I know many of you must be thinking, “Two to three days?! I don’t have that kind of time!” But believe me, your bud will be back to smokeable quality if you follow these steps and wait. The Paper Method
- The first thing you want to do when weed gets wet is put it in a paper towel or brown paper bag
- Place the paper bag in a dark, dry place
- If possible, make sure there’s some airflow in the room. Put on a fan or a dehumidifier if you have one
- Replace the paper towel and turn your wet stash every couple of hours
- Be sure to check for mold when turning your weed
- Put your wet weed in a mason jar and fill the jar with rice
- Let the jar sit, uncovered for a day
- Remove the weed and check it for mold
- Again, have some airflow in the room to help prevent mold. Put on a fan or a dehumidifier if you have one
- When the weed seems fairly dry, break the nugs up and use the paper towel method for a few hours to remove any residual moisture, if necessary
I know it’s tempting to try some quicker ways to dry weed, like using a blowdryer, putting it in the microwave or regular oven on low, or putting it in the sun or under a lamp for a few hours. But these are not the best tactics for retaining your weed’s integrity. These methods can degrade trichomes, potentially burning off some of the herb’s THC count as well as any other cannabinoids or terpenes that are present. Plus, drying weed with one of those methods is likely to make your bud harsher and less pleasant to smoke. When weed gets wet, it’s best to have patience and use one of the above methods, and avoid shortcuts that involve heat and light.
An electric fan circulates the air for drying marijuana in a completely dark drying room. (Photo by Bob Berg/Getty Images)When Weed Gets Wet: The Final TokeWhen weed gets wet, the most important thing you want to avoid is mold. If your bud gets moldy during the drying process, I’m sorry but it’s officially trash: smoking mold is bad for your health. Another important thing to note is if you’ve dropped your weed in the ocean or a swimming pool, you should just throw your stash away. I know that’s rough, but smoking or consuming salt from the ocean or chemicals from a pool isn’t a good idea.
However, if you’ve just dropped your weed in a bong or spilled a water-based drink on it, it’s probably still salvageable using the paper or rice method. Because THC isn’t water-soluble, some spillage shouldn’t affect the strength of the weed. After our recommended drying processes, your bud may not look the prettiest, but it’ll still be usable. When weed gets wet, don’t stress. Just follow our advice and wait it out.