Stash Gone Bone-Dry? Rehydrate It!

REHYDRATE YOUR STASH

When your cannabis is over-dry, it takes on a number of unwanted characteristics. It becomes harsh to smoke, burns too fast, and loses potency because burn temperatures are too high and THC evaporates before getting to the lungs. There is also a loss of terpenes, which changes flavours and aromas. Not to mention, it becomes crumbly and difficult to handle.

Before you go and soak your ganja in a sink full of water or soak it down with an atomiser bottle, consider these tried and true methods of rehydrating you bone-dry cannabis.

Of course, prevention is better than a cure. The best thing to do is not let your buds get too dry in the first place.

AIRTIGHT AND NO LIGHT IS RIGHT

The ideal relative humidity (RH) for dried cannabis is between 55–65%. Air and UV light are the worst for your buds once they have been cured to perfection. Air generally saps humidity away from buds, making them too dry. The opposite is also true in high-humidity climates where the moist air causes rot. UV light degrades precious THC and reduces the potency of buds. Like most foodstuffs, storing marijuana in a cool, dark place will result in better quality throughout the life of your stash.

If you had a good harvest or buy weed in bulk, it’s a good idea to portion your buds so they are not all exposed to air every time you open a jar. Take a day’s worth of your finest out and keep in a handy smaller jar or one of the many custom cannabis stash packs available. This reduces your bulk storage visits to once a day. Regular exposure to air is the quickest way to dry buds out too much.

GLASS, NOT PLASTIC PLEASE

The preferred method for storing cured cannabis is to use wide-mouth glass mason jars. These come in a variety of sizes and are airtight, with a large enough aperture to get your hand in. Glass is better than plastic as it doesn’t sweat the contents, is inert, cleanable, and sterile.

Plastic containers work well enough, but hey, it’s plastic and you have to add the planet into every equation. There are a number of high-quality custom cannabis storage systems available in the world today. Buy once for the rest of your life.

REHYDRATING CANNABIS BUDS IS EASY

If you left your stash out with the lid off overnight, found an old stash, or simply bought some over-dry buds, it’s okay; cannabis is easy to rehydrate. All it takes is some patience and these little bits of know-how to achieve a nice smoke once more. It’s guaranteed you have lost a few terpenes to the atmosphere, but potency will not have been affected too much. Unless an unprotected bud has been left in the sun on the dashboard of a car, most aromas can be brought back to life and THC will not have degraded too badly.

DISTILLED WATER

Distilled water is aqua that has been evaporated and condensed back to water. This removes any impurities and chemical compounds, resulting in pure H₂O. You can use tap water if you are confident in the quality, especially if it is chlorine and fluoride-free.

You will need a container with a lid that’s large enough to place your baggy/jar/bottle inside with a folded square of paper towel.

Slowly moisten a square of recycled paper towel with water. Not wet, simply dampened and folded into loose quarters. Place this inside the large container with your weed, which is still in its own smaller baggy/jar/bottle.

Seal the larger container and leave for 2–12 hours. Time will vary depending on how dry the buds were to start, but wait at least 2 hours before you check.

PEELS

Fruit peels are a ready source of slow-release moisture that is well-contained. Some vegetable peels work well also, but not those that turn to mush like cucumber or pumpkin. Citrus peels are ideal and potato peels work well also. They both slowly release moisture at a comparable rate to the moisture absorption rate of dry weed.

Seal your open container of weed in a larger container along with a few peels and seal the lid tight. Alternatively, perforate the bag holding your weed and seal it inside a second bag holding the peels. Just don’t let the peel come into contact with your buds.

Unless you forget, there is little chance of rot or mould setting in. Citrus peels naturally repel spores with their heavy essential oil content, and potato peels dry rapidly.

HUMIDORS

Humidors are the high-end option for cannabis storage and rehydration of over-dry weed. They are typically a sealed box constructed from cedar, which is a natural pest and pathogen repellant. They contain a hygrometer and a sponge reservoir in which distilled water is kept. As long as the water reservoir is topped up, setting the hygrometer between 55–65% RH keeps your weed in the best condition indefinitely. Placing over-dry buds in a humidor guarantees slow absorption of moisture, then steady humidity.

Other types use a propylene glycol mixture to maintain humidity. Just ensure the RH is set to the cannabis-friendly level. Some mixtures are for cigars and will maintain RH at 70%, which is too much for marijuana. Be sure to get the right mixture or slow rot can develop.

HUMIDITY PACKS

There are a number of humidity-regulating products available. Most common are humidity packs that are made from a one-way osmosis material. This lets moisture slowly out of the bag, but doesn’t absorb moisture into the bag. They come in a variety of cannabis-friendly humidity ratings to suit your climate.

The packs are soft and pillowy, and eventually turn solid when they have given up all their moisture content. The length of time depends on how dry the buds were and how many buds are being rehydrated.