The ultimate guide to drying and curing cannabis for the best results

After cutting down marijuana plants at harvest, a proper dry and cure are crucial for buds. These processes help preserve and accentuate flavors by retaining terpenes and cannabinoids, while diminishing chlorophyll and getting rid of the vegetal taste of the plant.

The drying process is the initial drying of buds, which usually happens in the open air—freshly harvested plants can lose up to 75% of their weight to moisture loss, as well as sticks, stems, branches, and leaves that get trimmed off.

When dry trimming, drying happens first and then buds are trimmed; in wet trimming, vice versa.

A dry shouldn’t be too quick or too long: Too quick and the outside of buds will appear dry but the insides won’t be; too long and buds could develop mold.

When buds are trimmed and dried, they are placed in airtight containers for curing. This stops the loss of moisture, preserving flavors and aromas and allowing buds to take on their full flavor.

How long does it take to dry cannabis?
Drying takes about 2-7 days. The process is usually shorter when wet trimming because most of the plant material is trimmed away first and there is less plant to dry.

When dry trimming cannabis, you can hang harvested plants upside down on a line or hanger, either whole plants or branches—this prevents buds from getting flattened or misshapen as they dry.

When wet trimming, you’ll place trimmed buds on a drying rack.

Whether wet or dry trimming, check drying buds or branches after two days by bending a branch or stem—if the stem snaps, that means buds are fully dry. If they don’t snap, leave them and check the next day.

How to set up a cannabis drying room
drying cannabis
(OlegMalyshev/iStock)
What makes for a good drying room?
A good drying room will need to be dark with temperatures between 60-70°F and humidity between 55-65%. A cheap hygrometer will help you monitor these numbers.

Depending on your house or property, you may be limited in what you can use for a drying room. Know that it can be hard to control temperature and humidity in big rooms. Also, know that the room will smell like weed. Be sure the space you choose doesn’t have huge fluctuations in temperature and humidity.

Add a small fan to circulate air, and you may need to add a dehumidifier or AC as well. If it’s taking too long to dry buds in your space, you may need to adjust the temperature or humidity to help the drying process.

How dark should a drying room be?
UV rays from sunlight can degrade cannabis, so for optimal drying, keep your space dark. If you don’t have a light-tight space, cover your buds.

It’s OK to open the door and check in on the buds, but prolonged light exposure can quicken drying. Buy Magic Mushrooms Online

Cannabis drying room equipment
Drying rack or line to hang buds for drying
Hygrometer to measure temperature and humidity
Fan
AC unit (optional)
Dehumidifier (optional)
How to hang dry buds
Hang drying buds is less labor intensive but takes up more space. It involves cutting off big branches, or even hanging whole plants upside down. This saves time because you don’t have to “buck,” or remove individual buds off of branches, but as there is more plant hanging, drying this way will take up a lot more space.

Another downside to hang drying is that buds may take longer to dry as there is more plant matter, i.e., branches, stems, stalks, and fan leaves.

How to dry buds without hanging on a line

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