it’s hard to let your tasty buds sit on the shelf to cure, but, trust us, it’ll be worth the wait! Photo: @the_cannabis_critique
Cannabis curing is the crucial finale of smoking any top-shelf cannabis strain. Not only will it preserve your weed longer, but it will also give it a better taste, better high and less anxiety symptoms. The easiest way to cure is the air curing method: dry and cure weed in airtight jars in a dark and dry place, but this will take about 4 weeks. Water curing weed is fast but takes a bit more maintenance and experience. You can try out both and find your preference using this weed-curing guide.
Have questions? Tips for others? Share them in the comments below!
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Written by Megan Medeiros (BA)
Megan Medeiros has a bachelor’s degree in English and is currently working on a master’s in English at James Madison University. She's the owner and operator of Medeiros Writing, and has been working as a cannabis writer for the past three years, mostly following the legal climate of marijuana, especially in areas like California, Colorado, Oregon, Canada, and other legal areas.
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page. All photos were sourced from Pinterest.com | updated 2021
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