nugs

To Cure or Not Cure…Wait what was the question?…by Dena420

I don’t claim to be an expert grower and I realize the risk of writing an article about growing that can be the catalyst of constant threads/responses from all the “experts”. I'm not one but I can claim to an expert on selecting a well trimmed, manicured and in some cases cured bud.  When a budtender is selecting a patient’s meds, there are certain factors that come into play…not too leafy, not too dense, no veg smell, no seeds, sticks etc.  These are the obvious attributes you look for (or not) when selecting flower. What happens when those so-called experts walk in and start asking questions about when the buds were flushed or what types of nutes were used.  Nutes and flushing methods are usually collective held secrets and the question regarding curing is becoming more and more prevalent even amongst the neophyte medical patient.

What is curing all about, Is it as simple as just placing dried nugs in a jar and waiting a few weeks (or months) or is they’re a delicate biochemical reaction taking place, or both. I know from 1st and 2nd hand experience that curing is not always necessary, even for dank strains on the top shelf.  I wont get into the science of the curing process (that’s another article). However discussing how curing affects the flavor, burn, and potency is important to any seasoned medicator.

Some collectives choose to cure their buds for as long as 3 months in order to get that perfect mixture of flavor and smoothness. Some prefer a nice trim and manicure and let their buds cure on the shelves.  Savvy budtenders even tell patients to come back in a week when the flowers will be more cured and more potent.  This is a risky move because some detest that chlorophyll or veggie smell and may not be willing to come back…Lets get one thing straight as much marijuana is photographed, smoked, vaped, concentrated, extracted, its still just a plant.  Sorry to burst your bubble but top shelf meds are still going to smell like plants.  The trick of course is in the right genetics and the right grow environment.  A veggie smelling OG just put on the shelves can smell like a danky delight a few weeks if the genetics are strong.  The time curing takes also directly correlates with the economy of a collective.  If you just harvested and properly dried a dank strain that is popular with patients, some wont mind taking it early if the strain is top shelf and then go home and put it in a jar to finish curing.  If the strain is popular and dank enough then curing is not always the right answer.  The richness and potency of the bud does increase but if its dank enough already, in some cases the patient doesn’t mind.  It also benefits the collective in that they are able to harvest and put more product on the shelves without waiting for months or weeks of curing.  Not to say that curing is the end all and be all of good bud but if the genetics are strong and the grower is reputable, curing really is not going to make that big of a difference.  An “A” grade is an “A” grade whether it’s a 100 % on a test or 99.99%.  Same with flowers, if the bud is dank, you’re going to get stoned, bottom line, let the collectives handle the rest.