Summer is considered the hottest season in Long Island. During this period, you’re likely to experience extreme humidity levels, days that hit the 90s, and cars that turn into ovens the second you park them.
In other words, your stash is up against a lot more than it realizes. If you’ve ever pulled a jar out of your bag after a beach day and noticed your flower felt dry, sticky, or just off, heat and humidity were probably the culprit.
Surprisingly, knowing how to store cannabis in hot weather is not just about keeping your bud looking good on the shelf but simply protecting the terpenes, potency, and overall experience you paid for.
In this article, we’ll discuss tips on how you can store cannabis in summer and everything else that you need to know.
Let’s get to business!
Why Heat Is Cannabis’s Worst Enemy
Cannabis flower is essentially a bundle of fragile compounds that are made up of cannabinoids like THC and CBD, and terpenes, which are both sensitive to heat.
When flower sits in a hot environment, terpenes start to evaporate.
Terpenes have low boiling points, some as low as 70°F, depending on the compound, which means a car dashboard or a sunny windowsill can cook them off before you even notice.
That’s why bud that’s been left somewhere warm often smells muted or flat compared to when it was freshly cured.
Besides, heat accelerates the breakdown of THC into CBN, which is a less potent, yet more sedating cannabinoid.
A little CBN naturally develops over time in any stored cannabis, but excess heat speeds that clock up dramatically, which means your once-energizing sativa can start hitting a lot mellower after a few days baking in a hot car.
Factors to Consider When Storing Cannabis in Hot Weather
The good news is that you can still protect your cannabis in hot weather to maintain its freshness.
Here are some of the factors that you need to look out for.
Keep It Airtight
Air exposure and heat are a bad combination. Oxygen speeds up cannabinoid degradation, and in hot weather, that process moves even faster.
An airtight glass jar aids in blocking oxygen, and it doesn’t hold onto odors or residue the way plastic can, and won’t leach chemicals into your flower over time.
If you’re grabbing a jar of your favorite weed, keep the lid snug and avoid opening it more than necessary on hot, muggy days, since every open-and-close cycle lets fresh humid air in.
Store It Somewhere Cool and Dark
Light and heat are basically partners in crime when it comes to breaking down cannabinoids and terpenes.
As a result, we recommend storing your cannabis in a cool dark spot during hot weather season.
A closet, a dresser drawer, or a cabinet away from any exterior walls that catch afternoon sun can work perfectly well in this case.
However, if your apartment doesn’t have great air conditioning, even something as simple as storing your stash on a lower shelf, off the floor and away from windows, can make a noticeable difference, since heat rises and windows act like little greenhouses.
Use Humidity Packs
Two-way humidity control packs are one of the easiest upgrades you can make, especially once summer humidity swings start working against you.
These packs are designed to release or absorb moisture to hold your jar at a target humidity, usually somewhere in that 58 – 62% range.
Toss one in with your flower, and it does the balancing act for you, whether the issue that week is too much moisture or not enough.
Never Leave Your Weed in the Car
Most people have a tendency to leave their cannabis inside the car.
Car interiors on a sunny Long Island day can climb well past 120°F in a matter of minutes, even with the windows cracked.
That amount of heat is enough to degrade terpenes and can even warp plastic containers, melt edibles, and turn a beach-day treat into a puddle.
If you’re heading to the beach or a backyard hang and bringing your stash along, plan to keep it with you or in a cooler bag.
Consider a Cooler Bag for Travel
Speaking of beach days and BBQs, a small insulated cooler bag or pouch is worth having on hand all summer.
It doesn’t need to be fancy, but even a basic lunch cooler with an ice pack keeps your jar or pre-rolls out of direct heat while you’re out and about.
This matters most for pre-rolls and edibles, which tend to be more heat-sensitive than dense flower since pre-rolls dry out fast once the paper’s exposed to warm air.
What About the Fridge or Freezer?
This is a question that comes up a lot once summer heat sets in: if the fridge is cool, why not just store your stash in there?
Here’s the truth: refrigerators are humid environments, and pulling a jar in and out of the fridge repeatedly creates condensation as the cold glass hits warm room air.
This can introduce moisture right into your flower and set the stage for mold. If you do go this route, keep the jar sealed at all times and avoid opening it until it’s back to room temperature.
Freezing is generally not recommended for flower you plan to use anytime soon, since the freeze cycle can make trichomes brittle and prone to breaking off, which means lost potency and flavor.
This can be a reasonable option for long-term storage of larger amounts you won’t touch for months, but for the jar you’re working through week to week, a cool, dark cabinet paired with a humidity pack is always the best option over the fridge or freezer
Building a Summer Storage Routine
Here are cannabis storage tips you can put into practice during summer.
- Designate One Storage Spot: This can be a closet shelf or dresser drawer away from exterior walls. It works well, and also having a consistent spot means you’re not improvising on a hot day.
- Check Your Jars Periodically: During heat waves, especially if your home doesn’t have reliable air conditioning, you need to check your jars regularly. A quick squeeze test on the bud tells you a lot.
- Repackage Smaller Amounts for Outings: Instead of carrying your whole stash around, you can bring a small travel jar or tin for a day trip. This will help to ensure that the bulk of your flower stays protected at home.
- Keep an Eye on Your Humidity Pack: Most humidity packs last a couple of months before they need replacing, and a spent pack won’t do much good during the hottest stretch of summer.
Remember that none of the above requires a big investment. All you need is just a couple of glass jars, a pack of humidity control packets, and a designated cool spot in your home to handle the vast majority of what a Long Island summer can throw at your stash.
Signs Your Stash Took Heat Damage
Not sure if your flower already got hit by the heat? Here’s how you can tell:
- Weak Smell: If a jar that used to hit you with aroma the second you opened it now smells faint or grassy, terpenes have likely evaporated, which is already a solid sign.
- Dry, Crumbly Texture: Look out for buds that used to have a nice spring to them but now crumble at the touch.
- Harsh Smoke: Dried-out flower tends to burn hotter and harsher, since the moisture that normally cools the smoke is gone.
Keep Your Stash Ready for Whatever Long Island Summer Throws at It
Storing cannabis properly in hot weather is simply a matter of controlling the temperature, humidity, and light exposure.
Always keep your flower sealed, cool, and out of direct sunlight. You can also use a humidity pack if you can, and never let your stash sit in a hot car, even for just a few minutes.
If you do that consistently, you’ll realize that your bud will taste, smell, and hit the way it’s supposed to, regardless of the season.
And if you’ve been struggling to find a reliable spot to shop for weed in Long Island, Planet Nugg has you covered.
You can place your order online or visit our dispensary for pickup. Shop with us today, and you won’t regret the decision.
