CBD Flower – One of the main issues people end up having with CBD is that they buy too much of it in any form. They usually run onto discounts or some great seasonal or holiday deal, so they want to make the most of it. Buying hemp goods that will stay on your shelf for a quite while is not a saving. You spent money on something you didn’t use. As more states decriminalize marijuana use, hemp production and the plant cannabis seeds industry are also on the rise. Because of this demand, the internet is now brimming with cannabis seed banks that ship worldwide.
Cannabidiol comes in various forms ranging from liquids to pills to oils. Recently, manufacturers started to offer CBD-rich buds, which can be used in a variety of ways, as seen on this link.
With CBD Flower coming in such a variety, stocking these products to preserve the maximum potency of the active substance can be a real challenge. If you buy more CBD flowers than you need, you can keep them fresh only with proper storage.
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Keep Away from Heat
High temperatures are the biggest threat to CBD Flower. Heat has been shown to affect the decay of cannabidiol. It’s detrimental because it speeds up the rate at which its molecules oxidize. When exposed to heat, CBD loses much of its medicinal value before it has a chance to enter your body.
So ideally, you should keep your buds in a cool, dark place away from heat sources. Ensure that the room temperature is not higher than 21° C (70 Fahrenheit). Anything higher than that, along with moisture, makes a perfect condition for mold and mildew development.
Light has almost the same detrimental effect on hemp flowers as heat. Direct exposure to the sun or artificial lighting will kill those precious compounds inside the buds. Thus dried CBD flowers will lose flavors, and more importantly, therapeutic effects.
Avoid Temperature Changes
In addition to heat, sudden temperature changes are fatal to CBD. Large differences between the highest and lowest temperatures favor the formation of mold, the development of bacteria, and make CBD buds brittle. So, the kitchen and bathroom are not a good idea for storing your hemp flowers, although most people will opt for cabinets just in these rooms.
A better option is a hallway or even your bedroom, provided you don’t overheat it. Opt for a drawer or cabinet that is not easily accessible so that your kids or pets don’t reach your precious buds. Hemp buds are not toxic but could be a potential choking hazard for these little ones.
Glass Jars Will Do
Although hemp buds are most often purchased in plastic bags, it is recommended that you move them out of them as soon as you open the package. Glass jars are fine for storing hemp flowers because they’re heat resistant. Still, don’t keep them in the fridge, especially if you don’t know how much THC is in CBD flower (if you choose strains that contain legal level of 0.3% of THC).
So, if you plan on storing the CBD flower for a while, you might consider purchasing several smaller jars and keeping them in the dark, cool cabinet. Just make sure these jars have airtight lids. This way, CBD will remain virtually un-decayed.
If you travel frequently, you may find yourself with a jar in the bottom of your travel bag. Glass containers are perfect for short transportation of hemp flowers. They will keep your buds fresh and allow you to enjoy them while you are away.
Avoid Freezing
If you find that you have a lot of and you want to preserve it for a while, then you can keep hemp flowers in a sealed jar in the freezer. But it is necessary to keep them at room temperature for some time before consumption. The bad thing is that you can’t know in what condition CBD buds are after freezing. It’s known that this derivative doesn’t like heat, but neither does the ice-cold temperature.
Storing in Plastic Bags?
Most people keep their CBD flowers in plastic bags. That is not continuously a good idea, especially if you keep these buds at room temperature. If you store them in a location where there is a lot of moisture in the air (such as in the kitchen), moisture droplets can appear inside the bags and destroy your precious source of CBD.
Another concern is that plastics contain BPAs, compounds that are quite harmful to human health. Although plastics labeled as BPA-free are increasingly used today, they are not entirely safe to use or store hemp buds. On the other hand, glass is a natural material that doesn’t contain toxins and is more durable than baggies.
Signs Hemp Buds Went Bad
CBD buds are not subject to any processing other than mild drying to activate CBD and the terpenes in them. It means that their shelf life is not unlimited, even with optimal storage conditions. So if you have a jar of hemp buds for a while, you have to check if they turned bad.
You will know that by looking at a few pointers. Check the upper nugs on the flowers. If they changed their color or it faded, there’s a high chance your stash went bad. Also, if the smell is not potent as it used to be, or you spot traces of mildew or mold, it’s time to get some fresh CBD flowers.
On the next page, check out more signs of hemp buds going bad:
CBD flowers have a short shelf life because they are not processed. Also, not all buds in the pack are not of the same quality. Still, the biggest mistake is improper storage. If you don’t want CBD buds to go bad, they need the proper conditions to stay fresh and potent.
