My harvest was considerably larger than I anticipated. What’s the best way to store the marijuana in the short- and long-term?
Marijuana’s main active ingredient is, of course, THC, which is located on the glands of leaves, stems, and flowers primarily on the female plant. THC is created on the gland membrane’s surface on the exterior of the cell. (With the help of a photographer’s loupe, you can see the glands quite clearly). In living plants, a water molecule attaches itself to the gland so that the THC is less active than it would be dry. THC achieves its highest concentration of psychoactivity when the plant is thoroughly dried.
When exposed to light, heat, and oxygen, THC tends to deteriorate. Thus, it’s not a good idea to store the dried marijuana in a large bowl sitting in the sun. It’s just as bad to put the marijuana in a baggie and then put it in a pocket. Your body heat and the abrasion from rubbing together will make the THC degrade substantially. The polyethylene bags also have a small electrical charge that interacts with and attracts the glands. When you get to the end of your stash, the baggie might have a cloudy residue of glands that you didn’t get to enjoy.
The best place to store your marijuana is in a wood, metal, or hard plastic container and not in a shirt or pants pocket. Keep the stash away from your body heat as much as possible.
A knapsack or purse might be good in terms of quality assurance, but not necessarily ideal for security. Ideally, you want to store the marijuana in a large sealed container in a freezer. Scientific research has shown that marijuana left in a freezer for one year revealed only negligible signs of deterioration. Fridges work the same way, but not as well as freezers.
Both freezers and fridges are effective because the marijuana is in a cold, dark area where chemical reactions are limited. It would be irrelevant to fill the container with an inert gas. A vacuum-sealed bag also works as a good way to keep buds at their highest.