Marijuana growers use a one to two week flushing cycle just before harvest to remove unwanted material used in the cultivation process (such as pesticides or chemicals used to enhance the yield), but you can take one extra step to make your personal stash a much smoother smoke! It is referred to as water curing, and is a much shorter process designed to minimize the amount of chlorophyll and salts in your bud that can make for a harsh toke.

Using reverse osmosis as a filtering agent, the water absorbs these molecules from the plant because they are attracted to water. Since THC is not water soluble, it doesn’t go anywhere!. Water curing is a pretty simple process and there are advantages and disadvantages that we’ll touch upon below.

The Process:

  • Trim down your buds and remove the fan leaves. It’s optional to do further trimming, but cured trimmings also make better hash, so the trimmings are not wasted if you leave them.
  • Place them in a large bowl, tub, or jar of Reverse Osmosis water, depending on the amount you are curing. If you have pets, the jar is probably the best method.
  • Keep the water temperature between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit to facilitate the best rate of osmosis.
  • Use something to gently weigh them down and keep them submersed. A smaller bowl from your kitchen or a plastic cutting board will do nicely.
  • Once a day, change out the water with clean fresh RO water. Repeat for 3 to 7 days, depending on personal preference.
  • Due to the high concentration of chlorophyll and salts in the bud and a low concentration in the water, osmosis will occur naturally and leech them out of the plant until the levels of each are equal.
  • Changing the RO water out keeps the osmotic pressure at its highest, as day old water will not have the same osmotic force to optimally suck out the solids.
  • After the 3-7 days simply hang and dry the buds like you normally would. That’s it!
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Who needs a fish tank? I could watch these babies swim around all day!

The only remotely challenging ingredient needed for the process is Reverse Osmosis water. The first option is to simply buy it. Many retailers have the bring-your-own-container water dispensers that allow you to select RO water from the menu. There are also a number of retailers that stock it. Just do a simple search for “Buy Reverse Osmosis Water” in your location and you’re good to go.

If you really like the water cured weed and want to do it regularly, your second option can be to buy filtration systems from Walmart, Home Depot, and other common retailers. There are systems online as well, such as those here: http://www.freedrinkingwater.com. Keep in mind that it can cost upwards of $200 dollars to instal one of these filtration systems and does waste some water.

Pros:

Healthier smoke with less impurities.

A much smoother hit (or a larger hit without a hacking fit).

A more potent product per gram, as the process removes a third of the unwanted solids

Cons:

Less “bag appeal”, meaning that it looks less impressive after soaking.

Less smell and taste. This can be a deal-breaker for many since these qualities play a huge roll in the experience and enjoyment of smoking cannabis. In this regard, water curing less desirable strains might be the best use of the method.

That’s our take on it. I haven’t had the pleasure of trying this yet, so please chime in with your experience or if you have more to add. We’d love to hear from you!

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Images courtesy: www.tokecity.com and images.frompo.com.