Your buds are ready for harvest, now what’s next? The last and final step in growing and harvesting weed is curing. Curing a cannabis harvest is a very important process that helps you create the highest quality weed possible. Drying and curing your weed bud is a prolonged process of removing moisture from the flowers under controlled environmental conditions in order to provide higher levels of THC and CBD.

Here is a step by step guide on how to dry and cure cannabis.

• Harvest & cut down bud

Cut the branches near the base of the main stem. The size of your cuttings depends on the drying method you intend to use. Some people cut it from the base and hang the whole plant upside down to dry while others cut off the branches and hang them to dry.

• Trimming extra leaves

You can cut off the excess leaves when the weed is either dry or wet. Trimming is simply cutting each leaf off from where it meets the bud. 

• Begin drying buds

Drying weed in the house only requires 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit, humidity levels of 50%, and high ventilation. Depending on where you live, you might need additional equipment to regulate your drying conditions. One can use air conditioners, humidifiers, evaporative coolers, and electric/gas coolers. 
This stage can take between one to two weeks. Once the bud begins to feel crunchy and snaps easily like a twig, then you will know your cannabis is ready. 

• Curing

First, ensure that the buds are completely trimmed of excess leaves and of the stem. Without piling them, place the dried buds into tightly sealed mason jars. Each jar should only be 3/4 full, leaving room for the buds to breathe and prevent mold from growing. 
The optimal curing environment is around 70°F (21°C) and humidity between 60-65%. 
If you begin to see condensation, open the jars and shake the buds for a few minutes, to dry out the condensation. Keep the buds in the jars and allow a decreasing period of breathing time for your weed, Meaning for the first week open the jars for 20 Minutes, The next week 5. This, however, depends on how you wish to dry your cannabis, Cannabis can be dried for months at the right humidity levels.

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