Weed Storage Containers Compared: Where Your Buds Stay Fresh Longest

The best place to store weed is an airtight container, like a glass jar, a cannabis humidor or a titanium jar, kept somewhere cool, dark and dry: ideally 59-63% relative humidity and below 25 °C (77 °F). Stored like that, well-cured buds can hold their potency and flavor for many months after you chop and dry your plants.

So, how do you store weed the right way? It's pretty simple: you keep your flower in airtight containers under the right environmental conditions.

When it comes to storing buds, there's a lot to think about, and it pays to know which factors actually make the difference. If buds aren't stored correctly, they're exposed to things like high or low humidity, extreme temperatures, light or air, all of which can make your flower lose quality, potency and flavor over time. You could even end up with moldy buds.

How long can you keep buds in a jar?

Weed doesn't really have an expiration date, but its quality drops if it isn't stored properly. Kept right, flower can stay stable for a long time. Some studies suggest that cannabinoids can stay stable for up to 2 years if the cannabis is properly cured for at least four weeks and kept in an optimal storage environment. Temperatures that are too hot or too cold, along with humidity, can also cause storage problems like mold and mildew.

How to store weed and keep it fresh

The golden rule: always store cannabis somewhere cool, dark and dry. But exactly how dry, how dark and how cool is where the magic happens. So: how should you store your homegrown buds?

Cannabis flowers are delicate, and mold from too much moisture can wreck a whole harvest. That's why we recommend keeping the relative humidity between 59 and 63%.

For the best storage conditions, you also want a cool spot that stays below 25 °C (77 °F). This matters because too much heat breaks down the good stuff in your buds, while cooler temps slow down the chemical changes that degrade them.

Heat sources to keep your stash away from include sunlight, lamps, ovens, microwaves, electronics and the like.

Where should you store cannabis long term?

There's no such thing as the perfect weed storage container, but some are definitely better than others. Some options are meant for short-term storage, while others work for both the long and the short haul.

Glass jars:

Glass jars, like the classic mason jar, are some of the most popular containers for storing dried buds, for a few reasons: they're made of glass and have a metal lid that seals completely, making them airtight. If you go this route, make sure your jars aren't sitting in the light, since they're see-through. Glass jars also do a good job of keeping humidity and temperature steady during storage.

Zip-top plastic bags (short-term storage): 

This isn't the most effective method and won't give you the best results, but it beats leaving your buds totally unprotected. Ziploc bags work for stashing your weed, or even brick weed, for a short time. Just make sure the seals are fully closed. You can also vacuum-seal them, which is a much better option we cover in this article.  

Cigar box or humidor:

This one's a bit pricey. A humidor is a humidity-controlled box used to store cigars, cigarettes, pipe tobacco or, in this case, dried weed. Make sure you use a humidor designed specifically for cannabis; otherwise, the wood it's made from can mess with the flavor of your buds.

Titanium jars:

As a rule, a lot of smokers steer clear of metal weed containers, especially for long-term storage, because metal can drastically change the taste of your buds over time. That said, if you're not into glass and you want a container that keeps light out, titanium jars are your best bet. Titanium doesn't change the flavor of your dried weed.

What happens when cannabis buds get old?

Here's what can happen when your weed ages:

THC loss

When weed is exposed to heat, oxygen and UV light, the cannabinoids inside (THC included) start to break down. It doesn't happen overnight, but you can notice the change after just a few weeks.

Smoke a joint of that weed and you'll find it won't really get you high, but it won't leave you totally sober either.

Conversion to CBN

When THC breaks down, it doesn't just vanish. It turns into another cannabinoid called CBN, which is only mildly psychoactive and won't give you a real high. This happens when weed is exposed to oxygen and heat.

Flavor loss

As your weed loses potency, it'll also lose flavor and give you a harsher smoke. That's because the terpenes dry out over time.

More tips and tricks for storing cannabis

• Some growers recommend keeping cannabis in the freezer or fridge, but if you go that route, keep in mind that freezing temperatures and the extra moisture can make your buds brittle. When that happens, the trichomes covering the buds start to freeze and snap off, which can leave you with buds that are less potent, less tasty and less effective.

• To sum it up, whatever storage method you choose, the key to keeping weed fresh is to make sure your buds stay somewhere cool and dark, away from extreme temperatures, air, light and humidity.

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