How to Cure Cannabis - Definitive Guide to Drying and Curing
Curing and drying cannabis are essential steps to master if you expect to grow a strain to its best potential. According to Guru of Ganja Ed Rosenthal, the curing process can make the difference between decent and decadent weed. Free of excess moisture that renders plants more susceptible to mold and disease, properly dried and cured buds offer a stronger aroma, better taste, and more potency.
In this guide, we’ll explore the importance of marijuana drying and curing, the main differences between drying and curing cannabis, and best practices for traditional methods and the latest technologically superior alternatives.
Why are curing and drying cannabis important?
Without these two finishing steps, the work that went into your freshly harvested cannabis is wasted.
Preservation of cannabinoids and terpenes
Proper weed drying keeps potency and flavor intact by preventing the degradation of cannabinoids and terpenes—a.k.a., the compounds primarily responsible for the plant’s aroma and potential therapeutic effects.
Prevention of mold and bacteria growth
Dry cannabis is free of excess moisture content, which means it has less risk of mold and bacteria growth.
Better smoke ability
Cannabis drying results in a more even burn and smoother smoke or vapor, which enhances the overall consumption experience. It also allows the full flavor profile of the strain to emerge.
Easier handling and storage
Knowing how to dry cannabis will make handling and storage a lot easier for you, as it reduces the risk of mold during storage and ensures a longer shelf life for your final product.
A better curing process
Being able to dry marijuana properly ensures you’ll be set up for a successful curing process.
The difference between drying and curing cannabis
A proper dry and cure go hand in hand, but they’re also two distinctive processes with their own unique benefits.
While cannabis drying is how you ensure your product is easy to handle and less susceptible to disease, a proper cure is how you truly go the distance with your consumers. It works to preserve the flavor and aroma you were able to accomplish in your cannabis drying room, allowing your product to make its way to the consumer with minimal degradation in the transition.
How to dry cannabis
If you’re looking for the best drying method, keep in mind your approach will vary depending on your environment, available tools, and what sort of strains you’re working with. It also depends on whether you prefer to trim buds early when they’re wet or later after they’ve dried. See our wet trimming vs dry trimming if you need help picking the best trimming method.
Required tools:
- Drying racks or lines for hanging whole plant to dry
- Hygrometer for measuring temperature and humidity levels
- Fan
- AC unit (optional)
- Dehumidifier (optional)
Steps:
- The first thing you’ll want to do is locate an ideal drying room to ensure your plants are properly dried when the time comes. A good drying room will be dark with temperatures between 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity between 55-65%. You’ll be able to assess this information with your hygrometer.
- Carefully cut large branches or hang whole plants upside down on your rack or line if space allows. Make sure the amount of light can be easily limited and your temperature and humidity quickly controlled.
- A pro tip is to keep a consistent airflow throughout the drying process, which can be achieved with an optional AC unit and/or dehumidifier.
- While hang drying, maintain a temperature of 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit. This will help ensure your plants dry evenly and gradually. In the same vein, make sure your hygrometer keeps a close eye on humidity levels, which should live at 45-55 percent throughout the drying time.
- Remember: if your humidity is set too low, your buds will dry out quickly, and the flavor of your cannabis will be off. On the other hand, too-high humidity results in slowly-drying buds that are more prone to mold development.
- Continue drying until the plant’s stems snap instead of bending. This will typically take around two weeks, but might vary depending on your method of approach (like the 60/60 drying method, for example). If the stems have any give, they need to keep drying. Once they’re brittle and easy to break, your buds are ready to move to the curing stage.
Tips for preventing rapid drying
Hanging plants to dry sounds simple enough, but there is a bit of nuance in knowing when your plants are ready to cure—and knowing how to prevent them from drying out too much in the process.
Stay on top of humidity and temperature levels
As we’ve mentioned, one of the easiest ways to ensure your plants dry properly is to stay dialed into their temperature and humidity levels—again, that’s 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit paired with 45-55 percent humidity.
Keep air circulating
Although optional, including proper air circulation in the drying area helps prevent pockets of stagnant air from forming, and promotes an even dry for your plants.
Avoid direct heat
Never expose your hanging-to-dry plants to direct heat sources like heaters or sunlight, as this can accelerate drying and degrade the quality of the buds.
Wet trim ahead of time
We recommend trimming before you hang if you’re worried about the possibility of over-drying. This will reduce the plant’s surface area and slow the drying process.
Invest in high-quality smart equipment
If you have the budget, we recommend looking into some higher-quality equipment to streamline the hanging process and ensure it runs smoothly. For example: drying racks designed specifically for cannabis drying, which allow for proper airflow around the buds.
Adopt proper storage practices
Finally, the best way to ensure your cannabis doesn’t over dry after it’s done hanging is to package it properly. Grove Bags retain up to 37 percent more terpenoids and 7 percent more cannabinoids than traditional packaging. You may also want to consider humidity packs if you’re unable to achieve a desired moisture level as a result of external environmental factors.
