The good news is, that weed can last for a very long time if taken care of properly – anywhere from six months to a year. But there’s a caveat: You need to make sure your stash has been thoroughly harvested, dried, and cured. You also need to make sure you’ve stored the batch the right way; meaning securing it in humidity-controlled containers, in a dark, climate controlled space.
And if you don’t bother to do any of this? The result will be that the cannabinoids, terpenes, and THC in your weed break down and that batch starts to lose its potency.
But it’s not only a potency issue: Another reason to properly store your weed is so it does not become moldy, which can present a major health hazard if smoked.
Some experts even go so far as to claim that if weed is cured properly, it can even increase the potency of the batch, improve the smell, and enhance the flavor. How does this happen? Units that speed up the curing process, that are like small ovens, help prevent mold and contamination, at the same time preserving the parts of the plant responsible for the high.
And while curing is an essential part of the preservation process, it’s important to keep it under three weeks, otherwise you can go overboard and get results that are too dry. You don’t want the weed to disintegrate into dust.
If you follow these best practices, you will get a considerably longer shelf life out of your batch.
Sources: High Times, Way Of Leaf, Mens Journal