In the old days, weed usually came in a plastic Ziploc bag from a friend of a friend of your neighbor’s brother—or something to that effect. You took whatever you could get without being privy to information on the strain, potency, or potential contamination of your marijuana purchase. Now that weed is legal in Colorado, you can choose from thousands of strains based on their effects as well as aromas and flavors. When you make a thoughtful purchase from a Denver weed shop, you want to do what you can to protect your investment so it lasts as long as possible.

What this means is that you have to keep your stash fresh—especially when you splurge on a strain that you expect to last you for a month or two. The last thing you want is to find the weed degrades over time. One of the ways to avoid this is to manage the humidity when storing your weed. In a dry state like Colorado, humidity is an important factor.

Here’s what you need to know to keep your cannabis as fresh as possible for as long as possible.

Why Humidity Matters

While plenty of cannabis consumers know that humidity has an impact on their stash of weed, they don’t understand the science behind it. Here’s a simple explanation: Relative humidity represents the percentage of moisture in the air relative to the amount of moisture the air can physically hold at a specific temperature. This is crucial to maintaining the quality of the week, from how smooth it is to smoke to how effective it is in treating a medical condition.

The Impact of Humidity on Cannabis

It's the fragrant essential oils in cannabis that give it signature tastes and scents. If your humidity levels are too low, the oils will break down—and this will take away not only the richness of your strain but it can negatively impact the medical benefits patients experience.

The Impact of Too Much Humidity on Cannabis

While an overly dry environment such as Colorado can lead to the degradation of the active ingredients of marijuana, an overly damp environment can damage your stash as well. Too much moisture can lead to mold and bacteria developing. This kind of contamination produces bad odors and flavors for the average cannabis user, which can detract from the experience, but for individuals using medical marijuana, this can be downright dangerous. Many people who use medical marijuana are already immune-compromised, and bacteria or mold in their cannabis can lead to lung conditions such as aspergillosis. HIV and cancer patients are especially vulnerable to this potentially fatal lung disease.

Talk to Your Denver Weed Shop Budtender About Relative Humidity

When you are choosing your next cannabis product, talk to your friendly budtender about how to store your cannabis to keep it from losing weight, potency, and precious cannabinoids while protecting against bacteria. At Altitude the Dispensary, we have a variety of products and we can go over ideal humidity conditions depending on the strain you choose. Come to one of our Denver locations today!