What Happens If You Smoke Moldy Weed?

If you are a grower, you usually buy your weed in bulk, or you have been a cannabis user for a long time, surely you have gone through this situation: You have a lot of weed stored, and it eventually begins to get moldy.

It sure is a shame to lose those precious and delicious buds you were saving for a special occasion, and those little white hairs look so harmless, you might wonder, but what if I smoke those buds anyway? Well, the answer might surprise you!

In this article, we will talk a little about the potential risks and consequences of smoking moldy weed and the possible scenarios that could occur if you do so. But before throwing away those old buds, let’s clear up a prevalent question among those with less expertise on the subject.

Key Takeaways

• At best, nothing terrible will happen. But without a doubt, it won’t be the best cannabis smoking sesh you have.
• Smoking moldy weed can be unpleasant to the taste, harsh on the throat, and harmful to the lungs and general health.
• Although smoking moldy cannabis will not directly kill you, in some people, it could cause some serious health problems.
• Storage conditions play a key role in preventing mold in your cannabis products.

How to Tell if Your Weed is Moldy?

Although buds have a longer expiration time than cannabis edibles, it is a fact that both weed and edibles can go bad. Without a doubt, mold development on your buds is a clear sign that the quality of your weed has degraded.

When you are not an experienced user or grower, it can be very easy to confuse the mold that grows on the weed over time with the trichome crystals that carry the plant’s cannabinoids and terpenes, which house the therapeutic potency of cannabis. The mold that usually grows on cannabis has a grayish-white color and a powdery texture. In contrast, trichomes are those shiny, sticky crystals that give cannabis its potency and aroma.

The trichomes look like tiny, shiny hairs, while the mold is like a white powder that coats the bud. Additionally, moldy grass has a distinctive musty, hay-like odor. So it may be easier for you to distinguish it by its aroma than by its appearance, especially if you are just getting familiar with everything related to cannabis.

What Happens if You Smoke Moldy Marijuana?

What happens when you smoke moldy weed could be somewhat similar to what would happen if you smoked an expired cart. At best, nothing terrible will happen. But without a doubt, it won’t be the best cannabis smoking sesh you have had since you will be smoking a cannabis product with degraded quality.

Smoking moldy cannabis can create really harsh smoke, which can irritate your throat. Also, mold can create an unpleasant taste, making your experience much less pleasant than smoking fresh buds.

Furthermore, if you have any previous health condition, especially at the respiratory level, or are directly allergic to mold, smoking moldy cannabis is definitely not the most recommended option for you. Moldy cannabis may carry bacteria and types of mold to which certain people may be predisposed or sensitive and which may be unhealthy in some cases.

Can You Smoke Moldy Weed?

Theoretically, yes, but it is not recommended. Smoking moldy weed can be unpleasant to the taste, harsh on the throat, and harmful to the lungs and general health. Also, if your weed is moldy, it has likely been stored incorrectly for a long time, which could degrade its organic compounds and therapeutic potency.

In short, when smoking moldy weed, you would be smoking poor quality weed, which will taste bad, and most likely will not give you the precious therapeutic effects you expect from cannabis. Added to this, you would be unnecessarily exposing yourself to some possible health risks or suffering some symptoms that could make you have a very unpleasant time.

Is It Bad to Smoke Moldy Weed? What are the Risks?

Actually, yes, smoking moldy weed could be bad. Although smoking moldy cannabis will not directly kill you, it could cause severe health problems in some people.

Smoking moldy weed can cause symptoms such as coughing, nausea, or vomiting. But apart from this, it generally does not generate serious negative repercussions in healthy people, apart from the negative impact of the act of smoking as such. Nevertheless, the story may be entirely different in people with preexisting lung conditions, allergies to mold, or a weakened immune system.

In people with a mold allergy, smoking moldy weed can cause irritation or inflammation of the sinuses and lungs, causing symptoms such as congestion, sinus pain, wheezing, or drainage.

Moldy weed can contain strains of fungus such as Mucor, Aspergillus, or Cryptococcus, which can cause severe or even fatal infections of the lungs and brain in people with compromised immune systems.

Therefore, if you have any of these preconditions, or even if you are a healthy person and suspect that your cannabis may be contaminated with mold, it is best to discard it and get fresh buds, preferably from a reputable source.

How to Prevent Mold on Weed?

If you want to know the best way to prevent mold in your weed, here are some basic things to know about your cannabis buds. Light, temperature, oxygen, and humidity can greatly influence weed in a good or bad way.

This is why storage conditions play a key role in preventing mold in your cannabis products. Exposing your weed to the wrong temperature, humidity, oxygen level, or light conditions can cause mold to grow or otherwise damage your buds.

Therefore, if you want to know how to properly store hemp flower or THC-rich buds to preserve their freshness and keep it free of mold for as long as possible, you should pay special attention to the following factors.

Use an airtight container

Airtight containers, preferably glass, are by far the best option for storing your weed and preventing mold growth. This is because its hermetic seal limits exposure to oxygen and moisture, consequently preventing mold and keeping your weed fresher for longer.

Airtight-sealed glass jars and mason jars can do the job just fine. But if you want a specific airtight container for this task, many dispensaries sell containers made for this specific purpose.

Avoid direct sunlight

Direct sunlight can heat the container and generate moisture or condensation. These are things to avoid when storing your weed, as direct sunlight and humidity create the perfect conditions for mold to grow. Additionally, cannabinoids break down in sunlight, which can degrade the therapeutic quality of your buds.

In this sense, it is best to keep the container in a dark and dry place where it does not receive direct sunlight and is preferably away from any excessive moisture.

Use humidity packs

Maintaining an appropriate humidity level is a determining factor in preventing mold growth during weed storage. The optimal relative humidity for storing weed is between 59% and 63%, and humidity higher than this can promote mold growth on your weed.

Using humidity packs inside your weed container can help preserve ideal humidity levels to prevent mold. These packets contain a mixture of salts and water that helps regulate the humidity inside your container and are also very cheap. Also, they can last a couple of months.

But, if you want something more sophisticated and don’t mind spending a few more bucks, some dispensaries and online stores offer humidors specifically made for cannabis.

Keep the temperature cool.

As we already mentioned, heating things up too much can degrade your weed, retain moisture or generate condensation, and degrade your weed. But very low temperatures are not convenient either. So you can forget about the old myth that it is better to store your cannabis in the fridge or freezer.

In the refrigerator, temperatures are too low, and exposure to excessive moisture can cause mold to grow on your weed. An ideal temperature to store your cannabis and prevent mold growth is 77°F, the equivalent of 25°C. In short, keep your weed cool enough but not frozen.

Final Thoughts — What Happens if You Smoke Moldy Weed?

Smoking moldy weed might not be deadly, but it can certainly lead to several health issues, as mold can carry harmful toxins. Mold toxins can sometimes cause respiratory complications, allergic reactions, and even fungal infections. Ingesting moldy cannabis can also lead to nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Furthermore, smoking moldy weed can weaken some people’s immune systems, making them more susceptible to other illnesses. So, it’s crucial always to inspect your weed for mold and avoid smoking it if you detect any signs of mold growth. Remember, your health is the most important thing here, so it is best always to prioritize safety when consuming cannabis.

Where to Buy Fresh Weed Online

If you are looking for top-quality buds, excellent flavor, and remarkable freshness, you are in the right place because, at Botany Farms, we have fresh and aromatic buds from the best strains on the market available and waiting for you!

If you are looking for a sweet CBD noblewoman with gentle, non-intoxicating therapeutic power, our luscious floral Sugar Queen CBD may be an ideal choice. But if you want something with a stronger punch, the same freshness, and that classic, citrusy, highly sought-after blueberry flavor, you can choose between our Delta-8 Blueberry Diesel or our HHC Blueberry Diesel for more sublime milder psychoactive effects.

So throw out that moldy old weed, order your favorite strain from our online store, and our dedicated team will ship your order straight to your door so quickly and discreetly that you’ll find it hard to believe!