Maximum Yield Cannabis USA February/March 2018 | Page 12

ask a grower
Q
Hi,
My first grow looks like it’s going to be a bumper crop and I can’t use it all right
away. How do I prep/store the buds? If this makes a difference, I mostly plan to
make tinctures/topicals (only a little may be smoked). Also, can I store the leaves?
Thanks, Rick
a
12
Hi Rick,
Thank you for a great question. Regardless of what
you plan to do with the stored crop, you want to
preserve all the characteristics the buds had before
they went into storage. This means preservation
of the cannabinoids and terpenes that make
marijuana what it is. Preserving the compounds
means ensuring the right climate and conditions
in your storage area so your potency will not be
degraded by temperature, light, or humidity.
If you are ready for storage, that must mean that
you have already cut, dried, trimmed, and cured
your nugs in such a manner that they are at the
peak of perfection. Maintaining that perfection is
easy if you know what you are doing. If you cured
your buds in glass Mason jars (the only way to go),
then they don’t need to be repackaged in another
container. The jars provide a nice protective shell
for your crop while they wait for you. Pretty much
anything else will let air creep in. Air can cause
your cannabis to dry out, thus breaking down all the
delicate compounds within them.
Store the jars out of the way in a place that shields
the buds from unwanted light (UV light speeds up
the