The Charter of the French language and its regulations govern the consultation of English-language content.
The Charter of the French language and its regulations govern the consultation of English-language content.
This article explains what the moisture level of a product is, how it’s determined and how we can tell if a product is within the desired range. It also covers why products can dry out and how to prevent that from happening.
It’s simply the amount of water that’s in the product. Cannabis is a plant and plants naturally contain water. After harvesting, producers dry the cannabis to reduce its moisture level. Cannabis plants take about a week to dry. To learn more about the production steps, click here.
When the drying is completed, the producer sends a sample of the cannabis to a certified laboratory where it undergoes a series of tests. The moisture level is one of many properties analyzed. Compliant products usually have a moisture level of between 10 and 15%.
There are several methods for determining the moisture level. The most common one uses the weight lost during drying to estimate the level for the entire production batch.
A quality product should be neither too dry (because it becomes crumbly) nor too moist (because it can turn mouldy). Yet some just-opened products can appear quite dry.
This is mainly due to regulations. Health Canada requires all products sold on the legal market to be stable. There must be no risk of bacteria or mould developing, as tends to happen with products that are too moist. That’s why products sold on the legal market sometimes appear drier than those sold on the illegal market.
The SQDC works closely with cannabis producers to constantly improve the quality – including the moisture levels – of the products it sells.
A high moisture level in a cannabis flower is not necessarily a sign of quality. So, how can you tell if the level in a product is acceptable? Easy: flowers that have been cured and packaged with an optimal moisture level feel light and spongy while retaining good density. Generally speaking, this means the moisture has been distributed properly in the product using proven drying and packaging techniques.
Quality products also smell clean and clearly identifiable as cannabis. Visually, they exhibit typical coloration: splotches of orange, yellow and purple, among others, along with the green seen in every healthy plant.
Some users note that products begin to degrade as soon as they’re opened. Ask yourself this: why do dry cookies usually become moister and moist cookies drier? As long as you leave them in the unopened package, they stay in their initial state for quite a while. But opening the package lets in ambient air and, depending on the air’s humidity level and the cookies’ initial moisture level, the cookies will either gain or lose moisture. It’s the same with cannabis.
When a product you bought appears dry, remember that the cannabis sold at the SQDC is produced using the best practices developed by the legal market, because products drier than those available on the underground market ensure mould doesn’t develop during storage.
First and foremost, the sealed container the product comes in is the best place to keep it until use. Don’t open the container before then.
Once the container has been opened, close it tightly after each use, since circulating air may dry out the product faster.
If you transfer your product to another container, choose one made from glass and either make sure it is opaque or store it in a closed cabinet (out of the reach of children!). Exposure to light won’t dry out your cannabis but can lead to a degradation in overall quality.
Temperature can also have an impact on a product’s moisture level. That’s why it’s a good idea to store cannabis products in a cool place.
You can also use a moisture regulator. That’s a small pack that maintains a relative humidity level in a closed environment by releasing or absorbing moisture.
The SQDC sells a range of quality cannabis products with a lower risk level, all of which have been authorized by Health Canada.
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Are you or a friend or family member dealing with a problem related to cannabis use? Several assistance resources are available to you. Take advantage of them!