Places where the demand for cannabis remains very high, many commercial growers don’t take much time to cure their weed. If demand is really high and supply is generally really low, they can get away with this for a long time. However, if more suppliers move-in to the market, especially small boutique commercial growers (which take time to cure), the bigger commercial growers may need to start doing more to cure their cannabis.
Uncured or under cured cannabis has a strong chlorophyll smell and taste. Many people report that it smells and tastes like “newly mowed grass” or even “hay.” It is also very harsh to smoke. Over time, word-of-mouth about the quality of cannabis available in a particular store will get out to the public. As time goes by, more and more people are considering themselves to be “cannabis connoisseurs” and they are becoming more finicky about the taste and smell.
If there is stiff competition in your market, you probably want to consider doing a pretty good job of curing your weed before selling it. The improved taste, smell and smoking experience could help you keep a loyal following.
We know some commercial growers store their trimmed buds in large plastic containers and “burp” them periodically as their curing process. This practice can result in unwanted mold and mildew on the buds. Setting up a room with humidity and temperature controlled where the cannabis can be left to hang in the dark (or have buds spread out on nylon screens can be a more efficient way to cure large quantities of cannabis).
A good climate for a curing room would be around 50% to 60% humidity and a temperature of 60° to 70°F. Put fans in the room to circulate the air but do not blow the fans directly onto the cannabis. And of course, keep the lights off! Only turn the lights on briefly when you are going to inspect the curing cannabis.
Small, boutique growers may dry their cannabis for a week and cure it for another three weeks. That is basically one month from harvest to availability for sale. Larger commercial growers usually do not have the luxury of waiting a month after harvest before they put their product up for sale.
However, if they can hang the harvested cannabis to dry for a week and allow it to cure for even another 10 days, the quality (and therefore reputation) of the product will improve.