How to Store Pre-Rolls So They Stay Fresh?

We get it. You picked up a pre-roll at JARS, and it hit the spot… quick. You are now faced with the ultimatum of smoking the rest of it, and risking getting too high, or you can put it out and save it for later. Just putting it out and leaving it in your ashtray is understandable if you plan on lighting ‘er back up in a few minutes. But, we all know that smell of smoked cannabis that can linger once it’s been lit. You are also faced with several negative factors by leaving your pre-roll chilling all willy-nilly. Moisture, loss of flavor, getting crushed, and so on. Luckily, there are some cheap and highly effective ways to store pre-rolls so they stay fresh. Even if you haven’t had the chance to light it up and are saving it for a rainy day, the right storage for your pre-rolls is going to give you the satisfaction you deserve.

How Long Can You Store a Pre-Rolled Joint?

It’s more than likely that you won’t store a pre-rolled joint long enough for it to go stale. If you follow the best ways to store weed, like what we’re talking about here, remembering a couple of months later that you have a pre-roll stashed away is nothing to worry about! You’re good to light ‘er up and get your toke on. But, leaving it sitting out on top of your dresser a couple of days will make a difference in taste and effects. The shelf-life of a properly stored pre-roll is around a year. A surefire way to tell if your pre-roll is stale is if it no longer has its skunky smell. 

Do Different Pre-Rolls Require Different Packaging?

There are a few reasons why different pre-rolls require different packaging. Typically these requirements are enforced by state regulations and laws. For Michigan, pre-roll packaging has to be labeled correctly, childproof, and sealed. It’s also a good idea not to use one single container for different types of pre-rolls. There are a plethora of options when it comes to cannabis accessories and storage options. 

Here at JARS, we carry the top brands in Michigan. For example, Muha Meds and STIIIZY Infused Pre-Roll Packs already come in a sealed jar. We wouldn’t suggest that you put a half-smoked joint back into the same package with fresh pre-rolls, especially with infused pre-rolls. When caked in kief or rolled in rosin, storing fresh infused pre-rolls with ones that are half smoked will give the whole package a nasty smell. 

Best environment for storing pre rolled joints

Temperature Considerations For Weed Pre-Rolls

Your pre-roll is best kept at temps comfortable to you(60-70 F). If you leave your pre-roll sitting out on a hot sunny day, it’s going to dry out. If your flower gets too hot,  it can cause decarboxylation which lowers the active THC. You should avoid aluminum, tin, metal, etc. storage since it is prone to heating with sun exposure. 

On the other end of the thermometer, storing your pre-rolls in a colder environment will deplete its potency and lose a majority of its flavor. Even worse, when it comes to cold temperatures, you are increasing the risk of moisture buildup, this is a golden ticket to moldy weed.

Humidity And Moisture Levels For Weed Storage

Regulating humidity and moisture levels for weed storage might seem like an ‘over-the-top’ precaution to take for a pre-roll. If you are already storing your pre-rolls in an airtight container (like this air-tight stash jar by Raw) and in a dark, room-temp spot, you won’t have to worry too much about humidity and moisture. Low humidity can cause your joints to dry out more quickly. 

The ideal humidity for storing weed is between 55 and 65 percent. In relation, the typical humidity level in a regular air-conditioned home is between 30 and 40 percent, which is too dry for keeping weed fresh. Having too much humidity is like trying to smoke in a sauna, all sorts of moist-ness. 

If you suspect that humidity is the cause of your pre-roll woes, you can look into getting yourself a Humidor Jar. These come with a humidifier and hygrometer, so you can control the humidity like a boss. You can also just take the budget-friendly and simple way by grabbing a few humidity packets and putting them into your pre-roll storage container. 

Long-term storage for pre roll joints

When you take advantage of the pre-roll bundle discounts at JARS you can end up with a few month’s supply at a price you can’t pass up. The final pre-roll of your inventory should taste and smoke just as fresh as the first one you lit up from the batch. There are also situations when it comes to needing a tolerance break from cannabis. 

Taking a few weeks or months off to let your body reset while you still have a stash is, well, extremely tempting but also rewarding when you know the cannabis is still going to be fresh. Hands down, your safest and best option for long-term storage for pre-roll joints is an opaque glass jar.

Opaque glass jars

There is a reason why you see all of our flower at JARS, well… in glass jars. They are durable, tightly sealed, and don’t influence the chemical makeup of the strain. For example, a plastic Ziploc bag will cause the flower to adhere to the plastic, leaving behind valuable trichomes. When it comes to pre-rolls, storing them in a plastic bag isn’t a great idea because of how easily it is for them to get crushed. The benefit of an opaque glass jar is its ability to block UV sun exposure from the contents stored in it. 

Glass jars are also perfect for storing your pre roll joints at home. Since they are more discreet and harder to get into, curious children and  your family pet are less likely to get to your stash. Many mason jars allow you to label and customize them so you don’t have to second guess which jar is storing which pre-roll. Since most glass jars are advertised to preserve food and herbs, they are an efficient and cheap pre-roll storage option.  

Short-term storage for pre roll joints

You just scored a deal on the many options for pre-roll packs at JARS. Usually in packs of 3 or 5 pre-rolls, they can last you a few days or weeks. We mentioned that brands like Muha Meds and STIIIZY package their pre-rolls in an air-tight sealed jar and will keep them fresh for weeks. 

But, there are many situations where a bulky glass jar isn’t practical storage for your pre-roll joint. When attending one of your favorite cannabis events in Michigan, having a pre-roll ready to go is pretty close to mandatory, right? The last thing you want to do is shove it in your pants pocket or one of your ‘hidden compartments’ in your purse. Pocket lint, no thank you. Do you really want to hesitate your every move, just to make sure you don’t crush your pre-roll? 

You can literally save the day by storing your pre-roll correctly when out and about! Accessories like a cannabis fanny pack are an absolute must-have. With a lock for extra security and multiple storage compartments for your phone, lighter, cash, ID and, of course, your pre-roll. 

Prevent partially smoked joints from smelling bad

We mentioned it before and we’ll mention it again, there is a strong not-so-pleasant odor that comes from a half-smoked joint. If you really want to eliminate cannabis odor from your unfinished pre-roll, the first step is putting it into an air-tight or vacuum-sealed canister. Some insulated glass jars have vacuum-seal technology, UV protection, and some are even temperature-controlled! BUT, and this is a big but, don’t rely on vacuum-seal storage options thinking you can fool a drug-sniffing canine.

Other Pre-Roll Storage Tips and Tricks

There is just so much harm that the sun, high temps, and air cause to your cannabis pre-roll joints. Your main goal is to avoid those factors. Some of you may opt to store a pre-roll to-go in a cigarette pack, that’s fine, but expect to walk around with an undeniable pungent aroma. 

There are desperate times when you can use an old pill bottle. It’s opaque and has a tight-seal, child-proof lid. The main problem with this option is the fact that you want to avoid storing your pre-rolls in any type of plastic since you risk chemicals like BPA coming in contact with your goods.

When you purchase flower at a dispensary, it’s typically packaged in a Mylar bag. These are high-quality reusable, leak-proof, moisture-resistant pouched bags. They’re nice to keep around when you have a half-smoked pre-roll you want to stash for later. At JARS, when you purchase our ‘deli-style’ flower, depending on how many grams, it comes packaged in a plastic dram container for more comfy storage.