Cannabis users often sit with the dilemma of having marijuana buds that have been sitting in the drawer for too long before smoking and now it is dry, smells like paper and you are wondering should you ditch it or keep it? The good news is that the only time you need to ditch your cannabis is when you see the presence of mold.
Mold is sometimes hard to notice, mainly because we are so inclined to gravitate towards “white” looking cannabis. The white parts that you see are called trichomes. Also called resin, this crystal looking covering on the cannabis buds are used as “Kief” when dried and is also the basis of hash production. Cannabis flower with an abundance of resin is also more potent and taking one sniff at your bud you will also notice the aromatic terpenes that are emitting from these trichomes. But, as mentioned you should not be fooled by thinking that your spectacularly white moldy buds are resin because mold can be dangerous for your health. The best practice to ensure your old bud is not moldy is to inspect the bud up close when it appears that the bud could be “too white” and if you see white webbing it could be an indication of mold.
So now you ask, but what should I do with my old cannabis that is not moldy but just too dry to enjoy?
How can I store my cannabis to prolong its life?
Here are 2 effective ways of making the best of your old marijuana
Edibles
Edibles are easily made by adding cannabis-infused ingredients to a recipe that requires a fat substance (like butter, oil, and honey). The main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis THC is absorbed by using a fat substance. When consuming cannabis with edibles the THC gets absorbed differently, giving you a delayed sensation compared to when you consume it by smoking or vaping. Consuming it this way you need to be mindful of your dosage. When ingested, edibles can take anywhere from 25min to 60min to take effect and will last longer than smoking. Because of the delayed onset, it is recommended to start with a small dose and work your way up to a bigger dose. The best practice is to portion off your baked goods, which will give you an indication of how much you can eat with the second dose to achieve the desired effect.
Kief
Popularly known as “Keef”, the glorious trichome crystals on the bud, Kief can be a great way to consume cannabis with a high concentration of terpenes and cannabinoids and can be made from old, dry cannabis buds.
The most common and perhaps the simplest method of making Kief is by rubbing the buds and plant material over a series of fine screens, sifting it to get the resin loose. Keep in mind that the severity of your sifting will affect the final quality of the Kief produced.
Once you have your sifted material, sprinkle it inside your joint to infuse it, or sprinkle it onto your packed bowl of cannabis (called “crowing a bowl”). Making kief is one of the best ways to turn your trash into gold and also one of the cheapest, fastest, and simplest ways to concentrate cannabinoids.
Here are 3 effective ways of storing and keeping your marijuana fresh
Use humidity control packets
When you go to your local cannabis dispensary, you might notice they have items put inside their bud containers together with the buds. They are called humidity control packets and they are designed to keep the marijuana fresher for longer. Putting it with your old weed will also revitalize it.
Store your marijuana in a glass
Glass jars and containers retain moisture much better than plastic and should be used instead if you want to prolong the life of your buds.
Fruit peel method
When your buds are drying out, or if you want to prevent any drying, an effective method of adding moisture to your buds is to place a fruit peel in a jar together with your buds and seal it up. The fruit should add some flavor to your buds by adding terpenes. Be careful to not leave the fruit peel longer than a day with your bud. You do not want too much moisture because things could get moldy.
