Introduction:
In this article, we will be talking about the effect and importance of curing cannabis. However, before we begin, let’s first talk about curing and understand what it means when it comes to cannabis.
Curing is basically a cannabis processing method that has been said to take roots from tobacco refineries. During this process harvested plant material is dried in order to fine-tune its moisture content. Apart from cannabis, many other plants are cured. Notable examples include hemp, tobacco, bay leaves, and sagebrush.
Curing typically begins as soon as the harvest buds are adequately dried which usually takes 1 or 2 weeks after the harvest. This may however vary depending on the climate of the area where you are growing the cannabis. Further, this curing process is expected to last for 4-6 weeks. Some growers might even extend this time duration to around 5 or 6 months for better shelf life and to get a fulfilling flavour!
Now that you have an idea of what a curing process typically looks like, let’s understand the way it affects cannabis.
This is the effect that curing has on the cannabis plant:
- It breaks down chlorophyll and dramatically reduces the harshness of the bud, both of which help improve the flavour and aroma of the cannabis
- The process of Curing eliminates the disliked smell and taste that is generally found in weed
- Curing helps mature the trichomes and terpenes that are a part of their buds in a faster and effective manner.. Again this leads to an improvement in its aroma, flavour and overall quality.
- Curing makes the effects of cannabis usage less severe. For example it can help prevent paranoia and anxiety that often come along like uninvited guests with smoking and vaping.
- Curing allows the storage of your bud for a long time without putting it at risk of getting mould.
- It affects the potency of the weed.
- A very positive effect that curing has is that if the process is carried out effectively, it helps prevent the degradation of volatile compounds such the terpenes and cannabinoids. Generally, these compounds are held within the trichomes on cannabis buds and degrade when the time for harvest arrives. The curing process forces the cannabis plant to use any excess nutrients before the drying happens which prevents the formation of harsh cannabis. So basically every time you smoked cannabis that lacked flavour and was harsh, it just was not properly cured! This is how much the curing process can impact the cannabis quality.
- Curing preserves the terpene profile. I am sure that you must have heard this statement multiple times but this is not just something that people randomly say. People have actually researched this and have found results that support the fact that curing does indeed preserve the terpene profile of cannabis. One such study has also been conducted in recent years. This study was focused on monitoring the patterns of terpene change throughout the lifecycle of a cannabis plant and compared these changes in a cured plant with other live plant profiles, in a controlled lab setting. The results obtained after a detailed analysis showed that curing did indeed preserve the terpene profile.
So these were some of the ways in which curing affects cannabis.
Let us now move on to its importance!
Curing cannabis is usually the final step in the growing process, and many smokers tend to miss out on it because they’re too tempted to rush the process and get their reward. But the truth is that the actual reward is obtained once you have cured the cannabis.
Here is why it is considered to be so important to cure cannabis:
Firstly, it helps improve the potency of cannabis. This is because during potency cannabigerol converts to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is responsible for enhancing the potency of your weed.
For all those wondering, Cannabergerol is just a non-psychoactive compound. The THC generally develops from it. As metabolism occurs continually in the buds, it will require food in order to sustain the process. Consequently, they will break down the sugars in the buds which further purifies the buds. Moreover, the chlorophyll breakdown that takes place during buds senesce also assists in removing the harshness from your weed.
However, curing is not just beneficial for improving potency, it also improves flavour. This can be credited to the fact that curing helps preserve the terpene profile as discussed above. What happens is that when enzymes and bacteria are feeding on decaying plant material, they also end up consuming the cannabinoids and the terpenes. Now, this is actually beneficial for you because fresh cannabis is bound to be loaded with sugars, starch, and other plant materials which taste horrible when smoked. Thus, the curing process is very important and should not be skipped out if you want to enjoy that dream high!
Curing is especially important for you if you plan on storing your cannabis for a long time as it extends the shelf life of its buds. If you cure your cannabis strictly adhering to the set guidelines you will no longer have to worry about moulds or cannabinoid degradation. You can keep your weed with you for as long as two years without losing out on too much potency. In order to maintain the quality, you should keep it stored in airtight containers and preferably at a cool and dark location.
So these were a few factors that contribute to the importance of curing your cannabis plant and after giving the above text a read, we are sure that you have developed the understanding that curing is always going to be worth the time and energy you put in.
Conclusion:
We hope that this article has served as a valuable source of information and has helped you understand the effect and importance of curing your cannabis.
Make sure to never miss out on this process and get the most flavorful smoking experience!
How To Correctly Cure Your Cannabis and Why it’s important – Low Price Bud
Curing Cannabis: Why It’s Important and How to Do It Properly | PotGuide.com
Does Curing Affect the Potency of Cannabis? – WeedMania420
Researchers Reveal How Curing Cannabis Affects Terpene Levels – Ganjapreneur