Keeping Marijuana Fresh On The Shelf

Cannabis legalization has had a huge impact on culture and society in the United States, but more practical matters rarely make the news. As the cannabis industry has grown, a variety of both large and small businesses have bloomed in its wake. These businesses must contend with the realities of shipping, storing, and selling cannabis and cannabis-related products. If you operate a business in this industry, then you know the challenges associated with keeping your product as fresh as possible to deliver the best experiences for your users. Luckily, the basics of keeping cannabis fresh on the shelf are relatively straightforward.

What Damages Cannabis?

Most commercially sold marijuana has a water content that is carefully controlled by its producers. This water content is the result of a drying and curing process, and maintaining the quality of the cannabis is in large part a matter of maintaining this particular water content level. In practice, this means that exposing cannabis to the elements at all has the potential to degrade its overall quality. Humidity in the air can potentially damage or even destroy the cannabis, although dry air can also have a negative effect on its quality by reducing its overall water content.

What this ultimately means is that it is important to carefully control the storage conditions for cannabis. If you are dealing with product that may remain on shelves for days or weeks before being sold, then it is important that proper conditions are maintained in order to avoid delivering a substandard experience for your customers.

Maintaining Optimal Conditions

As a general rule, cannabis that will be stored should be kept in airtight containers. This is because oxygen exposure can potentially cause cannabis to "age" over time, reducing its effectiveness in addition to resulting in a product that is less visually appealing. It is equally important to maintain a moderate humidity level. This will help to keep your cannabis' water content at the proper level, and prevent it from drying out or growing mold.

Options for Storage

If the cannabis you are selling is not prepackaged, then it is important to consider your options for storage carefully. Oxygen-free jars are one of the best tools that you can use to help preserve your cannabis. By storing your marijuana in these jars, you will prevent its gradual degradation due to oxygen exposure. Similar to fermentation jars, these jars are designed to specifically allow gases to escape, creating a vacuum for storing your cannabis. Oxygen absorbing packets can also be added to the jar to help guarantee an environment that is as free of oxygen as possible.

For more information on oxygen-free cannabis storage, consult a resource in your area.

Share