Тhe first time you spilled water on your cell phone probably hasn’t been a fun experience. And you may have even used the old rice method trick to drain the liquid out of the crevices in your phone to dry it out.
But what happens when weed gets wet? If you’ve been smoking weed for a long time, chances are that you have lost, thrown away, or gotten your weed wet at some point. So, can you actually smoke weed if it somehow gets wet? We’re here to answer this question.
No matter what your preferred method of consuming weed is, a bong, a joint, a vape pen, or other, you can’t smoke weed if it’s wet. So, in order to find out how to dry wet weed, read on.
What Can Happen if Weed Gets Wet?
There are a few reasons why you shouldn’t smoke wet weed, and we’ll dive into them below.
The Mold
Wet weed is dangerous for a number of reasons, and the first one is the most obvious one. Wet marijuana is very likely to develop mold. Consuming mold is dangerous, and consequently, so is consuming moldy weed. Mold can develop if your buds are kept in a moist environment, so make sure you keep them in a dry, cool place, away from direct sunlight.
The Grind
Using wet weed is pretty hard, especially if you try to grind it in your grinder. It’s unlikely you’ll manage to break it down into small pieces. Grinding your cannabis buds is necessary in order to make them easier to combust. Wet marijuana will surely get stuck in the spokes of the grinder, so you won’t be able to grind it up.
The Burn
Not only will your wet weed be partly ground up, but it also won’t burn as easily. Also, as a result of the excess moisture, your weed might not even light up at all. The water vapor will make it very hard to hold an eventual flame, and if you do manage to light it up, the taste won’t be satisfying at all.
The Taste
When you light up wet weed, you’ll find that the taste isn’t very good. That’s because the excess water vapor gets mixed with the smoke and results in a damp, acrylic taste. Moreover, if you’ve put your weed in the washing machine, or you went inside a swimming pool with it, you could ingest harmful chemicals which can be dangerous for your lungs.
Wet Cannabis vs. Sticky Cannabis
Wet weed can sometimes be confused with sticky weed. Sticky weed is a result of the rich resinous glands that are part of your buds, so the stickier the weed, the higher the quality of the weed. If your weed sticks to your fingers when you try to squish it and doesn’t squish, it’s a sign that you have some potent ganja on your hands. However, if your weed squishes between your fingers, it’s time to get your weed dry.
Drying Your Wet Weed
We’ll go over the two most common methods of drying wet cannabis: the paper method and the rice method.
The Paper Method
This method is the fastest way to dry wet weed. For the paper technique, you’ll need a paper towel or a paper bag (and a dehumidifier if you have it).
- Break the cannabis nugs into small pieces.
- Wrap the wet marijuana in paper towels or put it in a paper bag.
- Place it in a cool, dry place.
- If you have a dehumidifier, it’s time to turn it on since it may prevent mold.
- Change the paper towel when it gets wet, and repeat the process until the weed is dry.
Please note that the paper technique has a higher potential for developing mold compared to the rice method. That’s because your weed will be in direct contact with the paper which are perfect conditions for the development of mold. To avoid moldy weed, make sure you inspect the stash regularly by following our guide.
The Rice Method
This method takes a longer time compared to the paper towel method, but mold is less likely to grow in the process. The only downside to the rice method is that your buds might smell of rice afterward. Using the rice method for drying wet weed is the same as using it to dry wet electronic devices. You’ll need rice, a mason jar, and a dehumidifier (if you have one).
- Place wet weed along with the rice in a mason jar.
- Store the uncovered mason jar (wet weed should have good airflow to ensure that mold doesn’t develop) in a dry, dark place, for a couple of hours or ideally 24 hours in order to draw out the excess moisture.
- Turn on your dehumidifier (again, if you have one).
- Check your weed to see if mold or fungi have developed.
- Go back to the paper method if any moisture is left on your nugs.
After the drying process, your weed may not look ideal, but it will be close to the quality it had before the buds got wet.
What to Avoid When Weed Gets Wet
To get a nearly identical terpene and cannabinoid profile in your weed, avoid anything that makes your weed dry very fast. That includes using a blowdryer, putting it in the sun, microwaving weed, and other such methods.
Drying your wet weed that way may result in ending up with low-quality cannabis. That means that your smoking experience won’t be nearly as good as you think it will be since these methods degrade trichomes, terpenes, and may even burn off some of the THC cannabinoids.
Moreover, the heat and light might increase the chances of your buds developing mold, and moldy weed isn’t good weed. So, try not to take any shortcuts while drying your wet buds, because the wait is worth it.
How To Avoid Getting Your Cannabis Wet?
To prevent wet buds, proper cannabis storage is essential. To keep your weed in good condition, keep it in airtight jars in a dry, dark place to maintain maximum quality. When you want to smoke, take out only as much weed as you need. Also, avoid placing it in your pocket for a long period of time, since it’s better to be safe than sorry if you do get it wet.
Final Thoughts on Wet Weed
If your weed got wet, it’s not the end of the world. If you’ve dropped your weed in clean water (meaning no swimming pools or washing machines), you can use the paper method or the rice method which we have explained above.
For medical marijuana users especially, good weed quality is vital, as the specific therapy requires very specific doses of THC and CBD which might be affected if weed gets wet and infused with harmful chemicals (or is exposed to conditions like high heat and sunlight).
And if your weed can’t be salvaged, throw it away and go visit your local dispensary to buy new weed. Moldy weed, or weed filled with chemicals isn’t something that you should be smoking.
