The Best Ways to Store Your Bud

Tue, 27/Nov/18

Trying to keep your weed funky fresh? It’s important to consider where you are storing your stash, especially when dealing with larger quantities. Weed is like wine, it can get better with age, and keeping it in the right conditions makes all the difference. There are a plethora of storage containers and accessories on the market, and a number of DIY tips that will help preserve the freshness and taste of your cannabis. Here are some of our favorites methods for stash storage.

Tips for Storing Your Bud

Ditch The Plastic

Plastic bags and containers are some of the worst ways to store your weed for a few reasons. Static from plastic can destroy the little hairs on the flowers, called trichomes, which can lead to cannabinoid degradation, meaning you’ll wind up with less potent flower.

Plastic bags and containers are neither air or light proof, making your bud susceptible to UV light and undesirable temperatures. This exposure can cause your bud to dry out and lose its potency very quickly. You should only use plastic for short-term transportation of weed, and not as a long-term storage system. We recommend using foil or paper instead of plastic if you’re in a storage pinch.

Maintain Ideal Temperatures

Conditions that are too hot or cold will damage the plant material and result in loss of cannabinoids. Don’t put your weed in the fridge/freezer and avoid storing it in place where the temperature fluctuates. The ideal temperature range for cannabis is 32°F and 68°F.

Control Humidity

The average stoner is more concerned with their weed drying out, but too much moisture can be a problem as well. If your weed is too moist, bacteria and mold can grow on the flowers, ruining your experience and making it potentially dangerous to inhale. It’s best to maintain humidity levels between 59%-63% to avoid degradation from excess moisture or drying. Products like the Bodeva Humidity Pack are great accessories to keep handy for humidity control.

Avoid Extended Light Exposure

UV light is one of the biggest accelerators of cannabinoid degradation. It’s important to store your weed in a cool, dark place where there will be little to no light exposure.

Best Storage Containers for Cannabis

The Classic Mason Jar

If you’re a stoner on a budget, a mason jar is a perfect place to store your bud. Glass is a great material for storing weed, as it does not emit or absorb the smell. It’s important to keep the jar in a cool, dark place to ensure it maintains a temperature between 32°F and 68°F and is not exposed to light to avoid cannabinoid degradation. Humidity is also a factor, so for those that want to be extra careful, we recommend getting a humidity control accessory such as the Herbal Boveda Pack to keep in the jar as well.

Stainless-steel Containers

Stainless-steel containers are more expensive than glass jars, but offer a bit more protection overall. They are made with food-grade materials and have an airtight seal that locks in odor and protects against excess moisture. Stainless-steel containers are also opaque compared to glass, so they safeguard against UV light exposure.

There are a number of stainless-steel products available, ranging from basic tin canisters to larger containers with humidity control additions. We recommend a CVault Cannabis Container if you want a little more from your storage product without spending too much.

Cannabis Humidors

Typically used to store cigars, you can now get humidors made specifically to keep your weed stash from getting moldy or dry. Humidors were originally made from cedar, a very porous wood that absorbs moisture and secretes oils that add to the tobacco flavor. Cannabis humidors are made from more neutral woods such as Mahogany, Cherry or Walnut, which are still very porous but won’t disrupt the natural flavor of the weed. Some humidors also come equipped with a humidifier and hygrometer to further maintain humidity levels.

Cannabis humidors are perfect for a stoner who appreciates the finer things (strains) in life. They are definitely an investment, but their sleek design makes them portable and discrete, and they come in a number of sizes. We recommend checking out Cannador if you’re interested in getting a classy cannabis humidor.

Stash Boxes

Stash boxes are great for a stoner on the move. Cheaper than a humidor, the low-profile, compact container fits all your essential smoking paraphernalia. They come in all shapes and sizes, and some may include additional smoking accessories. They are also smell-proof, discrete, and offer protection from light exposure. Stash boxes help keep all your accessories organized and easy to access. They are not airtight, so we recommend using them for travel or short-term storage.

Silicone Stash Containers

Silicone containers are great for those who enjoy cannabis concentrates. These containers are made of medical-grade silicone and are airtight and odor proof. They are designed to be small and discrete and make using concentrates like wax and oil easy and mess free. Silicone containers are also inexpensive and great for both long and short-term storage.

About Terra

The article is the courtesy of Terra: terracannabis.com

If you’re searching for a place to buy marijuana online, look no further. Terra is Canada’s leading online marijuana dispensary that ships directly to you, no matter where you are in the country. We provide fast and discreet shipping on all of our products. Ordering with us is as simple as signing up for an account, placing your order, and submitting payment via e-transfer.

Check out our wide selection of flower, concentrates, edibles, and vape pens. If you’re having trouble deciding or have questions about any of our marijuana products, hit us up and we’d be happy to lend a hand.

Cultivating Proper Trichomes

Wed, 16/Aug/17

Many cannabis growers are in love with what they grow. It’s natural to be proud of one’s achievements, especially when their development is dependant on so many factors: light, air, environment, watering, etc. etc. But rather than focusing purely on the size of the cannabis plant and the number of flowers it produces, it pays (literally) to dedicate time to help the plant produce the most rosin, and therefore the most potent trichomes, which it can.

Trichomes

Trichomes are small sugar granule-like crystals made from the rosin the plants excrete to thrive in its environment. Some of the oils repel pests, while others attract pollinating insects. Like various glands in a human body, the glands of a plant (trichomes) contain all chemistry the plant produces, and this includes all terpenes and flavonoids and, of course, cannabinoids. The following growing weed at home tutorial is focused on what you, the home cannabis grower, can do to stimulate rosin production which, in turn, is what forms those sparkly trichomes. When you master the art of cultivating proper trichomes the results will be evident in the lab-testing stage where you will notice higher concentrations of CBD, THC, terpenes, and other desireable cannabinoids.

Males And Females Of Cannabis Plant

There are male and females of the marijuana plant, and it’s only females being producing flowering buds that can later be smoked or turned into an extract. If you start with feminized seeds, all of the seeds you germinate have the potential to produce potent flowers but none feminized seeds will have to be sorted out in the flowering phase: Both males and females will sprout buds, but they will appear different on either plant—females with their long, whitish hairs, and males with hanging “balls.” Remove the boys immediately before they pollinate the females or you won’t get as big a harvest.

And another thing to remember and not to forget:

The Hermaphrodite Alert

Because of sudden changes in the environment of the plant the female plants can become shocked into becoming hermaphroditic if you don’t keep the growing conditions consistent and that’s a big waste of time and energy.

Encouraging trichomes in the flowering phase

Switch the light to 12-hours on and 12-hours off to signal to the plants that it is the “end of summer” and that harvest time is around the corner. Now is the time for them to switch from their vegetative phase to the flowering phase.

Wind

Even something as simple as keeping each cannabis “cola” bathed in good air flow, right to the end of the flowering stage, will help to increase bud size and rosin production. The end stage is the most challenging when it comes to stimulating rosin production and trichome growth. The plants are crowded in their space, vying for light and air and nutrients, but it’s not the time for you to quit and be satisfied with the trichomes that already exist. This is the final stretch, after all! Cannabis is a plant that relies on wind to pollinate, but it also knows when it’s futile to waste energy on buds that won’t be passing on their genetics. The cannabis plant will, therefore, save its energy so that it can put it toward buds that are exposed to a breeze. This is the optimal time to separate plants a little more, give them plenty of space, and kick that airflow into gear without making the room into a wind tunnel. Remember, the more energy a plant expels in the adult growth stage, the more rosin-filled the yields will be.

On the image: Transparent Trichomes on a Leaf of Cannabis Plant

Trichomes Matter

Trichomes are small hears (coming from Greek “trichomes” are translated as “hairs”). They are on the epidermis (“skin”) of a plant. Technically they are glands, and plants use them for many chemical purposes: whether it is attacking a prey for a carnivorous plant or a psychedelic message to humanity or maybe only a medical help.

Like various glands in a human body the glands of a plant (trichomes) contain all chemistry the plant produce, and this includes all terpenes and flavonoids and of course THC. A combination of these mentioned contents indeed determines the quality and the properties of marijuana and quality of a cannabis plant. This makes trichomes of cannabis plants to be so important. Same importance as the weight of dry buds.

No trichomes? Don’t freak out

Allow your marijuana plants to have 2-3 months of time to flower to their fullest. Even if they have beautiful big buds, you won’t see full trichome expression on the leaves and buds until the end of the flowering phase. Check with your seed provider for an idea of how long you should wait; each genetic strain is different. You can also tell when the flowering phase is over and the harvest is ripe by observing the white hairs on the flowers turn a red or orange-tinted brown. The buds should be frosted with trichomes and will likely emit a powerful odor.

Preserving trichomes while harvest & trimming

Cut the whole plant just above the soil but avoid touching the sticky buds lest you lose precious trichomes doing so. Use small, sharp scissors to clip the leaves, often called “trim,” away from the buds and toss those leaves away. They are not suitable for smoking, but some people will juice them (resulting in a non-psychoactive, but nutritionally delicious drink). Then, clip the smaller, frosted, leaves that are closer to the bud and use a pollinator to agitate the trichomes off of them; ideal for pressing into hash or extracting with oil or butter for edibles. What’s left is the perfect little bud, just like you see at a dispensary but it’s still too moist to smoke.

Curing cannabis with trichomes in mind

Curing is a slow, tedious process but it will leave you with buds that burst apart between your fingers and burn beautifully. Do not use forced heat to cure your cannabis; leaving the buds in the oven or drying them with a hairdryer will rob it of oils and terpenes, completely ruining the taste and overall effect of the bud.

Simply leave the buds alone in a dark, dry room for about seven days. Move the buds to a glass jar in the same room, returning daily to take the lid off for about 20 minutes each day to release any humidity. When the stems snap quickly but still have some moisture inside, it means the curing process is nearly done. A hygrometer will help monitor RH levels, or Boveda packs will control the RH to the degree you desire. Store cannabis in a UV safe container for another 2–4 months to allow the chemical processes in the weed to slow down completely and for the THC and other cannabinoids to finish developing.

When to cut a Bud

Tue, 25/Jul/17

Patience we have for the whole marijuana growing period and, of course, we do not want them cut a day or two before the nugs get to their most potent state. “When to cut a bud” question arises, and here we give an answer and a couple of considerations to understand the whole idea.

The most common recommendation and the classic approach, so to say, is “WHEN approximately a one half of the trichomes of the particular marijuana plant change their color from milky to amber”, the latter is orange. Makes sense and it works. Let’s discover now the full iceberg of the pot gathering techniques, and why this color even changes to amber. Not just because it’s beautiful.

As always, this is a matter of taste, both literal taste and feeling the potency of marijuana, so don’t you be shy experimenting. There are other periods in the growing cycle when you can try cutting the marijuana plant. Maybe edibles are the very purpose and your intention is to try to cure them after, as by decarbing, and then taste if such may “hit the target” better or not. Any other purpose even if a commercial one, however, the “A roughly one half of the trichomes are amber in color” just works.

Transparent trichomes, Milky trichomes and Amber trichomes

The earliest possible (or reasonable) time when you can cut your marijuana plant is the stage when one half of trichomes are transparent, while the other half only starts applying the color of milk, which is white but people call it milky for the marijuana buds. The resulting marijuana, cut at this stage, shall reportedly give a higher euphoric effect when smoked but such shall last a shorter time. Also the marijuana cut on the “milky stage” shall not feature a “deep taste”, not too deep comparing to the cuts during the amber period of the weed development. A matter of immature chemistry of the compounds of a plant I can guess, such as trichomes responsible for the taste, and active components responsible for the HIGHness and other effects. Same as other fruits of nature basically.

[spinweed]

Use of Microscope

The experienced marijuana growers really use the microscope to determine the condition of trichomes with the help of the powerful optics. Not all of them of course. Yes, you heard it right, the microscope. The enormous magnification helps clearly to discover the trichomes condition, the amount of color in them, and not only color. The color of trichomes you can see with a bare eye, yes, but magnified you shall see how the color spreads, then you shall make notes as a real cannabis scientist, and make your decisions somewhat scientifically. Exploration is the power horse of the science.

The microscope’s main purpose when aplied to the buds growing and trichomes detection is the precision! A little geeky, I agree, but finding your “secret formula” is a beautiful motivation, after all.

1 — transparent trichomes

The transparent color of marijuana trichomes on the buds (technically speaking, this is the absence of any color) shows the plant is not yet ready. The transparent trichomes hardly contain any THCA or THC, where the latter is the main psycho-active component of marijuana but not the only one, and the former is its previous chemical form as “acid” (that is why we have the letter “A” over there in the THCA name). To be precise, there shall be THCA (the acid) dominating in the marijuana buds and shall convert later into pure THC. Called decarbing.

2 — milky trichomes

As time goes on the marijuana trichomes are losing their transparency becoming milky and non-transparent. The milky color of marijuana trichomes on leaves and buds usually signifies the high maximum of THCA (THC Acid).

3 — amber trichomes

The amber color comes and spreads when THCA (THC Acid) in trichomes starts its transformation to THC, the desirable psychoactive component in cannabis. This stage starts when the very tips of trichomes go amber, they become like covered with small hats. The effect is well seen with a jeweler’s magnifying glass, 10x magnification.

Microscope?

Using microscope might be beautiful fun, food for our general curiosity, however, the trichomes are well seen with a bare eye too. The color and structural properties we can detect with bare eye or magnifying glass, say, a 10x magnifying glass that jewelers use and sell in their shops.