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It is rather annoying when you pick up a fresh bag of cannabis, only to find it damp or wet, making it difficult to grind.
The reason behind this is often more money for dealers who know that selling the weed while it’s still damp will add a lot of weight to the bag, but can also be because somebody cropped in a rush and didn’t dry and cure the buds for long enough before selling the batch to your local cannabis dealer.
Ideally your cannabis should have between 8% and 10% moisture content – this moisture range keeps the bud from crumbling too much (e.g. dusty weed), but is dry enough to smoke well, stay lit and prevent mold. The only way to test the exact moisture content is by doing it in a lab, but there is a good way to tell if you are close.
Squeeze the bud lightly between your fingers. If it crumbles and breaks apart easily its probably over-dried, although this isn’t the end of the world and it will still smoke fine.
If the stem bends without any sound, the moisture level is too high. However if you bend the stem and it makes a snapping sound without the cannabis crumbling then it’s just right for smoking.
Ok so your weed is damp, what should you do before smoking?
Although tempting, it really isn’t worth smoking damp bud as it won’t burn well and grinding it up is a nightmare. You often end up with big damp clumps of bud that make the joint sideburn as it struggles to burn with the tobacco.
If you have a bit of time on your hands, take the bud out of the baggie and put it on paper or kitchen towel. Loosely cover the bud in a little packet and leave on the side for a few hours.
If you want to smoke it fairly soon you can put the packet on the radiator, but remember to set a timer and check no less often than every ten minutes to avoid overdrying, and be sure to make sure it is not left unattended to avoid any fire risk!
Another way to dry your weed out faster is to use a desk lamp, placing the hot bulb close to the cannabis (approx 20cm away) for 5-10 minutes.
We hope this helps next time you pick up damp bud and you can enjoy a nicer smoke!
