Skip to content 
Curing marijuana - what is it, how long does it last and what does it give?
Just growing marijuana isn't the final step in getting the best smoking buds. One of the most important stages is the so-called Marijuana curing. In other words, curing is the process of preserving or curing cannabis buds. Curing should be done after the harvested buds are partially dried, but this will depend on the method you choose.
Dwhy is marijuana curing so important?
What does curing do? Curing is a process used in the preservation of many plants and herbs, including tobacco, bay leaves or tea. Of course, for each of the plants, appropriate conditions for this process should be selected. In this post, we will try to dispel your doubts about the preservation of marijuana, as well as suggest: how to carry out curing, what are the types of cannabis curing, and why you really need to preserve cannabis buds.
What is Marijuana Curing?
As we mentioned at the beginning, curing is an inseparable element of creating the best quality hemp dried. The curing process itself is designed to stop the degradation processes taking place in the cut plant before all valuable compounds such as terpenes or cannabinoids evaporate or transform into other undesirable products. After cutting, the plant still contains spare substances, i.e. temples, but also minerals, enzymes and fertilizer residues.
Reserve substances, including sugars, adversely affect, among others, the taste of the herb. An important element here will be storing the broken buds in a dark place, which forces the plant to use these compounds, but also enzymes and bacteria, before they become permanently stuck in the drought. Bud preservation also prevents the cannabinoids and cannabis terpenes from volatilizing and breaking down. Fresh buds harvested from a marijuana plant also have a fair amount of water in them that needs to be disposed of. Thanks to the thorough curing of hemp flowers, they can be stored easier and longer, without fear of the appearance of harmful mold. Another advantage of well-dried buds is that they are easier to smoke or vape. But it is not everything…
CBD AND CBG HEMP DROPS
Curing and the better taste of marijuana
The process of preserving marijuana buds makes them taste much better. It's really about the taste of smoke or steam, which after a good curing process becomes smooth and pleasant. Depending on the variety of marijuana, and thus on the content of terpenes, the extracted flavors may resemble citrus, liquorice, woody notes, peppery notes, the aroma of gasoline and many other pleasant smells and flavors. (There are hundreds of different amazing genetics available for purchase HERE as collectible cannabis seeds.)
How does curing improve the flavor of marijuana buds? All thanks to the chemical processes that take place in the right conditions in the already broken buds. When drying crops from water, various types of by-products are produced, which we mentioned above, including sugars, adversely affecting the taste. An additional process called curing gets rid of these compounds and brings out the rich and natural scents of cannabis terpenes. During curing, the chlorophyll in the plant also breaks down, which, according to some, adversely affects the taste and smell.
Thanks to a well-conducted curing, according to many connoisseurs, marijuana gains a more pleasant and distinct taste.
Drying marijuana buds, i.e. preparing buds for curing.
The conservation process is preceded by partial drying of the buds. How to properly dry buds for curing? The buds cannot be too wet or too dry. It is assumed that the amount of water in dried buds should be on average 10-15%. The exact values will vary depending on the intended use of the finished hemp. The desired water content will be slightly different in the case of dried herbs for smoking than in the case of dried herbs for vaporization. In the second case, a slightly higher humidity than in the first case will be beneficial. Probably most of you know, but we would like to remind you that from the beginning to the end of the adventure with marijuana, patience counts. Patient drying of tops is essential! The drying itself will probably take a week to two weeks. Why so much? Getting rid of the water from the buds in a shorter time would require the use of higher temperatures, and as we know, such a treatment could deprive the buds of a large amount of valuable terpenes and cannabinoids.
Hemp drying
After harvesting, usually in the form of stems with flowers trimmed from leaves, they should be dried in appropriate conditions. Most often, they are hung in a controlled environment, at appropriate distances, so as to provide them with ventilation and prevent the formation of mold. The room should be darkened due to the fact that light contributes to the degradation of terpenes and cannabinoids in the plant. It is assumed to start drying with a humidity of about 55% and a temperature of 20 degrees. Bud moisture should drop to around 30-40%. At this stage, reduce the temperature to 18 degrees and humidity to 50%, so that the drying of the buds does not occur too quickly. If the buds reach a moisture content of 10-15%, you can move on to the next stage - Curing!
HEMP DRYING
- Constant temperatures in the range of 15-21 degrees
- Good distribution of the material for drying
- Good room ventilation
- A dark room
- Air humidity in the range of 45-55%
How is curing done?
Before we get to the discussion of selected methods of bud preservation, let's pay attention to what to avoid during curing, and what will serve our buds. First, no light. As with drying, light can only damage the entire material during maintenance. Therefore, if you do not have a dark room, it is worth equipping yourself with a cardboard box or a dark glass jar! Secondly, the maximum temperature for storing buds during curing is 21 degrees. Too high temperatures will contribute to the degradation of cannabinoids, e.g. tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, which can degrade to CBN. A small amount of CBN can benefit the effect of marijuana, but too much THC loss is unacceptable for many! Another important thing - best humidity for marijuana curing. If the drying step was successful, all you need to do is provide the buds withhumidity at the level of 60-65%.
CURING METHODS
Curing in a jar
Probably the most popular method of curing is curing in a jar. If the buds were dried on the stems, they should be cut at this stage. Loose buds should be placed in a jar, either a regular glass jar with a lid or specially made curing jars. Importantly, 25% of the volume of the jar should be empty. After shaking the jar, the tops should move freely in it, tapping slightly. However, if something has gone wrong and they are too moist, they will begin to stick together. Which jars to choose for curing? Glass jars with a rubber seal are best.
Check out CBD and CBG hemp droughts!
In this case, return to the drying step. If everything is ok, place the jars in a dark and cool place, taking into account the temperature and humidity conditions mentioned above. Currently, there are many products and meters on the market that are designed to help the grower get the best flowers under the sun. Therefore, it is worth using, for example, hygrometers (humidity meters), sachets that increase or decrease humidity). Controlling the humidity in the jar and replacing the air with fresh air is a key part of the cannabis bud preservation process. Therefore, it is recommended to check the situation once a day by opening the jars and thus exchanging the used air, e.g. with ethylene and CO2, to fresh air rich in oxygen. This process will take a minimum of 2-3 weeks, but it is worth even 2 months of such maintenance.
Other interesting curing methods
Curing in a corn or banana leaf
Corn leaf preservation is otherwise known as "Malawi Style Cob Curing". The magic lies in wrapping the previously dried flowers in corn leaves. These tightly tied packets are then heated at around 40 degrees for 1 hours. After this time, either in vacuum bags or in the ground, bud packages are pickled for about 3-XNUMX weeks. Then, dry the buds again and pack them again, e.g. in vacuum bags. This method looks much more artisanal and primal. Apparently, the taste and aroma of such a herb is very interesting.
Dry ice curing
Preservation of buds with dry ice uses the phenomenon of sublimation, i.e. the change of the state of aggregation from a solid directly to a gaseous state. Dry ice comes in the form of white nuggets that look like regular ice. Dry ice is CO2, which is carbon dioxide at a very low temperature of -78,5°C. Drying fruit or vegetables using dry ice is called freeze-drying. In the case of drying cannabis buds, this process is also used. Since dry ice itself contains practically no water at all, it will dehumidify (draw water out) near moist products. For this method, in addition to the mentioned solid CO2, you will need a freezer, a lockable container with holes and, of course, marijuana flowers. (The buds can be pre-dried, which will reduce the amount of sl used and drying time.) Fill the box loosely, dry ice first, then buds, in equal proportions. By placing the box in the freezer, the process will take longer. Dry ice until all is gone should dry the buds completely. If not, add more pieces and repeat the process. This method reduces curing time but also increases costs. What speaks in its favor is the fact that THC molecules are least exposed to degradation compared to other methods. Many people claim that the taste of flowers preserved in this way is much fresher and more pleasant.
Water curing / water curing
Curing in water is called fast curing, which can be carried out in only 7 days. After picking the buds from the bush, put them in a jar preferably with distilled water at room temperature. Replace the water with clean water at least once a day. Water will wash away the harmful residues of fertilizers, pesticides, but also the residues of sugars and enzymes still contained in the buds. Since the resin and cannabinoids are not water-soluble, there is no fear of losing them. After a week of preservation with the water method, the buds should be drained and dried.
The disadvantage of this method is the change in the color of the flowers, usually brown, brown, and the loss of aroma. The smoke, however, as in the case of curing in a jar, is smoother and more pleasant. Water curing leads to a loss of bud mass, which is a greater loss than traditional curing. With the same amount of THC and less weight, the percentage of tetrahydrocannabinol increases. Hence, it is often said that the buds are more potent after water curing.
Curing in the fridge
When it comes to the method of curing in the refrigerator, opinions are divided. Many say that you can dry the buds with this method, but it will not be curing. If someone tries this type of method, remember about the sterility of the equipment. You can also use the refrigerator in the dry ice method, but the cost will increase. The ice will evaporate faster and disappear faster.
Does Curing Marijuana Increase Potency/THC?
We hear a lot about bud curing being done mainly to increase the potency of the herb. The truth is that simply drying the buds well, or washing them of the plant's nutrients, chlorophyll and other compounds, makes them lose their mass. Thus, the percentage of THC and other cannabinoids will be higher. Curing can also prevent the degradation of THC into CBN to a greater or lesser extent. It is not true, however, that during curing cannabinoids, which are the precursor of THC, are transformed into it. Such processes can only occur in a living plant, due to the need to catalyze them with enzymes. After the buds are plucked, only degradation processes can occur.
Is Marijuana Curing Necessary?
Curing is not a necessary process, especially when the buds are not of very good quality. However, if you have tops of very good genetics, carefully cultivated from the beginning, it is worth curing to get even better smoke, taste, aroma and even effect from marijuana!
If you liked the post, leave a comment. Follow us on Facebook (click) and Instagram (click) to stay up to date
