How to Dry Weed

Can you pick buds from weed plants and smoke them right away?

Sadly, the answer is no, and you have to wait for some time once your harvesting is complete. What do you need the extra time for?

After you harvest weed, it is a must to dry your produce before you can smoke it. In addition, some growers even suggest curing your weed for better potency and flavours.

In this blog, we will teach you how to dry weed with minimum hassle. We will also share a snapshot of how to cure your weed for the best smoking experience.

How Long Does It take to Dry Cannabis?

You will need two days to a week to dry freshly harvested cannabis. The time taken will depend on how you trim your buds.

Growers who use wet trimming will need less time to dry weed. The reason is you will be mainly drying the buds as trimming will eliminate other plant parts.

Dry trimming takes more time as you are drying the whole plant or branches.

Why is Drying Weed Important?

Drying weed is an integral part of growing cannabis. Even if you don’t cure your buds, you should always dry your produce to reduce the moisture content. Otherwise, mould may develop on your yield and ruin your whole yield.

Additionally, drying weed reduces the amount of chlorophyll in weed. This produces a smooth smoke that is not harsh on your throat or lungs.

Moreover, drying enhances the cannabinoid profile and terpenes in weed. As a result, your smoke tastes flavourful and rich.

In addition, drying weed improves the potency of your buds. You can get a better high by putting in a few days of effort.

How to Dry Weed

Growers use a range of techniques to remove moisture from weed. You can use blowers, microwaves, or processes like freeze-drying.

However, the old school way of drying weed still works the best. Let’s find out how you can dry your weed by following the steps below:

Trim Your Weed

The first step is to remove unwanted plant parts and sugar leaves from your plant. You can use a simple trimmer to do the job.

However, you need to be patient and dedicate a few hours to achieve your goal.

Hang Your Buds Upside Down

The simplest way to dry weed is to hang it upside down. You can hang whole plants if they aren’t very tall. Otherwise, you can hand individual branches from a clothesline or cloth hanger.

Additionally, keep an eye on the humidity levels and temperature of your room. You should maintain an air temperature of 23° Celsius and ensure 50% humidity. You may invest in a humidifier/dehumidifier or an air conditioner to maintain optimum temperature and humidity.

Moreover, ensure the room is dark as light can degrade THC and other compounds.

Your weed should be dry within 3- 7 days. You can try breaking the stem to see if it snaps. If it does, then your weed is dry and ready for curing.

Leave the weed for further drying if the stem bends instead of snapping.

Dry Weed without Hanging

Growers can also dry weed without hanging the buds upside down. This method is suitable if you wet trim your plant.

You will need cardboard to place the buds to dry. Alternately, you can invest in a drying rack that has a spherical mesh screen. It is the best arrangement as you can ensure adequate airflow for all the buds.

If you are using cardboard, change the position of the buds after a few hours to avoid laying them on wet spots. Additionally, maintain the air temperature and humidity levels discussed in the above method.

Now, check the buds for moisture content after 2 – 3 days. Press the buds a little and see how wet they are. If you feel they are dry, you can remove the buds from the rack.

However, leave your weed to dry for a few days if the buds feel wet when pressing.

Considerations for Drying Weed

You need to ensure the proper temperature and humidity to dry your weed. A cheap hygrometer can go a long way to help you measure your indoor moisture.

Additionally, you can put a fan in the drying room to circulate air. However, don’t point the fan in the direction of the hanging weed or rack directly.

Moreover, handle your buds carefully when you press or change their position. Rough handling can cause the buds to lose their trichomes. As a result, your smoke will taste less flavourful and potent.

In addition, don’t rush the drying process and always check your weed for moisture content. You don’t want your buds to dry too much and lose all potency.

Should You Cure Your Weed?

Many expert growers recommend curing your weed. The process can improve the flavour profile and make your weed more potent. Additionally, curing increases the shelf life of weed to up to two years.

To cure your weed:

• Take a large mason glass or ceramic jar
• Put the buds inside and close the lid
• Leave the jar in a dark and cool spot for 4 – 8 weeks

Final Thoughts

Drying weed is necessary if you want high potency and a good cannabinoid profile. You can remove moisture from buds very easily by hanging them upside down. Else, you can place your weed in a drying rack and occasionally check for moisture content.