A lot of people wonder if freezing weed is definitely a good idea. After all, a lot have been saying that freezing fresh weed will only end up losing its capabilities. Others, however, swear that this is the best storage solution. The problem usually arises if you find yourself facing a whole bunch of buds, and you can’t consume them all at once.
If you want to keep it potent and fresh for a long time, you have perhaps heard that mildew and mold can destroy your crop, often caused by too much humidity. One way to fight high humidity is by storing it in a place void of it. Is the freezer the best storage place? At first look, this may seem like a fair and reasonable step that you can take.
Unfortunately, it’s a No!
You may think that storing your weed in the freezer is a great option. After all, it works for most foods and vegetables, right? Unfortunately, it does not work the same with marijuana. After all your effort in growing and finally harvesting your weed, everything can turn into shambles if you decide to choose an improper storage solution. Your weed may foul. Why is this so? Similar to all the damages caused by humidity and heat, cold temperature also come with adversely negative impact on your weed.
Impact on Trichomes
Perhaps you have already noticed those fine hair-like, white particles covering your bud? These are actually resin glands called trichomes. If you are growing your own plants, you may have watched them really close as they start to develop from those clear glands, on their way to being amber or milk colored glands.
The trichomes give the particular weed strain unique smell and taste. Most importantly, they are also where you can find certain cannabinoids such as CBD and THC concentrated. Thus, it is highly responsible for the high that you feel. On the other hand, storing your weed in the freezer will literally result to the trichomes crystallizing to smaller ice particles.
At the same time, the way you handle your bud will also result them to break off to the storage containers that you are using. Most of these storage bags and containers will only be affected by some kind of static charge. Therefore, even though you have been careful with your handling, the container may also cause the damage.
After doing all you can to take care of your buds, the unfortunate event of losing your buds’ trichomes can turn out to be a disaster. This will result to a smoke that tastes harsher, worse, with less psychoactive effects. Therefore, it is best that your weed stays out of the freezer.
Cold temperature can impact decarboxylation
The chemical process of decarboxylation naturally occurs during the drying, and the curing of the bud. Cannabis that is raw is filled with THC-A, a non-psychoactive compound. Through decarboxylation, this compound turns to THC, which is the very chemical that can give you the high that you feel.
This process may be accelerated by using weed for cooking. However, when you store it at lower temperatures, such as inside the freezer, you stop the process of decarboxylation, thus producing a product that is less potent.
The Proper Weed Storage Solution
In order to produce a fully flavored, longer lasting bud, it is best to store your weed in a dark, cool lace. While controlling the levels of humidity will definitely help in the prevention of mildew and mold build-up, overexposure to the harmful UV rays still serves as the main reason of cannabinoid breakdown.
Store them inside glass containers. They do not just have a neutral charge, but you can also make sure to use an airtight seal for your weed. You may even vacuum seal while dehumidifying your weed. On the other hand, if you are storing for a longer period, make sure that a good amount of oxygen is also stored together with your bud. This will enable your bud to complete the curing process while in storage without impacting the humidity levels, thus making sure that your weed stays fresher even for a long period of time.
Even though storing your weed inside the freezer may not be a good solution, there are still several tested and proven ways to store them, making sure that they still maintain their freshness after the passing of time. By checking on the forums and blogs of other expert growers, you can definitely get some good ideas as to how to properly store your weed without affecting their overall quality in terms of freshness and high.