Correctly storing your cannabis is critical for ensuring its freshness and quality. Proper storage is also crucial for helping your weed last much longer, whether you are looking to store it for a few days or for the long-term. How you store your weed has a tremendous impact in its potency and flavor. But is vacuum-sealing your cannabis worth it? Or it is an urban legend? Some season cannabis users swear by it, but is it just hype?

The general thought is vacuum-sealing vegetable is considered generally a safe and effective way to preserve food, reduce waste, save money, and help you make healthier food choices. This goes all the way back to simple canning. And many people resort to the good old-fashioned and reliable method of storing their weed in an air-tight jar.

The rules surrounding cannabis storage aren’t complicated. One, you simply have to keep it in a cool place because hot and high temperatures will degrade the terpenes and dry out the cannabis. Keep the pot away from a water system, heater, or under the sun. Similarly, you want to avoid keeping your cannabis in freezing temperatures too since they can cause the trichomes to burst and significantly reduce the potency of cannabis. This is why many opt to keep it in a drawer or dark closet.

Two, keep the cannabis in a dark place. Ultraviolet light exposure can break down the valuable terpenes and cannabinoids in your pot. Containers should always be placed in a dark but clean place.

Last but not least, keep moisture away. Moisture is the quickest way to make your buds moldy because trapped moisture makes it the perfect breeding grounds for mold. The ideal humidity ranges from just 59 to 63%; if it’s less humid than this, it can cause the weed to become too dry.

When it comes to other products such as oils, tinctures, and edibles, they may have their own guidelines provided by the manufacturer. For example, edibles may need to be refrigerated. Be sure to check before storing them your own way.

What About Vacuum-Sealing Your Weed?

Many seasoned cannabis enthusiasts have turned to vacuum sealing in order to keep their bud fresh for a long time.

Vacuum sealing is already widely used for keeping goods fresh including meat and other types of food. It can be a beneficial way to store weed especially if you purchase it in bulk, which can save you money. The process of vacuum sealing any product is effective for ensuring freshness and crispness, since it keeps the item airtight. It will prevent mold from growing while also preventing it from drying out, all while improving its longevity.

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Vacuum sealers range in price from $50 up depending on the brand and size. Before you make a purchase, be sure to choose a vacuum sealing model that is made specifically for food since other makes are intended for non-perishable or non-edible items. Despite its high price tag, avid cannabis consumers can greatly benefit from regularly vacuum sealing your cannabis flower as well as certain types of concentrates.

There are also vacuum sealers that are designed to seal jars. This is another great way to keep buds in optimum shape and condition for up to a year. One reason why cannabis users prefer not to use plastic or other pouches when vacuum sealing them is because the process may end up crushing and compressing some of the bud, but in reality, that’s not such a big problem when you are going to end up smoking or burning them anyway.

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Typically, people use plastics when vacuum sealing goods but when it comes to cannabis, it’s recommended to avoid using plastic because it can damage the trichomes. There are other packaging options such as compostable and recyclable pouches that are food-grade too.

Long-Term Storage

Vacuum-sealing your cannabis can help guarantee that flower can be kept for as long as a year without losing its potency.

However, if you intend to be getting from your sealed stash occasionally, you are better off sealing several smaller jars or pouches instead of just one large one. Keep in mind that every time you open the vacuum-sealed container, continual air exposure can lead to lost freshness, flavor, and potency.

Vacuum sealing is also a wonderful way to keep a big batch of edibles fresh and tasty for long periods of time. This also applies to cannabis butter, so if you’ve just made a huge batch, just wrap the butter in parchment paper and seal it in a pouch which you can then place in the freezer until your next use.

Prevents Loud Odor

Aside from that, another benefit to vacuum sealing your weed is that it prevents the odor from getting out. It’s essentially odor-proof once it’s in the bag or jar because the molecules have no way of escaping and letting people know that there is weed around.

Once you do open the container, the fragrance and aroma remains intact, so there’s no need to worry about losing its terpenes. It’s hard to keep the smell down if you buy weed by the ounce or in bulk, and sometimes you just want to stay discreet, right? Vacuum-sealing is the way to go.

Conclusion

So, is vacuum sealing your weed worth it?

If you frequently buy by the ounce or in bulk, or simply want to always ensure your personal stash stays fresh for a long period of time, then the answer is yes. The initial investment for a vacuum sealer is small compared to the benefits you will get knowing that you can smoke weed whose terpenes and cannabinoids are intact even as much as a year later — all without having to worry about the smell leaking.

This article was created in partnership with Cannabis.net