Preserve Your Weed Stash With Integra Boost

It's just as important to achieve the right balance of humidity when growing cannabis as it is when storing cannabis. The relative humidity inside your stash container will affect it in many ways. Relative humidity (RH) indicates how much moisture the air is holding as a percentage of the maximum amount it could be holding. If the air cannot hold the right amount of moisture, mould could start to form from too much humidity. This would spoil your stash.

If, however, there is too little humidity, your cannabis will dry up and turn crumbly. Worst of all, the sparkling trichomes that hold most of the cannabinoids and terpenes will degrade. Without these, its distinctive taste and scent will disappear. The potency will also be diminished.

This is why it is generally advised to find a container with controlled relative humidity. RH between 55–62% is the range advisable for cannabis flowers. Anything lower is too dry, and anything higher than 65% RH runs the risk of mould. Desiccare have developed the ideal solution to this problem; their Integra range are perfect for preserving the integrity of your weed stash. Let's take a look at how.

STORING YOUR CANNABIS WITH INTEGRA BOOST

Integra Boost humidity packs are small packs that easily fit in with your stash. They contain a membrane of non-toxic aqueous glycerin that regulates the humidity of your container. This latest offering will keep things at 55% humidity. This is closer to the dry end of the spectrum, but it's a good place to be.

More subtle flavours can be brought out during the curing stage. Luckily, you can leave the packs in your containers without airing them out for up to a month! That's very convenient if you're looking to hide your stash and only dip into it occasionally. There are even Integra humidity indicators that will save you the trouble of opening your stash to check if your pack is all used up. Simply look to see if the purple dot has turned blue. That is when you will know it's time to change your pack.

You can use more than one pack if you want. A lot of it depends on how big your stash is. If you have less than 12 grams of flower, a 4g pack will do. If you're storing up to an ounce, or 28 grams worth, there are 8g packs that are ideal. Perhaps you have a lot of marijuana stashed away. If you are looking to store up to one pound of cannabis in your jar or container (450g), you're gonna need a bigger pack. Integra humidity packs also come in a 67g size.

So you really have no excuses. These products are great at preserving aroma, freshness, and potency. They are very reasonably priced, especially considering their advantages. While you're waiting for your Integra Boost to arrive, here are some general principles for good cannabis preservation.

GENERAL DO'S

If you are growing your own cannabis, there is so much that you can be doing for quality control. After harvest, many cultivators hang their crop upside down, trim it, and leave it in a room with controlled temperature and humidity to dry, before putting buds in the jar for a good cure. Along with fresh containers, this should help keep your cannabis fresh as it reaches its destination. However, let's say you have received a batch and the cultivators have let you down on this end. There are a number of important things you can do to restore quality.

It is of the utmost importance that you prevent a mould from forming. Sometimes, cannabis can exhibit mild albinism, but a mould infestation looks much worse. It will turn grey and crumbly and ruin your entire stash if it spreads. Maybe circulating the air in the jar by opening it two to four times a day could help, but not if you can't devote such meticulous attention to detail. Instead of trying to wing it on your own, products like Integra Boost are so much more straightforward and reliable.

Keeping your stash in a dry, dark place is the important thing. Too much exposure to light, especially UV light, will damage your cannabis buds. It is good to avoid fluctuations in temperature anyway. Temperatures between 77–86 degrees fahrenheit or 25–30 degrees celsius is the ideal range for mould and mildew to form. Don't let your stash get too warm. Hot air rises, so if you want to be thorough, storing as close to the ground as possible could help. The lowest drawer of your shelf, the basement of your home, and so on.

GENERAL DON'TS

It is crucial to avoid too much heat in cannabis storage. Don't, however, take this to mean that a suitable cool, dry place for your weed is the refrigerator. Freezers are even worse. Defrosted cannabis is highly degraded, often with the frozen trichomes detached. Just store your cannabis by itself in a container with a neutral charge like a tightly-sealed glass jar.

This brings us to one last consideration for best results. A charge of electricity can cause cannabis to dry and degrade. Don't store your cannabis near electrical appliances or substances that can conduct a charge. This would be the case with plastic bags, for example. Yes, I know. You must have received many stashes in plastic bags before. They will keep cannabis fresh for brief periods of time, but are not reliable in the long-term. So invest in a good container and the great Integra Boost. That's your safest bet.

Steven Voser

Steven Voser is an independent cannabis journalist with over 6 years of experience writing about all things weed; how to grow it, how best to enjoy it, and the booming industry and murky legal landscape surrounding it.

Read full bio