Smoking fresh picked buds might be tempting if you’ve got no ready weed to get high on. After all, most edible stuff are rich when fresh. You want to take your fruits and vegetables fresh from the garden. You want the kitchen to be immersed in the freshness of the meals cooked therein, but you must dry and cure your cannabis properly to potentiate its rich components.
Whether you’re experimenting with fresh cannabis or just impatient, smoking fresh-picked weed seems to be on many cannabis growers’ bucket lists. But is it worth it? Let’s find out!
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Can You Smoke Fresh Picked Bud?
Technically, you can’t smoke fresh picked buds because they are wet. They can’t burn. There are ways to quick-dry the fresh weed and smoke the bud minutes after cutting them, but the chlorophyll in them will make the smoke harsher, and you won’t get high because THC is not yet in its psychoactive form.
You shouldn’t smoke fresh weed if you want a favorable smoking experience. Those who’ve tried smoking it will tell you it’s a waste of your precious harvest. Even if you picked a seemingly dried bud by natural causes, there is still a lot of processing it needs to go through to make it smoke-worthy.
Wet weed contains cannabinoids in their weak forms. Through the drying process, the water leaves the buds, and the cannabinoid concentrations go higher.
Can I Cut A Bud Off My Plant And Smoke It?
You can cut a bud off your plant and smoke it. But smoking fresh weed gives you the raw deal. It’s not only water that escapes when you quick-dry cannabis. Your weed will also lose potency and aroma because terpenes and cannabinoids degrade when exposed to quick-drying conditions.
The most-used methods of quick-drying fresh buds for a quick smoke are microwaving, putting the buds close to lights, and putting them close to high-powered fans.
These conditions work against the principles of the gradual loss of water that creates a perfect blend of moisture and critical components that potentiate weed.
When you cut the bud and smoke it fresh, you’re signing up for a bad weed experience. You might not feel the high at all.
Also, when you cut a bud off your plant, you’re hurting the plant. The plant is in its final stage, above which it senesces, but you still want to retain its strength for the last lap. Any cutting that might leave it scarred can change its focus from enriching the buds to healing the cut.
Can I Harvest One Bud At A Time?
You can harvest one bud at a time because the top buds are more exposed to the light and ripen faster. However, it is better to LST the plant and expose the lower and top buds to the same light intensity. Cutting the top colas stresses the plants and may slow the bud development, as it diverts its attention to healing the cuts.
It also takes an experienced grower to balance getting the best nugs and the risk the cuts pose to the plant.
Instead of harvesting the top buds first, help the plant to mature them at the same time. Training methods like SCROG help you create an even canopy that ensures uniform exposure to light. This ensures that the nugs are ripe at the same time.
Why Should the Drying and Curing Process Be Slow?
The weed drying and curing process should be slow for many reasons. Drying and curing weed isn’t about getting rid of the moisture in the weed. It’s about achieving the correct moisture content in the buds to preserve flavor and potency.
Properly drying and curing cannabis buds will take longer, but the rewards are worth the wait. Dry hanging for seven days is recommended to let the moisture escape without leaving the buds crunchy and powdery.
Besides, the THC level in fresh weed is pretty low before drying and curing. Through the curing process, cannabergerol converts to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), enhancing the potency of your weed.
Also, the fresh cannabis buds are higher on plant matter than on the essential cannabinoids and terpenes. You’re burdening your lungs for no good reason if you’re smoking them.
For a seasoned smoker, you’ll have to take more for the psychoactive effects to kick in. Meaning you’ll be taking in more smoke than you normally would and feeling less high than you normally get with fewer puffs.
You might also end up with a terrible headache, foul-smelling mouth, or short highs when you smoke the quick-dried nugs.
Also, the fresh buds are high on plant matter than they’re on the essential cannabinoids and terpenes. If you’re smoking them, you’re burdening your lungs for no good reason.
For a seasoned smoker, you’ll have to take more for the psychoactive effects to kick in. Meaning you’ll be taking in more smoke than you normally would and feeling less high than you normally get with fewer puffs.
You might also end up with a terrible headache, foul-smelling mouth, or short highs when you smoke the quick-dried, fresh buds.
Is There a Way to Quick Dry My Buds?
You can dry your buds faster by putting them through conditions that force rapid loss of water. You can microwave the buds, put them close to intense lights, or place them closer to a high-powered fan. Faster drying isn’t a practice you should nurture because it reduces the quality of the bud.
Cervantes George, in his book, Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower’s Bible, delves deeper into the following six ways to fast dry your buds:
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Manicure the fresh buds and remove any branches. Spread them out evenly, wrap them in a paper towel or put them in an envelope. Place the paper towel or envelope on a source of warmth, such as a refrigerator, radiator, or television. The drying time depends on the heat level, but the buds should be dry in a few hours. They’ll appear crispy when dry. Store the buds in an airtight container until they sweat, then put them back in the paper until dehydrated enough for burning.
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Cut up the fresh buds and/or foliage and place them on a 12-inch (30 cm) square of tin foil. Place the tin foil over a 60-100-watt light bulb and stir every 15–30 seconds. The buds should be dry enough to smoke in 1 to 3 minutes.
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Dice the buds and place them on a cookie sheet in an oven set at 150 °F (65 °C) for 10–15 minutes. Check regularly and stir if needed until dry. The temperature should not exceed 200 °F (93 °C) or the THC may vaporize into the air.
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Put the cut-up buds in a microwave oven and turn it on in short, weak (50 percent power) bursts of 15–30 seconds each. Repeat until dry and stir if necessary.
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Cut the buds into small pieces and place them in a glass jar with an airtight lid. Add some silica gel desiccant packs, which can be found at auto parts or electronics stores, into the jar and seal it. Moisture will migrate to the silica gel in a few hours. Remove the packets and dry using a dry heat source. Replace the silica packs until the marijuana is dry enough to smoke.
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The final option is to dry the buds in a food dehydrator for 24–48 hours. Food dehydrators consist of stackable screens, so place the bud and leaf on the screens and stack them. A fan gently blows air upward to dry the marijuana quickly.
Whatever method of fast-drying you choose, you’ll miss some essential components of the buds.
Fast-drying cannabis will give you dry buds, but they’ll still be too green and laden with chlorophyll. They’ll be harsh when you smoke them. Curing the buds slowly allows the chlorophyll to break down gradually without losing the terpene and flavonoids.
Whatever method of fast-drying you choose, you’ll be missing some essential components of the buds.
Fast-drying cannabis will give you dry buds, but they’ll still be too green and laden with chlorophyll. They’ll be harsh when you smoke them. Curing the buds slowly, allows the chlorophyll to break down gradually without losing the terpene and flavonoids.
Frequently Asked Questions;
How Long to Leave Jar Open When Curing?
Opening the jars for 10–15 minutes daily is necessary at the beginning of the curing process because there’s still a lot of moisture in them to lose. Do this for 7–15 days, then reduce the burping duration by a minute every day after.
Burping replaces the air in the jars with fresh air from outside. This also allows the moisture in the buds to escape, thus avoiding conditions that favor mold. Opening the jars also enhances the taste of your weed as the active compounds become more concentrated.
What Happens if You Smoke a Bud Picked Right off the Plant?
Smoking the bud that’s just been picked right off the plant will not give you the desired experience. Of course the THC is still present, but the buds will be less potent, and the aroma will be nothing like weed. Terpenes and cannabinoids need slow drying and curing to come out. Smoking without properly drying denies you the blissful effects of weed.
How Do I Best Store My Buds Once They Are Dried And Cured?
The best way to store your cannabis buds after drying and curing is to use airtight containers made of glass. Glass-made containers are great for storing cannabis buds because they are airtight, non-reactive, and don’t leach chemicals into the buds. Keep the temperature at 70 °F (16-21 °C) and humidity between 59-63%. These conditions will preserve and improve the quality of the buds over time.
What Is The Difference Between Drying And Curing?
Drying and curing are different. Drying focuses more on removing the moisture content, while curing aims at achieving the perfect humidity to potentiate the buds and preserve them for long.
Drying comes first, then curing follows. After you dry the buds, they still hold a little moisture, making them prone to mold infestations. Curing allows the moisture to evaporate slowly to leave behind good-looking nugs with a higher concentration of terpenes, cannabinoids, and flavonoids.
When Can You Smoke Your Homegrown Marijuana Buds?
You can smoke your homegrown weed as soon as you’re done curing. After you harvest, it’s time to dry and cure your cannabis. Start by hang-drying your plants for between 7-10 days. Light buds will dry faster, but dense buds can take up to 14 days to dry properly. After drying, you will need to cure your buds for at least 4 weeks before you start smoking them if you want a better experience.
Smoking the bud that’s just been picked right off the plant will not give you the desired experience. Of course the THC is still present, but the buds will be less potent, and the aroma will be nothing like weed. Terpenes and cannabinoids need slow drying and curing to come out. Smoking without properly drying denies you the blissful effects of weed.
In conclusion, smoking fresh buds is mostly a waste. The buds might seem dry, but they still hold some moisture, giving out more smokes and choking you.
The buds are also heavily laden with chlorophyll, which makes the weed harsh when you smoke. You can fast-dry a few buds to push you through as you wait for the entire buds to dry and cure properly, but you’re off enjoying the aroma and potency of well-cured buds.
