Storing and Preserving Cannabis Products:

So, you’ve made your first visit to a local dispensary (or ordered some quality cannabis products from your friends at SasquaTHCa), and now you have an impressive cache ready and waiting for the perfect moment. But what do you do with your cannabis products if you’re not ready to consume them yet?

Many new cannabis consumers aren’t aware that properly storing weed is just as important as keeping your glass clean and that doing so will ensure that your cannabis products stay fresh, burn slow, and most importantly—stay potent.

Here at SasquaTHCa, we use Boveda products to keep your cannabis in peak condition, but there are methods you can use at home that will make sure your cannabis—from vape cartridges to flower and edibles to concentrate—always performs like you just picked it up.

The trick is to focus on the four main factors that damage cannabis: Air, light, heat, and humidity.

First, don’t leave your cannabis products out in the open. Exposure to air can dry out most cannabis products, including flowers, edibles, and concentrates like wax or rosin. Storing your products in a container such as an airtight bag or airtight jar will ensure that your product doesn’t dry out and lose its flavor and potency. If you’re planning on storing it for extended periods of time, consider vacuum-sealing your products to give them an added layer of protection against the elements.

Next, regardless of what you’ve chosen to store your cannabis in, you’ll need to keep it in a cool part of your home with no exposure to sunlight. THCa products, like the ones sold with SasquaTHCa, are especially susceptible to heat damage, as heat is what converts the THCa into THC. If your products have already been exposed to higher temperatures, they may not be as potent as they should be. Dark spaces in your home are usually consistently cooler than places exposed to sunlight from windows or doors, so they are the ideal places to store cannabis products.

Finally, the terpenes in cannabis are directly affected by humidity, so if you store your products in an environment that is not humid enough, the product’s potency will tank. Alternatively, if your cannabis is stored somewhere where the humidity is too high, you risk growing mold—which is incredibly harmful to ingest.

Below are some tried and true methods for storing cannabis so you can consider which ones are right for you, your favorite products, and your budget.

1. Mason Jars

   Mason jars are a great, cost-effective option for people looking to preserve on a budget. They do a good job at protecting your cannabis from air exposure and also preserve the flavor of your products. Humidity can be tricky with standard mason jars, but if you keep them somewhere cool and dark, your cannabis should stay fresh and potent for upwards of 6 months to a year.
   
   

2. Containers with Humidity Packs

   Using plastic containers with humidity packs offers a more personalized experience because you’re able to cater the containers to your own needs. Humidity packs can be bought in bulk, which makes them last a while, but they can vary in cost depending on where you purchase them from. Growers working with Boveda have stated that their cannabis stayed fresh for up to 3 years using their two-way humidity control packs, so this combo is a great option for people willing to spend a little bit more money.
   
   

3. UV-protected Glass Jars

   UV-protected glass jars are a great option for people lacking in dark spaces. The UV protection on the glass means you can leave your jar anywhere without fear of it being ruined by the sun’s rays. Be careful not to leave them somewhere too warm, however, because the UV protection will not keep them cool.
   
   

4. Vacuum-Sealed Containers

   Vacuum-sealed containers are the most expensive option for preserving your cannabis but are arguably your safest option when it comes to keeping things fresh. Many vacuum-sealed containers made specifically for cannabis come with multiple features, like humidity control and UV protection, and it’s this combo that makes them so expensive. If you’re buying (or growing) a lot of cannabis, though, vacuum-sealed containers could be a good investment because they ensure your stash stays potent for multiple years at a time. If you’d rather not invest in vacuum-sealed containers, you could invest in a vacuum-sealer and combine vacuum-sealed packages with a cool, dark place to get the best outcome on a smaller long-term budget.