How to Rehydrate Weed That's Gone Dry

When cannabis gets too dry, this leads to a less-than-optimal experience all the way around. Thankfully, with the right tools and a little guidance, you can restore dried-out weed most of the time. In this post, we’ll take a look at how to fix dried weed as well as the factors that cause it to lose moisture in the first place.

Keep it From Drying Out With Our Patented Stash Jars

First, What’s So Bad About Dried Out Weed?

We’ve all experienced a dried-out stash at some point. Maybe it was dry when you got it, maybe it dried out after a while - whatever the case may be, it results in a more harsh and unpleasant smoking or vaping experience.

There's no other way to put it: dry, crumbly weed tastes bad. It burns hotter and faster, so the smoke is less flavorful and harsher. Cannabis needs a certain moisture level to provide optimal flavor. Well-cured and well-packaged weed should come from the dispensary with just the right amount of moisture, making it flavorful, potent, and slow-burning. 

Jump to: How to rehydrate weed

The Science Behind Over-dried Cannabis

As your flower dries out and falls below the ideal humidity level for preservation (55-65% rH), the plant trichomes begin to dry out. As this happens, the terpenes in the flower evaporate over time. Terpenes are huge contributors to smell, taste, and potency, so restoring your product to optimum humidity as quickly as possible can literally save your stash.

Read more: The Best Humidity & Temperature for Storing Cannabis

What Happens When Weed Dries Out

So maybe you left your bud in an open plastic bag too long or forgot to close the lid on your stash jar. When cannabis is exposed to air, variant temperatures, and low humidity levels, the moisture can evaporate relatively quickly. And, when the moisture deteriorates, those flavorfully potent trichomes start to break down soon after. The key is getting the atmosphere in your storage container back up to that preferred 55 to 65 percent relative humidity as quickly as possible.

There’s Help For the Dry Crumble; How to Rehydrate Weed Properly

There are many ways to reintroduce that lost moisture. If you catch the problem early, you can not only restore moisture, but also prevent the breakdown of terpenes and cannabinoids. People used to use things like lettuce, orange peels, wet paper towels, etc. Over the years, many DIY methods have been used to rehydrate weed, and some can be effective in a limited sense, such as:

• Mixing some new, still moist weed with the dried weed
• Adding a fresh lettuce leaf to the stash jar
• Dropping a damp cotton ball into the storage container
• Putting a citrus peel—from a lemon or orange—into the jar

While these methods worked ok, there was always the danger of introducing contaminants and mold to the stash. Not to mention, all of these methods are one-way humidification, meaning they will continuously introduce moisture if left unattended. 

Introducing: The Evergreen Humidification Pod

The Evergreen Pod, on the other hand, is a two-way humidification device, which means it can add moisture to the storage environment and pull it out if it gets too high. This means using an Evergreen pod can keep the humidity inside your container at that consistent sweet spot to keep your weed fresh.

How to Fix Dry Weed the Right Way with the Evergreen Pod

The basic process requires a few simple steps:

• Make sure the pod is charged (instructions here)
• Loosen the pod's cap about a quarter turn to allow airflow
• Attach the pod to the jar's lid
• Wait

It can take a little time for the rehydration magic to work. Give the weed a day, check for dryness and your pod's charge, and then repeat the process as necessary until your cannabis is restored to its former glory. It may take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks for the cannabis to return to its proper moisture level.

Fore More Information: Instructions & Guides

How Do You Know If Weed Can Be Saved?

So, at what point is dried cannabis too far gone to save with a humidification pod? Three ways to tell:

• It should still have its vibrant color
• It should still have its pleasant smell and relatively good aromatics
• It should have a good consistency and not completely crumble when handled

If your nugs are past this point, it may just be too late. But just because you may be past this point doesn’t mean your buds won’t still benefit from being stored properly. It’s never too late to take care of your stash.

Post-restoration

After you’ve restored your flower back to the ideal humidity level, you’ll want to keep it that way. Make sure to always have a properly charged Evergreen Pod in the lid of your stash jar for optimum flavor preservation.

Now that you know how to restore dried out herb, you should never have to deal with brittle, crumbly flower again!

Check out our full Weed Storage Guide to learn more about properly storing cannabis. Need stash jars and humidification pods to keep your precious nugs fresh? Be sure to take a look at the full collection of cannabis storage supplies available at Evergreen.