The need for innovation begins with the everyday. A practice of repetition that results in a powerful realization: your routine could improve exponentially if you just tweak the process a little.
For cannabis, innovation centers on an optimized consumer experience – a.k.a., various modifications that result in the highest-quality products possible – and for growers, it’s universally known that one of the most important stepping stones to excellent cannabis is a proper drying and curing pathway.
Once this tip became common knowledge, global growers began implementing their own methods of curing cannabis, and today, no one is refuting the importance of this step.
Instead, growers are accepting it even more vigorously, and moving from old-school jar and paper bag methods to advanced technology designed specifically for prime cannabis curation.
In the weeds: The humble origins of curing cannabis
As the cannabis industry has progressed, people are increasingly aware of the plant’s elements and why they matter.
While yesterday’s consumers were mainly focused on finding products with a high THC content, today’s market demographic looks for specific cannabinoids and terpenes that best accomplish what they’re looking to get out of the plant. They’re also more educated on what well-made cannabis should look and smell like, which means brands have to be on top of their production game if they want to remain relevant.
The best growers are cognizant of how important drying and curing is when it comes to producing good weed. Both steps work together to ensure your plant’s properties are preserved and accentuated, resulting in good flavor and potent effects.
Despite its importance, the concept is still relatively new, and the technology that has been utilized in the curing world in particular consists mainly of mason jars, stainless steel containers, and paper bags.
No matter the method, these primitive approaches to cannabis curing require a lot of patience and attention: several weeks of “burping” your containers to ensure the plants are breathing, keeping the buds loosely-packed and the seal airtight, and making sure the containers are stored in a cool and dry place in the interim.
This type of hands-on curing system is a labor of love, and if you’re an old-school grower who likes to remain heavily involved in every step of the process, mason jars and turkey bags might be for you.
But for those who prefer to stay current on growing technologies that help streamline systems without compromising cannabis quality, the evolving world of curing certainly has some new products to pay attention to.
The benefits of modern cannabis curing technologies
Although it comes with its fair share of hiccups, technology has generally made our lives a whole lot easier.
Take communication, for example: while we began with methods like Morse code, telegraphing, and faxing, things like texting, FaceTime, and DMing have made keeping in touch quicker, sleeker, and much more achievable.
This is just one instance where technology has improved quality – and with it, quantity – and in the cannabis grow world, these sorts of upgrades have resulted in truly incredible weed.
Developers began with the idea that curing cannabis resulted in better product and ran with it, and today, there is a growing variety of technology that streamlines the highly hands-on system for cultivators around the world.
Here are some of the benefits of incorporating curing tech into your growing routine:
- Better data
The industry has decades of experience in trying to fly under the legislative radar, and as a result, data is still one of cannabis’s weakest links.
Recent innovations in technology are trying to remedy this, focusing on making data tracking and analyzing much simpler for operators. Some prime and popular examples include moisture meters that measure the state of your soil, hygrometers that keep humidity in check, and digital temperature gauges.
Many new curing systems have worked these sorts of innovations into their tech, incorporating algorithms that allow growers to cure as quickly and efficiently as possible.
- Adaptability for various environments
Most growers are aware what a difference environment makes in regards to cultivating cannabis. Environment affects a variety of growing factors, and curing isn’t excluded.
Modern curing technology is increasingly likely to offer modifiable environmental accessories (like HVAC systems or dehumidifiers) that consider the need for proper humidity levels, temperature, and pH, resulting in higher-quality products.
- The ability to set and forget
One drawback of curing cannabis is how much attention is required for it to be properly executed, and for small grow rooms with an even smaller staff, this might be nearly impossible to build into your already-tight schedule.
Enter: curing technologies that you can preset, allowing you to step away and focus on other aspects of the grow room without having to worry about whether or not you burped your containers yet today.
- Higher yields
Most modern curing technologies are concerned with streamlining the process, and they’re more likely to factor in settings that speed things up from start to finish.
Not only will your product be properly preserved and cared for, but it will take less time overall, allowing you to move your cannabis from the grow room to the shelves that much quicker.
