The Straight Toke - THE Marijuana Blog

Since weed doesn't come with a freshness date, how long will it last?

That depends on what you mean "last". Marijuana, when properly dried and packed, will last for quite some time before it starts to lose its potency. I know people who have smoked cannabis that was half a year old with no ill effects (and all the good effects were still there too ;-) .) Personally, I'd say that anything younger than that is a safe bet (assuming it's been stored in a clean, dry, sunlight-free place.) If it hasn't been stored well, or if you're not sure -- then proceed with caution.

If you're storing marijuana, moisture is going to be the biggest threat. Leaving weed damp for even a week can cause all sorts of nasty stuff (fungus, for example) to grow on your buds. Drying weed before storage is not just recommended, it's required. Drying small quantities of marijuana is quite simple:

1. Break apart the larger buds (i.e. anything larger than a grape).
2. (Optional) Grind the buds up using a grinder. This isn't required (and some people may like to leave the buds intact), but it's a huge help. Note: grinding up damp/sticky weed can be difficult. You're not looking for perfection -- just to pull the buds apart some.
3. Spread out the marijuana on a clean dry surface, preferably somewhere with a warm temperature and a low humidity (in front of a heater works, as does on a windowsill) -- leave a bit of a gap between each piece.
4. Find some way to entertain yourself for 24 to 48 hours.
5. Check to see if your weed is dry. If not, wait another 24 to 48 until it is.
6. Enjoy your dry, smoother-smoking buds.

In summary: smoke the freshest stuff you can get. If you're gonna store weed, make sure it's dry, and store it in a clean place.

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 13th, 2007 at 4:48 pm and is filed under Q/A. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.