Drying and Curing Cannabis

If you’re someone who likes to dry and harvest plants, you’ve probably looked at cannabis buds. If you’re someone who already does enjoy growing homegrown Kush, one of the big things that you must do, is to make sure that it’s cured and dried. Here, you’ll learn a little bit about this. 

What is it and Do I need to Do It? 

This is basically literally drying out your buds to reduce the moisture to make smoking and vaporizing easier. Curing is where you put the buds in containers for up to 2 weeks, offering better aroma and flavor as they start to mature. 

You may wonder if you need to do this. Well drying is something that’s good if you want to improve the shelf life and the quality of products. That’s because, cannabis buds which are freshly harvested have moisture in them, and you need to eliminate this moisture before you start to smoke. That’s because fresh buds definitely are a bit harsher on the flavor, and if you take out the moisture, it reduces the amount of harshness, and it also offer s a better terpene profile. The second reason is because fungi love those places, so by drying this, you do reduce the chances of this hitting your stash, causing mold to form. 

By letting these dry, it reduces this up to 15%, removing water from the layers of the buds. 

Curing is basically super imperative to do too, since it helps keep the weed fresh for a long time.  that’s because when you do harvest the buds, they’re filled with various starches and sugar, which bacteria and enzymes feed on, and that impacts the smoke that you have. 

How it’s done 

The best way to do this is to trim the buds either wet or dry. You can do this after you dry or cure them. it’s best to trim the buds when they’re wet, much more precise, and so that there isn’t any agitation when you handle these buds.  This is something that also takes a lot of buds to the top shelf options, which make it really good for those interested in really taking their cannabis cultivation to the next level. 

So how it’s done is simple.  you want to make sure that they’re dried after harvested, and you want to ensure that they dry on every single side so that it’s got an even smoke to it.  What you do is you harvest them, put them on wire racks or string these, and if you decide to use wired racks, ensure that you flip these so that they aren’t flat on one singular side. 

As for the humidity levels, keep it moderate, up to 55%, since this of course will help to ensure that there is moisture, but not so much that it will waterlog the buds. To cure them, once they’ve been fully dried, you want to take the buds and place these bad boys in a container which is airtight from there you can let this sit on the shelf, but only if you’re someone who is going to use this down the road. 

If you dry and cure the buds, it’ll help with the flavor profile. This is how a lot of the big dispensaries do this, and it’s something that can definitely be worth looking into if you’re a cannabis fanatic. Through this, you’ll also be able to really get the full benefits that are there, and also create a product that’s top shelf right from the comfort of your home, which is always a good thing.

When Should I take CBD Oil?

CBD oil is something that works in certain times of day, and it’s something that does work better based on when you take it. Here, you’ll learn about the best time to take CBD oil, and what it means if you take it in different time periods. 

The best Time 

The best time is pretty much determined based on when you’re taking it. If you’re taking this to help with stress and anxiety, or with stress and pain before you start the day, then early on in the morning may be better for you. If you’re taking this to improve your sleep, then do it at night for the best results that you can get from this. 

This is cool though since it can be taken whenever you want, but the best thing to remember is that the way you take it does depend on the  type of means, so also keep that in mind too. For example, if you’re taking this as a tincture, you can place this underneath your tongue, and you’ll feel the effects in around 15-30 minutes, as it gets absorbed there. This then gets absorbed into your blood stream and it can clast up to 6-8 hours in some cases, but usually, it’s about two or three hours. 

If you do drink cannabis beverages, it can sometimes work a bit faster, depending on if you decide to have it go under the tongue first. Edibles take a lot longer to cause effects, since they need to go to the liver, and from there get metabolized. The effects of this do peak after a few hours but can last almost 12 hours in some cases. The best way to consume this does depend on whether or not you need this to quickly be done, or if you want to get long-term effects from this as well. 

The times of day and their benefits 

Morning is sometimes a good time if you need that little burst of energy, since it can improve the synthesis of proteins within the brain, and help you wake up. If you have chronic pain, this is a great way to handle chronic pain in a person. It also may offer pain relief regardless of the time to take it, but for those who have pain in the morning, it can impact the day time. 

If you have anxiety though, you can of course use this to help, since this can relief the feelings of anxiety that you have, allowing you to feel better, a lot more relaxed, and able to handle the day as you continue. 

Morning does have some drawbacks though, especially if you take a lot.  If you have a ton, it may cause sedative results from this, but usually, it’s not totally apparent. 

As for the afternoon, this is good for relieving stress, is a natural antidepressant, and it improves the energy and the brain health. However, in the afternoon it can cause a bit of fatigue, your appetite get reduced and diarrhea. 

As for nighttime, CBD is best for those who use it to unwind. It does have the sedative effects too, but the drawback to this, is that you do need to take a lot. Too little, and it’ll wake you up. CBD is also considered a powerful muscle relaxant, which helps and offers benefits to allow you to fall asleep in a better, easier way. 

However you take it is ultimately your call, and there are tons of great ways for you to get the health benefits that you desire through the use of CBD as well.

Cannabis Decriminalization Vs. Legalization

Both these words are all a big part of the way that cannabis is regarded. If you’re curious about what these mean, and if there are any possible chances of getting charges, you’re not alone.  Some of these are important to understand, and it’s important that in states that do decriminalize the plant, there is a chance that you could get a misdemeanor, especially if you’re not using it medically. Here is the difference, and what it means for the state of marijuana. 

All about Decriminalization 

At this point, 27 states currently have some kind of decriminalized version of cannabis. It’s not legal, but if you consume or have it, you won’t get tired or arrested for this.  It’s not going to be a big crime, or there may be no problem at all. For example, let’s take New York, if you have less than three ounces of some kind of cannabis, you won’t get in trouble. But if you’re possessing up to 8 ounces, it’s considered a misdemeanor. 

New York only partially decriminalized this though. If you’ve got more than 5 ounces, it’s a felony, and you can get arrested and incarcerated.  Some states that do have more lenient ideas on this don't apply it everywhere. There is still the civil penalties and fines that come with this, but if it’s decriminalized, it’s not a felony, and you’re not going to be charged with it.  You may get charged with an infraction or misdemeanor though. Many as well have been able to get the criminal records that they have expunged in states that have made cannabis decriminalized. Prior felonies for marijuana may impact housing, employment, and the like, and this gets erased from the record. 

Some of the time, you can also have a clean state with this, which is great for those who have a history of this, and it also gets rid of the war on drugs. 

Legalization 

On the flip side, it’s basically legal to use it, and it’s not a crime to use this. There are some types of legalization. First, you have it for recreational or medical usage, and some for medical usage only. The first is less common, which means that only a few states have it. But that means any adult over the age of 21 in possession of this is allowed to use it. 

There is a big illegal cannabis market, and if you purchase this on the market even in legal states does lower the quality of the product itself, and it can cause problems with criminal results. Legalizing this lets people get this from dispensaries that are totally legal and kosher. 

What’s More Common Right Now 

Right now, decriminalization is definitely more common, but currently, about 19 states have legalized the use of this. If you do factor in the medical programs and the legality of those however, medical legalization is becoming way more common too.While legalization, especially through the use of marijuana, is becoming a lot more common, recreational usage still is a major hurdle in some cases.

This is because a lot of people think they’re going to be reckless with this, but to this day, if you operate machinery or drive a car while under the influence, you can face the consequences period. 

Some states have voted however to fully decriminalize the use of cannabis, so you won’t even have to worry about jail or getting charges for consuming or possessing even the smallest amounts of weed. But, if you’re constantly repeating, or doing a large amount multiple times, there is still the risk of possibly getting charged and arrested. It’s also important to note that even though the charges for the state may not be levied against the person, there is still the possibility of federal punishment. 

The marijuana movement is definitely growing, and we’ve made some great strides. Hopefully, as time goes on, we can see more and more move not just into decriminalization, but also full legalization of this, in order to help keep those who are innocent out of jail and able to not get arrested for this too.