Why cure Cannabis?

You'll recall from my Drying Cannabis instructions that cannabis which has been dried slowly provides a smoother smoking marijuana, with richer flavor and aroma. Curing cannabis is simply the last step in this drying process.

What do I use to cure Cannabis?

A popular and cheap way to cure cannabis is by using mason jars. They are cheap, easy to place on a shelf, and can also function as your permanent marijuana storage container once the curing process is complete. I use pint-and-a-half size widemouth Mason Jars for my cure. The widemouth version is much easier to navigate, especially months after you finished curing and you're just trying to pull out some of that righteous organic marijuana to smoke. Instead of mason jars, some people use tupperware. You can use whatever works for you as long as you have a way to keep the container sealed. The actual cannabis cure is very easy and will take between 2 weeks and a month depending on how dry your cannabis was before you began the cure.

How do I cure Cannabis?

First, make sure your cannabis passes the break test and is ready for curing. Revisit the Drying Cannabis page if you aren't sure. Take your cannabis branches and cut them into segments that will fit into your mason jar. Trim off those big dried-out fan leaves since they're pointless now and will just make a mess in your jars. You can trim everything else now if you'd like but it will take awhile and it's probably better to just get everything in jars for now. You can also remove the buds from the branches if you prefer, but I like to keep them on the branches since it's easier to remove them again for final inspection and trim. Gently place the branches into your mason jars until each jar is about half full. Avoid mashing your buds together in the jars or creating clumps as this could cause mold to form between them. Once your jars are roughly half full, close the lids and place the jars in a cool, dark location out of direct sunlight.
In four hours go back to your jars and perform the following inspection:

• Look at your jar. Is there moisture inside?

If there's moisture or condensation inside the jar, your weed is still too wet to be cured. Take it out of the jar and rehang it for drying overnight.

• Open your jar and smell it. Does it smell like fragrant cannabis, or does it smell musty or ammonia-like?

If your jar is musty, has an ammonia-like smell or otherwise doesn't smell like the cannabis you've been drying, it's still too wet for curing. Remove the cannabis and get it drying outside of the jar overnight before placing it back in the cure jar.

This cannabis branch is ready to be trimmed and placed in a mason jar to cure. Check on your cure jars regularly to make sure the Cannabis isn't too wet. Cannabis that's too wet will mold in a sealed jar.

How to spot mold

Look at your cannabis. Do you see any bright white spots or wispy white hairs? That's mold. If you have mold you need to gently remove the affected bud and isolate it. Be gentle since you don't want the mold spores to shake off into the air and potentially reach other buds. I also suggest removing the unaffected buds and placing them in a new, clean and dry jar.

I've made it past the 4-hour mark. How do I proceed?

After you've successfully made it past the four-hour check, you'll need to return to your jars regularly per the following schedule:

• Week 1: Once per day for a week, open each jar for about 30 minutes to allow air exchange. Gently rotate any jars that are tightly packed to break up any clumps of marijuana. Clumps are more likely to grow mold. Perform the jar and mold inspection outlined above. Increase the length or frequency of jar opening as necessary if your weed is still too wet.
• Weeks 2-3: Once every 2-3 days, repeat the instructions for week 1. Your chances of getting mold are decreasing now, but you still need to be vigilant. Follow your nose and pay attention to any clumps to make sure mold isn't growing. Your marijuana should smell great. If it's smelling grassy that means it's drying too quickly and you should avoid opening the lid too much.
• Week 4: You should be reaching your final dry state now. Based on what you've seen and smelled in weeks 2-3, you may already be ready for your final trim and smoke, or you may still need more time.

A special note about Curing Cannabis

Curing cannabis isn't easy. My goal all-along has been to get you, a first-time outdoor cannabis grower, to the finish line with your own homegrown marijuana to smoke. With that goal in mind, I always error on the side of caution and mold avoidance. Most people will tell you to fill your jars about 75% full to eliminate too much air in the jars. Most people will tell you to drag your cure out for longer. I'm not most people, I'm an instructor and since I'm not there to help you, I want to make sure you have marijuana to smoke at the end of your grow instead of a moldy headache. Filling your jars halfway may cause your cannabis to dry faster but you'll be well protected from mold and if you do happen to get mold, it won't affect as many buds since there are less in each jar. So for the record, I know the proper way to cure cannabis but for practical purposes I'm giving you safer advice. Trust me, I do it because I care.

I've successfully cured my cannabis. How do I trim it?

Trimming cannabis is easy but laborious and time-consuming. I personally like to trim my cannabis before placing it in curing jars, but if I'm pressed for time I'll just throw in the jars untrimmed for curing. I like to keep my cannabis on-branch to make trimming easier, but be advised that branches can grow mold so if you see any bright white areas, remove the buds and trash the branch. The goal in trimming your cannabis is to remove all the fan leaves and the tips of the sugar leaves. The tips of the sugar leaves make the final smoke harsher due to their chlorophyll content. Be gentle with your buds so you don't shake off too many trichromes. Now trim the buds off the branches and perform a final inspection for mold. If you have mold, gently cut off that bud and chuck it in the trash.
After you've trimmed your buds you will be absolutely delighted with them. Look at what you've grown!

On-branch marijuana ready to be trimmed.

On-branch marijuana after being trimmed.

My buds are trimmed. My buds are cured. Please tell me I can smoke it now?

Those buds, sir or ma'am, came from your hand. Not mine, and not some random guy who did god-knows-what to his weed before selling it to a dispensary. You grew it, you dried it, and now you deserve a nice, long toke of your own organic cannabis in celebration. Enjoy and I hope to hear about your success!

How to Dry and Cure Cannabis

UPDATE: My bro created a video on How to Dry and Cure Cannabis. Check it out via link or down below: