How to cure cannabis buds the best way


How to cure cannabis buds the best way
Miguel Antonio Ordoñez

Curing marijuana is not complicated and makes a huge difference. Our curing tips are a recipe for the best quality weed.

Curing is the very last post-harvest process, that converts dried cannabis buds into dank weed. Assuming the grower has carefully manicured and slowly dried the harvest, the curing stage will take a further 4 weeks for marijuana to achieve peak potency and taste.

The cannabis connoisseur must be patient, but in the end, a perfectly cured stash is the definition of a delicious stash.

Fine whiskey and wine must be aged and a vintage stock is always the top-shelf reserve. Similarly, cured cannabis buds are a cut above fast dried commercial weed and street schwag. Instead of a barrel, our high-grade weed is cured in Kilner jars.

Not only will a month of curing unlock maximum THC levels and all of your weeds delicious flavour and aroma, but it will extend the shelf life of your stash for up to 2 years, although, THC will naturally begin to gradually degrade after 6-12 months.

Chlorophyll is the enemy and the objective is to use a glass jar as a habitat for just enough aerobic bacteria to feed on the weed's green chlorophyll and expire without proliferation.

Simultaneously terpenes will be breaking down, releasing flavours and scents, while THC levels rise to their peak. Of course, temperature and relative humidity must be controlled to achieve the perfect cure.

Getting curing down and adding it to your grower tradecraft skill set is advantageous for every kind of grower, from dispensaries seeking to smoke the competition with superior product, to the ordinary decent home grower, that always wants to smoke the best and keeps a fat stash tucked away in the press or wardrobe or in some cases under a loose floorboard.

Curing is need to know and you definitely need to know if you grow.

HOW TO CURE CANNABIS BUDS CORRECTLY

To cure cannabis buds right, you need the right tools. Well, actually you really just need a few Kilner jars and maybe a few humidity packs to be on the safe side. Curing weed is all about releasing the moisture from buds from the inside out. Here are the three simple steps to curing:

1. Place dried buds in Kilner jar. Don’t overfill; leave enough room, so that you can give the jar a gentle shake and move the contents around a bit.

2. Close jar and play the waiting game. Once a week unseal the jars to monitor progress and let some air in/burp them for about 10 mins. Give buds a good whiff and so long as you don’t smell anything ammonia-like or otherwise foul, nor visibly detect any mold then you are on track.

3. Repeat step 2 for three more weeks, making a total of four weeks. Now have a spliff and smile, because you have just perfectly cured your cannabis buds.

All of the above is contingent upon maintaining 55-65% RH and ideally temperatures between 15-20°C. Plus, Kilner jars must be stored in a dark and dry place, as light will degrade THC and spoil the cure, a wardrobe works great. Humidity packs are a handy way to ensure a perfect microclimate within your jar, just pop one in with your stash.

TROUBLESHOOTING THE CANNABIS CURING PROCESS

As mentioned at the beginning, before you even attempt curing, your weed must be perfectly dried, that means not crispy dry and not too moist either, just enough to have a little spring in the buds.

That being said, during the curing process some buds can expel moisture more rapidly than others and a simple solution to rejuvenate nuggs, that have gotten too dry, is to add a few fresher nuggs to the jar.

While the new material cures the extra moisture in the jar, it will balance out the rest of the stash and get you back on track. Also, adding a slice of orange or lemon can be equally effective and some say enhances taste too.

Don’t try to cure wet weed, just don’t, despite what some cannabis dilettantes are espousing online elsewhere. If buds contain excess moisture and you put them in a glass jar, expect a disaster sooner rather than later. Mold could easily strike and curing simply will not happen.

After a week of this madness, you will be greeted by a rank odour when you burp the Kilner jars. This can be a tough stash to salvage, but should buds get too moist remove them from the glass jars and put them in a brown paper bag for a few more days drying and hope for the best.

Miguel Antonio Ordoñez
Miguel Antonio Ordoñez

Miguel Ordoñez is a long-time writer by trade. Utilizing his AB Mass Media and Communications degree, he has 13 years of experience and counting. He’s covered a wide array of topics, with passion lying in combat sports, mental health, and of course, cannabis.