Mold (or ‘mould’ if you live in the UK or Australia) is the last thing you want to find on your buds.
In fact, if you do find cannabis mold on your buds you are better off throwing them away. Consuming moldy weed can lead to side effects, most especially if you are allergic to it.
You might be able to get away with nasal stuffiness, coughing and throat irritation if you are not allergic.
If you are allergic or immunocompromised or happen to have a chronic lung disease, you may get serious infections in your lungs when you consume moldy cannabis.
If mold is that big of a deal, it makes a lot of sense to have a good idea about what it looks like and be able to identify it as well as to prevent it.
Mold is caused by a large number of fungal species and some are good while others are nasty.
The white mold on your camembert cheese or Hungarian salami is perfectly fine, they are edible and contribute to the unique favour of the product.
The white fluffy patches on your stash, however, are a lot bigger problem.
Identifying mold on your buds is easy if you know what you are looking for. If you are sourcing your buds from a less reputable source or you are not sure of the source at all, it is always best to inspect the buds if possible. You are looking for grey, white, or blue-green fluff budding out.
Mold often starts on the live plant and inspecting your buds upon receipt can prevent you from getting moldy buds in the first place.
However, mold can develop on your buds at any stage, including while you are storing them. Don’t worry though, preventing mold is not difficult if you know what you are doing.
Mold is rarely a concern for growers in places with dry climates but it is another story for those who are in the humid parts of the world.
In these locations, cannabis plants are recommended to be planted indoors with a good ventilation system because, without it, an indoor garden can get hot and humid. Poor ventilation will cause air to become stagnant and may invite mold growth.
The best way to avoid mold on marijuana is to put it in a consistently dry environment like in an airtight cannabis storage. You need containers that keep moisture low and ensure the right amount of relative humidity.
As the old adage has always reminded us- prevention is better than cure- same goes for nurturing cannabis plants. It is much more practical and simpler if extra precautions are done to monitor the state of the cannabis plants than to try to cure the mold.
Spores can withstand unfavorable conditions but when certain conditions are met, they can start developing into mold.
Cannabis strains have a natural, musky sweet aroma. But, if it smells damp, overly sweet, or just a little odd, that’s good reason to be a little suspicious.
Dried buds that have an aroma similar to freshly cut grass can also be questionable. A fresh grass fragrance is a sign that the bud may not have been dried and cured properly.
Flowers that haven’t been properly dried and cured are more likely to develop mold during storage, especially if it is not stored properly.
As mentioned earlier, treating mold is a tough work, but if growers have no choice, they will have to treat their crops.
First and most importantly, they will consider whether treating and saving an infected plant is worth it because there is no way to totally cure a mold infected cannabis plant. What the grower can do is to keep the infection at bay while the healthy parts of the crop grow. However, if they plan to do this, there are still risks of contaminating the rest of the plant for a little amount of bud that is most likely has inferior quality.
Healing damaged cannabis plants will only go so far, experienced growers often times cut the losses by burning the infected bunch.
As a conclusion, the best way to avoid cannabis mold on your buds is to make sure to store them well and always remember to inspect them regularly.
Have you had any experience with cannabis mold? Let us know in the comments below.
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