The Art & Science of Cannabis Preservation

When an individual becomes a cigar smoker, one of the first things they do is purchase a cigar humidor to properly store their cigars. It’s an essential and prudent decision—the first step on the journey of every true aficionado. In contrast, millions of cannabis users, after spending decades lurking in the shadows and hiding their cannabis lifestyle, are finally free to come out of the closet—worldwide. However, after decades living under “reefer madness” prohibition, many cannabis enthusiasts have unwittingly sought out cannabis storage solutions that cause witless degradation of the cannabinoids, trichomes, and terpenes in their cannabis flower—without giving it a second thought. The mindset has been focused on hiding their stash, not preserving it.

While a single premium cigar may retail for $10 to $15 and may contain as much as 5 to 17 grams of tobacco, premium cannabis flower may retail for $10–$22 a gram. Think about that. What are you spending on 5-17 grams of premium cannabis flower? In addition to costs, a plethora of whys and wherefores prevail as to why it’s even more crucial for a cannabis aficionado to purchase a humidor than a cigar aficionado. The degradation of any cannabis flower is sad indeed—even for recreational use, and for patients with medical applications, it’s unconscionable. Today, every cannabis aficionado [like the cigar aficionado] should own a quality cannabis humidor as a foundational and essential accoutrement. 

Cannabis aficionados are adamant [or should be] about the degradation of cannabis terpenes—the unique aromatic oils, fragrance, and flavor of a cannabis strain, and would never mix the attar of different strains any more than a master sommelier would mix a fine merlot with a chardonnay. Yet, the current industry standard for cannabis humidors is storing cannabis strains in jars with holes or slots in the lids—compromising, and in the opinion of any cannabis connoisseur, degrading and contaminating each unique strain inside the humidor.

We spent seven assiduous months in R&D perfecting our proprietary cannabis humidor technology science in our humidor interiors. We began by testing the industry standard of jars inside of the humidor and quickly discovered the whole concept was deeply flawed. Our tests conclusively showed that only the cannabis flower sitting on top [inside the jar] benefited from any relative humidity entering through the jar holes or slots. We found ourselves constantly shaking the jars trying to move cannabis flower from the bottom to the top of the jar. And if the jar was even half-full, we had to dump the whole jar out and refill the jar while endeavoring to discern which flower came from the bottom, etc. With ground flower, the process was even more ludicrous. Our research mandated that we abandon the industry standard of using jars or any container with holes or slots in the lid, thereby corrupting each unique strain. 

All Magnum Opus cannabis humidors feature our proprietary removable flower storage box built from solid Honduran mahogany, divided into separate chambers to store different strains of cannabis flower. Every flower chamber features its own airtight lid with mounted hygrometers in each lid. The enemies of cured cannabis flower are light, airflow, temperature and humidity. Our unique wooden flower box with strain chambers solves all these issues. The lids are solid to ensure the cannabis terpenes are not compromised.

Our square and/or rectangle flower chambers provide a larger footprint to store cannabis. It’s also much easier to rotate your flower. However, it’s unlikely you’ll need to do so as the bottom, sides, and lids to each flower chamber are solid Honduran mahogany and will hold humidity. If a chamber needs more humidity, simply remove the lid to allow more humidity to enter the chamber. Never remove more than one lid at a time to prevent terpenes from mixing with other strains.

The removable storage box is also built from solid Honduran mahogany and sits perfectly beside the flower box inside the humidor. The accoutrement storage box also includes a removable sub-floor with a cutout to hold a grinder. The storage lid is also airtight to prevent any unwanted smells from contaminating the humidor, and the lid also doubles as a rolling tray. 

For the last century, and still today, most cigar humidors feature an antiquated one-way sponge system for a humidity source. To activate it, you must saturate the sponge with distilled water. There’s no science to it. A freshly saturated sponge puts out lots of [odds are too much] relative humidity and the RH% decreases daily as the sponge dries out. And far too often, you forget to wet it, or perhaps you wet it too often. The perfect analogy here is the typical house plant owner—they either water the plant too much or too little, but one way or the other they manage to kill it.

Today, most cannabis humidors in the marketplace use a 2-way bead system humidity source designed to hold RH levels somewhere between 55% to 65% RH, accurate to +/- 3%. These bead systems are indeed far better than the old-fashioned sponge systems, but they still have their own shortcomings. To begin with, they still need to be activated, monitored, and maintained with distilled water every 1 to 3 weeks. With the current industry standard for optimal cannabis storage at 57% to 63% RH, the bead systems 55% to 65% RH range, coupled with an accuracy rating of +/- 3% left us wanting more. Furthermore, the bead systems are vulnerable to mold and bacterial contamination.

Magnum Opus exclusively uses Boveda, the global leader in 2-way humidity control for all our humidor models. Boveda’s patented 2-way humidity control continually responds to ambient conditions by adding or removing moisture to affect the enclosed environment and deliver a pre-determined relative humidity level. 

We recommend Boveda’s 320-gram humidity control in either a 58% RH or 62% RH. Every Boveda RH level is accurate to +/- 1% in an airtight environment and requires no water activation or maintenance and has a shelf life of 2 years. It’s all about the science.

We have also designed a custom Magnum Opus wood holder for Boveda’s 320-gram packs featuring a unique, decorative cutout design on the front of the holder as shown in the photo above. The holder has four powerful magnets recessed in the back for easy attachment to the interior lid of our humidors. All Magnum Opus humidors have a full sheet of metal under our interior lids for easy attachment of any magnetic accessories. 

● Don’t store in plastic bags. The static charge on plastics attracts and causes the trichomes to fall off and break-down. Moreover, the terpenes [oils & aromas] and cannabinoids [THC & CBD] quickly degrades in plastic bags as the flower dries out and becomes brittle causing the flower to lose its color, fragrance, flavor, taste, and potency.

● Don’t store in paper or tin foil. Paper and tin foil storage are not diligent or sound methodologies for cannabis storage and share virtually all of the same shortcomings as plastic bags listed above.

● Don’t refrigerate. Cannabis stored in the fridge tends to mold [even when stored in airtight containers] due to the fluctuations of humidity and temperature in the refrigerator. Bear in mind, the standard temperature setting for a refrigerator is 40° F [4° C] or below. Smoking moldy cannabis can make you sick.

● Don’t store in the freezer. Freezing temperatures will degrade your cannabis and cause the trichomes to become brittle and break, degrading its potency. Some people swear by keeping their cannabis in the freezer—a suggestion that is highly controversial. Generally, freezer storage is only even considered for long term [multiple years] storage.

● Don’t use a tobacco humidor. Spanish cedar wood has oils and odors that can be transferred into the cannabis, degrading the terpenes, i.e., the aromatic oils, fragrance, flavor, and taste. Additionally, the conventional one-way humidity source [wet sponges] in cigar humidors may also over-saturate the cannabis and cause mold.

● Don’t use alternative humidity sources. Don’t put a carrot, a slice of apple [or any fruit or vegetable], a wet paper towel or sponge in a plastic bag or any container as a humidity source—never. It’s not science and has no place in cannabis storage.

● Don’t ignore cannabis odors. If the aroma of your cannabis flower is getting out, that means moisture is being released as well, resulting in dried out flower, degrading its unique compound properties and potency, and leaving you with cannabis that’s harsh and unpleasant to smoke. 

The study of cannabinoid life science, the relationship between the human endocannabinoid system [the cannabinoid CB1 & CB2 receptors in our brain & body] and phytocannabinoids [the cannabinoids that occur naturally in the cannabis plant] is an exciting life journey. The ability today to seek out strains that make you feel a certain way is the latest trend in branding and marketing of cannabis. Strains that energize you, enhance creative or artistic thinking, help you relax, or sleep and a plethora of other recreational and health & wellness benefits abound. Invent Your Day.

In the pursuit of unearthing the metabolic pathways of phytocannabinoids and endocannabinoids, scientists came across an unknown molecular signaling system within the body that is involved in regulating a broad range of biological functions. This system was named the endocannabinoid  system (ECS). The ECS performs multiple tasks, but the goal is always to maintain a stable environment despite fluctuations in the external environment. It is the system that creates homeostasis within the body.  

When an imbalance is detected within our internal environment, the body synthesizes endocannabinoids that interact with the cannabinoid receptors. This stimulates a chemical response that works to return the physiological process back to homeostasis. However, in some cases, there is a deficiency in ECS signaling. This condition is known as Clinical  Endocannabinoid Deficiency. Reasons as to why this condition occurs ranges from our body not synthesizing enough endocannabinoids, our bodies not producing enough cannabinoid receptors, an abundance of enzymes that break down cannabinoids, or outside sources such as foods and medications that decrease ECS signaling. The phytocannabinoids contained in cannabis can be used to supplement this deficiency. By stimulating and supporting your endocannabinoid system one can find relief from a multitude of illnesses and conditions.

“There were never so many able, active minds at work on the problems of disease as now, and all their discoveries are tending toward the simple truth that you can’t improve on nature,” [Thomas Edison - 1902]. Well over a century later, cannabinoid research throughout the world has proven this statement is still valid today.