Should I Store Weed in the Freezer?
If you like cannabis, you’re probably interested in keeping your buds fresh. As such, rumors and myths about keeping your marijuana in peak shape have been prevalent in cannabis culture. Often they have been passed down from generation to generation or at least from more experienced to novice. Call them “old stoner’s tales” if you will. Anyhow, one of the most common myths is that keeping marijuana in the freezer will protect it from humidity and keep it fresh. After all, it works with food, right? Made too many oatmeal raisin cookies? Throw them in the freezer! Have too many chicken breasts? Throw ‘em in the freezer too! Cooked or not it doesn’t even matter! If it works for food (something we also ingest) it should work for our flower, right?
While it is true that too much humidity can cultivate mold and mildew on your buds (yuck), freezing your weed is not exactly great either. While it is preferable to mold/mildew (again with the yuck) the freezer is where good weed goes to die. By putting your marijuana in the freezer you are doing two potentially negative things: 1) stopping or slowing decarboxylation and/or 2) damaging your trichomes. . In the end, you are left with buds that taste worse, are harsher, and are potentially less potent. No one wants that. Be a good bud to your bud!
Being the clever person you are, you might say, “ok, well what if I put it in the refrigerator?” Nice try, but fridges are prone to fluctuations in humidity and temperature, which is what you were trying to avoid in the first place! Now you are out of ideas or (at the very least) unlikely to suggest other places around your house where you could store your stash.[1] The good news is that cannabis doesn’t care where it is stored as long as it is in a cool, dry place and inside a neutral charge container such as a glass jar[2] away from direct sunlight. In order to prolong the life of your herb, it is also suggested you use a vacuum-sealed container to minimize oxygen exposure. That’s all there is to prolong the life of your buds![3]
Toke on Dreamers and happy storing!
[1] I knew a guy who hid marijuana behind his toilet tank in college.
[2] Plastic containers can leach chemicals that are 1) bad for you and 2) can affect the taste. Wood and metal can also affect the taste. Stick with glass.
[3] Do keep in mind that these suggestions are for flowers only. Edibles, extracts, and other cannabis products should be stored in accordance with the directions on the package.