This article originally published in 2017, but it’s so damn hot out that we wanted to resurface this old (but still relevant) favorite. May these tips and tricks serve you well!
Dear MERRY JANE,
Can you revive dry weed? I sometimes get more pot than I need and so it sits around and dries up. When I smoke it, it burns quickly and is super harsh on my throat (plus, it doesn’t taste too great). What can I do to make my weed last long without it going bad/drying up? Thanks!
— Parched Pot
Dear Parched,
Dry weed is a total bummer. You’re not going to throw it out, but do you really want to harsh your mellow with painful puffs? So, what happens if you buy too much cannabis (oh, what a problem to have!) or, like us, forget that you stashed some and happen to stumble upon it months later? Read on, because we will explain how to both revive your cannabis for happy, non-harsh consumption, and offer some pointers on how to prevent your stash from even drying up in the first place.
There are a lot of easy and homespun remedies at your fingertips for freshening up some sad, brittle pot. First, go grab yourself some tupperware — if you have the glass kind like Pyrex makes, even better. Pop your parched cannabis in there. From here you have several options. You can lightly wet a Q-tip or a cotton ball and place it in with the herb. Once you seal it, the moisture from the cotton will get absorbed by the cannabis. Make sure that the cotton isn’t touching your cannabis, though, as you want it rehydrated, not wet. However, with this method you have to be careful about over-moistening the marijuana, because too much wetness can make it moldy. As long as you check in on it every day, you should be able to get it back to a nice, lush green in no time.
Another great way to regain that moisture is with a lemon or orange peel. Both have natural moisture in them that can transfer to the herb when you seal them up. However, this method runs the risk of having your herb smell and taste a bit citrus-y. This shouldn’t be a problem if you are trying to revive a strain that already has a citrus flavor to it, like Agent Orange, Lemon Haze, or Tangerine Dream. It would also pair well with many “sour” strains as well (Sour Diesel, Sour Kush, Sour OG, etc). Just make sure to check on it at the end of the day. Fruit peels can quickly get moldy, and you don’t want that transferring to your marijuana.
Lastly, some good old lettuce can work, and anecdotally seems to take less time than the fruit rinds and Q-tips. Some say it can work in just a couple of hours, plus there are no smell or taste issues involved. But, that’s counting on the fact that you have some fresh lettuce in your fridge. Sorry, but old, wilted lettuce just won’t cut it.
While we’re hopeful that one of those options will work for you in the short-term, you should also look at your long-term choices in storing your cannabis. Always store in an airtight container like a glass jar with a tight lid. You also want to make sure you store your stash out of the light and in a temperature-controlled area that isn’t too hot or too cold.
There are some great products out there (like the Cannador) that can help you keep your marijuana in the ultimate of conditions, but they do tend to be on the pricier side. That said, they use state-of-the-art craftsmanship and technology to ensure that your cannabis stays perfectly hydrated and always ready for consumption.
So, in the future, make sure to keep your stash seal airtight, but know that you can easily solve your dry weed problem with just a few household items and a little bit of time!
— Mother Knows Best, advice columnist
