As you reach the bottom of your cannabis stash, you have probably noticed that your buds have gradually dried out. No one wants to smoke dried-out weed that turns to dust.
Any cannabis flower you consume should have a certain level of moisture for an optimal experience. Moisture affects potency, flavor, aroma, and the health of a bud. If cannabis is too moist, it may develop mold and become potentially harmful to inhale. If cannabis is too dry, it will burn up harshly and possibly lose its potency too quickly.
The ideal moisture content will prevent these potential problems and help give your cannabis the effects that you want. If you end up with some dry weed on your hands, there are a variety of tried-and-true methods you can use to rehydrate.
How to store weed
When it comes to keeping flower properly hydrated, the optimal method is always prevention. Proper storage that keeps flower fresh is the best way to ensure you are getting the most out of your weed. Never store your bud out in the open or on a tray.
Improper storage will expose your weed to an excess of oxygen and light, the two most immediate culprits of cannabis degradation. Keeping weed fresh and potent requires a delicate balance of environmental conditions.
Though clear containers and plastic bags are common forms of packing, the best way to store weed is to keep it in an opaque, airtight container in a cool, dry place without direct sunlight. Storing in an opaque container helps to ensure optimal moisture content because it keeps light out.
Ideally, you should store your weed just below room temperature. Some light and air will inevitably get into your weed containers when they are opened, so be sure to keep them closed when not in use. You can read more about storing weed in this article.
Humidity packs for cannabis
After it has been snipped from the stalk and cured, the ideal level of moisture you want to keep your bud at is around 55-62 percent RH (relative humidity). Of course, maintaining this can get difficult unless you have got a keen eye for hydration levels, a fine spray bottle of distilled water, and a lot of time on your hands. The easiest way to keep your weed at its ideal relative humidity is to throw a humidity pack in the jar. Humidity packs can help restore moisture to your weed.
Humidity packs like those made by Boveda contain a salt solution that adds or subtracts moisture from the surrounding air based on the temperature. The relative humidity percentage that the pack maintains is printed on the package in an easy-to-read number and there are several options to choose from. Once the pack loses its softness, throw in another fresh one and you are good to go.
If you are looking for a chemical-free, all-natural route, humidity packs made by Integra Boost use a non-salt, biodegradable type of mixture that still produces or absorbs moisture to keep your weed at its best. If you are looking for a more environmentally friendly option, Integra Boost is the one.
Another solid option, Evergreen Pods are capsules instead of packs that stick to the underside of your jar’s lid. They still maintain the exact relative humidity of your weed and like the other packs will even rehydrate your dry cannabis in order to salvage it.
These pods are reusable for up to 5 years and while they are a little pricier, they come with the Evergreen Pod, a jar with an opaque silicone sleeve to block out light, and a specially designed jar lid and wet-erase marker so that you can write the strain on top and any notes.
How to rehydrate weed
Weed’s relationship with moisture is complicated. All cultivators dry and cure their cannabis. The goal of drying and curing is not to completely remove moisture from the bud, but to let it slowly dissipate without altering cannabinoid and terpene content.
The process of drying, curing, and maintaining the optimal moisture of cannabis is delicate. If you find that the weed you have purchased, grown, or stored is dry and brittle, there are a variety of ways to resurrect your dry buds.
Here are some of the most common methods of rehydrating weed:
Citrus peel
Perhaps the most popular method of rehydrating weed is the old orange peel method. People have been using it for years to bring life back to their buds. Adding an orange peel to your weed jar can work like magic to rehydrate your weed.
To tap into this little trick, simply take a sharp knife and cut the outer layer of an orange peel. The size you cut off should be determined by the amount of weed you want to rehydrate. Place the peel in the jar and seal the lid tightly. Leave it for a few hours, making sure to check on your bud frequently, and remove it when your bud feels moist.
You want to make sure not to leave the peels for too long. Too much moisture will lead to mold. If you do not have an orange peel, you can also use the skin from a lemon or lime. A small piece of apple will also work well and will not add extra flavor like citrus fruits tend to do.
Slice of bread
For this method, simply place your cannabis in a large plastic bag with one slice of bread. You can leave it overnight, which should be sufficient time to rehydrate dried-out weed. You do not want to leave the bread in the bag too long however because just like with citrus peels, too much moisture can lead to mold.
Lettuce
Lettuce is full of moisture. Iceberg lettuce is made up of 96 percent water. This makes it an excellent option for rehydrating your weed. Using lettuce is very similar to using orange peels.
To use this method to rehydrate your weed simply cut a slice of lettuce off the head and place it in a bag with your dried-out cannabis buds. Again, the amount of lettuce you use will depend on how much weed you have.
Leave the lettuce in with your dry bud for 2-3 hours. This should be plenty of time for the water in the lettuce to rehydrate your weed and return it to its original glory. Lettuce is a good option for those who do not want the residual taste that citrus fruit peels can add to buds.
Fresh cannabis flower
If you are a grower and have fresh cannabis buds around, they can be amazing for bringing your dried-out stash back to life. If you have ever harvested, you know how damp cannabis flowers are when they are picked from the stem.
Try placing a freshly cut cannabis flower in with your dry weed and seal the lid tightly. This has proven to work well for others in the past. Check on your weed regularly to see how the rehydration process is going, and when it feels moist again simply remove the fresh cannabis bud.
Wet paper towel
This is a method that can be good for people to rehydrate large quantities of cannabis. To try this rehydration hack, take sheets of paper towel and soak them in water. Next, put the wet paper towels in a plastic baggie, seal it, and poke small holes in the bag. Then add this wet paper towel moisture pack to your large container of weed.
Hot water vapor
This method is a little more hands-on but is also efficient at rehydration.
Grab a large pot, fill it with water, and bring it to a boil. Once the water is boiled, take the pot off the heat and place it on a safe surface. Next, cover the pot with a study cloth or piece of fabric, and secure it around the rim of the pot, making sure not to burn yourself.
Now, place your weed on top of the cloth, and let evaporation do the rest. The hot vapor will pass through the cloth and the buds, providing maximum hydration in a quicker time than the above methods. Be sure to turn the buds regularly to distribute the vapor evenly. After 30 minutes to an hour, your buds should be ready to use.
