Professional Marijuana Grower July-August 2019 Issue | Page 40

the many popular cannabis by-products that are helping
to fuel the market. The array of by-products is vast and
includes items such as extracts, hash, oils, salves, shatter,
wax, edibles, topical creams, and even lip balm.
Drying
Drying is the first step in the preservation of the harvest.
The goal is to remove most of the remaining moisture
from the buds so they will taste and burn better. The
moisture needs to be drawn out at a nice slow pace
so the buds dry evenly but do not become overly dry
and begin to crumble. This should take 5 to 10 days,
depending on the relative humidity levels in the drying
room. Ideally, the drying area should be cool, dark, and
dry with a relative humidity between 30 and 50 percent.
If the relative humidity rises above 50 percent, incorpo-
rating a dehumidifier into the drying room is a simple
solution. For the best results, the temperature should re-
main between 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on
the weather in the fall, the temperatures may reach closer
to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. This should not cause any
issues as long as the room stays dry. Try to avoid using
an air conditioner because they can cause the buds
to dry too quickly. A fan should be used to keep air
flowing around the buds and help keep the temperature
and moisture levels even throughout the room. Run the
fan on low or medium and aim it towards a nearby wall
to deflect and circulate the air. Aiming the fan directly at
the buds will certainly dry them too fast.
To start drying the harvest, run string horizontally at
about eye level. Use heavy-duty string so to ensure it
won’t snap or break from the weight of the buds. Hang
the flower branches from the string so that the buds are
pointing towards the ground. The branches that were
cut at a point where another lateral stem creates a “V”
shape can be hung by resting the center of the “V” on
to the string. They should balance well enough so they
won’t fall. Straight branches that do not have the “V”
can be hung with the help of clothes pins or similar
style clips. When hanging the buds to dry, make sure
to leave a few inches of space between the separate
branches so they do not touch each other and the air can
easily flow around them. Doing so will allow them to dry
more evenly and at a uniform pace. Another important
thing to do is to space the drying strings far enough
away from each other so there is enough space to walk
between them and monitor the drying process.
The drying buds should be checked at least once a day
to see how they are progressing and to make sure you
catch them before they get too dry. The best way to as-
sess the progress of the drying buds is by hand. When
the buds are properly dried the outside will appear
completely dry but the insides will still be sort of squishy
or soft. This means there is still a moderate amount of
moisture on the internal portion of the bud. During the
40 • Professional Marijuana Grower
curing process this moisture will become evenly distrib-
uted among the buds, leaving them not overly moist or
overly dry. When the buds are done drying the smallest
stems should snap when bent and the large stems should
bend but not easily break. If the buds are dried for
too long THC can begin to break down and degrade
into CBN. When the buds are dried too fast they may
become brittle and crumble when touched. This is why
paying close attention to the temperature and humidity
conditions in the room is so important. Improperly drying
the buds can have a noticeable and negative effect on
their overall quality.
Curing
Curing is a technique growers use to help preserve the
cannabis harvests for longer periods of time by allowing
the remaining moisture within the buds to become more
evenly distributed. At the same time, curing also allows
for the continued break down, or degradation, of the
chlorophyll molecules within the leaves and buds. Buds
that retain higher levels of chlorophyll tend to have a
harsher taste when smoked. Large scale commercial
cannabis operations often skip the curing process and
July/August 2019