Is Your Stash Bone-Dry? Rehydrate Your Cannabis Buds!

One of the worst things that can happen to your weed stash is to let it go bone-dry. If that's happened to you, don't worry, your buds aren't helpless! With a little know-how, it’s possible to rehydrate cannabis using a few simple techniques.

Some of them may even bring in new flavours, while others can quickly destroy your stash if done recklessly. Nevertheless, your pot will never be exactly as it was before, but you can help restore it to its (nearly) former glory.

The Best Method of All - Prevention

The two most common reasons weed gets dry beyond its optimal point are overdrying after harvest and inadequate storage.

Cannabis dries from the outside in. The outer leaves may seem dry, but the inner bud and stems might still hold considerable amounts of water. Therefore, it is common for growers to judge dryness by using the stem-snapping trick.

When you cut down your weed to dry, soon after, the stems lose a lot of their rigidity and stiffness. If you handle a stem, it will bend without snapping. As such, the general rule of thumb is, when you can snap a bud's stem clean in half, it is sufficiently dry. If the stem still bends, it needs more time. While this trick works great for the more experienced, it is by no means the most scientific method.

In moderate climates with average humidity, expect a slow and even drying period. In arid climates, however, it's essential to keep a humidifier close by.

Use Humidity Control Packs to Maintain Perfect Moisture Levels

After a final trim, buds should be placed in an airtight container to cure. Unfortunately, weed will continue to exchange water with the surrounding air, so, unless you look after them, your prized buds will end up bone-dry. Fortunately, one of the easiest ways to maintain the perfect environment for weed is with a moisture pack.

Not only do these nifty little packs work with harvests big and small, but the silicone gel inside takes over the job of exchanging moisture with the air around your buds. The result is a perfectly maintained relative humidity of 58–65%—the sweet spot for curing.

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Too Late, My Weed is Bone Dry - What to Do Now?

Fortunately, in the same way cannabis can release water into the air, it can also suck water molecules back into the bud.

The solution is relatively simple. All you need is an airtight container (again!), or something very close. In this remedial situation, being airtight is not essential to success. But after rehydration and for long-term storage, airtight containers are indeed necessary.

The general idea is to increase the relative humidity inside the container to create a microclimate. Water molecules will disperse from high concentration zones to lower concentration zones until it has evened out.

There are several ways to achieve this—some you can even do regardless of excessive dryness. All these methods are slight variations on one another (except for the super express methods described below), but they do have their nuances.

3 Ways to Rehydrate Your Weed

1. Bread Slice, Lettuce, or Damp Paper Towel Method

This is a non-flavour-adding technique. Grab a slice of bread and moisten it (don't soak it). Alternatively, lettuce leaves work great too. A damp paper towel can also be used, though beware of excessive water content.

Place it on top of the weed in a thick plastic or Ziploc bag, close it tight, and let it sit for an hour or two. When the time has elapsed, check your weed and move it around a little. Check the lettuce, bread, or towel for how much drier it is. This is a clear indication of the amount of water retained by the buds.

Depending on the size of your stash, you may need to repeat this a couple of times. The trick is to not rush it. For instance, do not excessively moisten the bread or leave the same lettuce leaf in there for too long. This could lead to the formation of mould, which could transfer onto the buds.

Inspect thoroughly, and when satisfied, move the weed to a proper airtight container for prolonged storage.

2. Fruit Peel Method

This trick adds a little fun factor and is great for experimentation. You can use several types of fruit peels and herbs to rehydrate your weed, in precisely the same way as described above. The difference is that there will also be a transference of taste and smell.

The most commonly used fruits are oranges and limes, as they are very useful in rehydrating your buds, but also lend their citrusy flavour to the weed. They should not be used for long-term storage and curing, as they could cause mould or bud rot. Daily close inspection is needed to avoid any sort of fungal outbreak. Simply substituting the peel every couple of days will ensure the added taste lingers.

Banana peels are also quite popular. Quicker in action too, but they also rot much quicker. Some people swear it makes the weed more potent, though there is no concrete evidence to support this. Apple peels do not transfer their taste quite as effectively, but they do release moisture slowly and consistently, which is great for even rehydration.

Regardless of your chosen fruit, the trick is to leave the peels with your buds for several hours. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a day until the buds are in good, smokable shape.

You can also add in things like mint, coriander, rosemary, thyme, or any other fragrance-rich cooking herb. Not only will they work for rehydration, but they’ll also add a zing to your smoke.

3. Hot Vapor Method

If you are in a hurry and cannot afford to wait that long, there is a way to speed up the procedure. But a big warning; you run the risk of cooking your weed or rendering it too soggy to smoke.

Grab a large pot, fill it with water, and bring to a boil. Once the water’s boiled, take the pot off the heat and place it on a safe surface. Next, cover the pot with a study cloth or piece of fabric, and secure it around the rim of the pot, making sure not to burn yourself (use oven mitts!).

Now, place your weed on top of the cloth, and let evaporation do the rest. The hot vapor will pass through the cloth and the buds, providing maximum hydration in record time.

Be sure to turn the buds regularly to distribute the vapor evenly. After 30 minutes to an hour, your buds should be ready to use!