If you’re already familiar with storing cannabis flower, we have good news: keeping concentrates fresh is much easier. In this guide, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about concentrate storage, including:

• Why is It Important to Store Concentrates Properly?
• How Should You Store Concentrates?
• Where Should You Store Concentrates?
• Tips from the Budtenders
  
  

We’ll also include a few concentrate storage tips to help you ensure your marijuana stays fresh for as long as possible. 

All cannabis products, like anything else that expires, need to be stored properly. There’s nothing worse than consuming your marijuana and discovering that it tastes bad, the potency has weakened, or it has turned into a mess in its container. 

The same is true for concentrates. Marijuana concentrates break down if they’re not stored correctly. Anything from light to heat and even humidity can make your concentrates degrade faster than they would naturally. At best, they’ll be stale and less potent when they hit your endocannabinoid system. At worst, they’ll get moldy or develop a bacteria infestation, and those can both become serious health hazards. 

If you’re new to marijuana concentrates, we recommend starting with our Cannabis Concentrates 101 guide. 

Storing cannabis concentrates isn’t as easy as grabbing a jar, sealing it up, and calling it a day. This is because different concentrates require different storage containers. For example, you’re not going to wrap budder in parchment paper and tuck it up on the shelf. Similarly, you shouldn’t shove your shatter in a jar and hope that it’ll be fine. To make it easier, see our recommendations below for the different ways to store your concentrates.

Best way to store shatter, hash

Wrapping a concentrate in parchment paper is a great short-term solution for a product that is more solid, like shatter or hash. Place the concentrate on the parchment paper and wrap it until it’s sealed from light and most air and moisture. Then, tuck it into a cool, dark place.

If you want to store your shatter for a few weeks, wrap it up in parchment paper and then grab a resealable food bag. Tuck the wrapped concentrate into the food bag, let the air out, and seal it. Then, place it in a cool, dark place. 

Best way to store budder, crumble, wax, rosin

Some concentrates do best when stored in a glass jar. These include budder, crumble, wax, and rosin. Do not try to store shatter in a glass jar. It will stick and be almost impossible to get out of the jar. 

Pick the smallest jar possible for the amount of concentrate you have, so there is less exposure to air. Seal it up (ideally with a vacuum sealer) and put it into a cool, dark place for short, medium, and long-term storage. 

Silicone Jar

Medical-grade silicone jars can be the best container for just about any type of concentrate—but only for short-term storage. Because they are bendable, it’s easy to get the concentrate out of the container, but they aren’t air tight, so you can’t rely on them if you want to save your concentrates over time. If you’re in the market for long-term storage, consider the glass jar or parchment paper methods mentioned above. 

Best way to store oily concentrates like hash oil, crumble, butane hash oil (BHO)

Truth be told, we don’t love plastic jars for storing any concentrates. That being said, if you’re in a pinch, and need a short-term storage solution for one of your more oily concentrates (like hash oil, crumble, or BHO), a plastic jar can do the trick. Seal it up once you’ve placed the concentrate in the jar and put it in a cool, dark place. Just don’t leave it there for more than a couple of days at most. 

One thing to note, you may receive your concentrates in a plastic jar when you bring them home from the dispensary. It’s an easy, inexpensive way for dispensaries to distribute the marijuana product. When you get home, if you plan to enjoy your concentrate over time, be sure to move it to another container. You’ll be glad you did.

If you need tips for storing cannabis flower, read our flower storage guide.

Even though your concentrate is tucked away in a proper container, you’ll need to figure out where to put it. The main concern after proper storage is keeping the product away from heat and light, both of which can cause the product to break down and be less potent. A cabinet in a cool place is ideal.

Freezing is a great option if you need long-term concentrate storage, and if you either live in a hot climate or it’s a hot time of year. First, put your concentrates in either parchment paper or a glass jar, depending on what’s best for the type you purchased. Then, place the jar or parchment paper into a larger food storage bag, push out as much air as you can, and seal it up. If you are able to vacuum seal the storage bag, all the better! 

Once you’re ready to pull the concentrate out of the freezer, make sure you let it come back to room temperature before you open the container. This will prevent moisture from going from the container into your concentrate. 

We reached out to budtenders at our many dispensaries to ask them what their storage tips for concentrates are. Here’s what we compiled:

• Spend the money on high-quality containers. The last thing you want is to use some old peanut butter jar and then get concentrate that tastes like old peanut butter…or worse.  
  
  
• Don’t use clear containers. Clear containers can let light in if you leave them out of their cool, dark spot. Opaque containers give you that extra protection.  
  
  
• Clean thoroughly before reusing a container. If you have good containers, you can reuse them with new products. Just make sure you clean them thoroughly or even boil them to ensure they won’t introduce any contaminants to your concentrate.  
  
  
• Keep safety in mind. It can be easy for anyone, especially kids, to grab a container of concentrate, not knowing what it is. Be sure you store your concentrate in a safe place that only you can access.  
  
  
• Always check your containers when you reopen them. No matter how well you think you sealed your concentrate, it’s important to inspect it when you reopen the container. Check for discoloration, excessive moisture, or an odd smell. These are all indications that something could be wrong with your concentrate, and you may be better off just getting rid of it.
  
  

If you own a medium to large amount of concentrate and plan to use it over time, having storage options available is a great way to preserve your product and ensure it’s in good condition when you’re ready to consume it.