Is your home filled with flowers of green, orange, and purple? Then, you might need to consider whether you have moldy weed on your hands.
Like all organic matter, moldy cannabis is a very real thing if you don’t store it correctly. So, if you got cross-faded and forgot about how long that nug has been sitting in your kitchen, it’s time to inspect your weed.
Let’s explore moldy weed vs. regular weed, the differences, and how to stop yourself from adding expired cannabis to your future weed recipes.
What is Moldy Weed?
Firstly, you have to know what mold is. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), mold is a fungus that thrives on all forms of organic matter.
It can grow inside or outside because it feeds on moisture and carbon. Also known as mildew, you’re most likely to find mold growing on anything in a state of decay or death. This is why you can find it on everything from plants and buildings to hospital beds and human cadavers.
Let the mold grow, and it can quickly spread and infect other surfaces. This is why mold can grow on any cannabis strain, whether Blue Dream or Lemon Kush. No organic matter is immune from mold.
And that’s why there’s such an emphasis on storing weed in cool, dry conditions.
Is Moldy Cannabis Harmful to Your Health?
Most people will not be affected by the presence of moldy weed. On the other hand, you may experience strange symptoms if you have a mold allergy.
Some of the symptoms of a mold allergy include:
· Asthma
· Sneezing
· Shortness of breath
· Wheezing
· Watery eyes
· Coughing
The danger of moldy weed largely depends on the strain and your sensitivity to mold.
3 Signs that Your Weed Has Gone Bad
Bad and expired weed gives off tell-tale signs if you know what to look for. As a rule of thumb, most people agree that cannabis flower will have an average shelf life of one year when kept in the right conditions.
Mold on weed isn’t as apparent as when looking at a chunk of cheese or a bottle of milk. But even novices can learn what to look for when cleaning a weed grinder or storing cannabis seeds.
So, look, smell, and taste, here’s how to know your weed has gone bad.
1. What Does Bad Weed Look Like?
The easiest way to tell what’s happening with your weed is to look at it. However, you must be able to tell the difference between mold and the plant’s trichomes. It’s easy to mistake the two.
Due to the silver hairs and sticky crystals, trichomes have a white furry appearance, which can look like fungi.
If moldy, it’ll look like webbing growing on the bud, whereas trichomes grow from the plant.
Typical mold will be white or gray rather than silver. It’ll often appear as a dusting like someone has sprinkled flour onto your weed.
2. What Does Moldy Weed Smell Like?
Fresh weed is always dank, but you could have mold if you’re sniffing it, and it’s a little less dank than usual.
Fresh and sticky, there are many names for weed, but only one for cannabis with an odd odor, and that’s “bad.”
Your cannabis may smell of sweat, urine, your basement, or just plain mildewy when smelled. It’s harder to tell that there’s something wrong by smell alone, but as a rule, if something doesn’t smell right about your favorite flavor, it’s time to toss it.
3. What Does Moldy Weed Taste Like?
The final way to tell if something isn’t right is to taste your weed. If it’s got mold, it’ll have a danker taste than usual. Like the smell, it may also give the impression that it’s in the middle of rotting.
As with the smell, if you’ve learned how to roll a blunt and something tastes off-brand about your Kiwiskunk, it’s time to throw it away.
Types of Cannabis Mold
Various mold types exist, some being rare and some not so much. Here’s a brief rundown of the top types of mold you’re likely to encounter:
· Fusarium – Wide distribution in the agricultural business. This rare fungus can cause invasive fungal pneumonia. Thankfully, this is more of an issue for breeders than consumers.
· Pythium – A common cause of cannabis root rot, this fungus grows alongside cannabis, producing wilted and discolored plants.
· Penicillium – A common mold, penicillium appears as white and fluffy. It’s not dangerous for humans but can cause plants to rot.
· Powdery Mildew – If your weed has white or gray powder, this is the powdery mildew fungi, which can result in allergic reactions.
· Botrytis Cinera – When someone says “bud rot,” they mean botrytis cinera. It can develop anywhere on the cannabis plant, producing gray spores visible to the naked eye.
Can You Get Rid of Mold on Weed?
Since marijuana legalization, it’s not uncommon for people to ask what kills mold on weed buds. Truthfully, replacing your stash with fresh weed is the best course of action.
But you’ve got other options. For example, you can try decarboxylating your weed, which is essentially baking your weed at 230 degrees for 35 minutes. Or you could use a water pipe to filter off the weed while smoking it.
However, neither option is ideal. The best cure for rotting weed is always prevention.
How Do You Keep Buds from Molding?
If you don’t want to switch exclusively to the best THC drinks, you need a dedicated storage space for your herb. And the chances are you already have everything you need at home for your latest batch of Ice Cream Cake.
Air-tight containers and a dark location always get great results. Options include:
· Empty pill bottles.
· Tupperware.
· Mason jars.
· Ziplock bags.
Whether it’s Gooberry or Granddaddy Purple, all weed thrives when stored in locations where moisture and air are blocked.
Some people also use humidity packs to maximize freshness or weed rehydration using vegetable peels.
Conclusion
Moldy weed is a problem for breeders and consumers alike. But the cure is the same: proper storage and constantly inspecting your herb before smoking up.
Head out on a cannabis tourism adventure, and you’ll find an increasing number of dispensaries providing humidity packs and special storage containers to make your weed last longer.
Let Flavor Fix be your guide to the world of cannabis storage, and educate yourself on keeping your stash smokable for longer.
