How Should You Store Pre-Rolls?

What makes pre-rolls go stale?

Four things wear down cannabis over time: heat, light, air and moisture. Heat and light break down the cannabinoids and terpenes that give a strain its effect and flavor. Air dries the flower out. Too much moisture does the opposite and creates the conditions for mould.

Pre-rolls are more exposed than whole flower because the flower is already ground, which gives it more surface area. That's why good storage matters more for a pre-roll than for a bud in a jar.

Where is the best place to keep them?

• In their original, sealed tube until you're ready to use them.
• Somewhere cool and dark, like a drawer or cupboard, away from windows and appliances.
• At a steady room temperature, rather than somewhere that heats up and cools down.
• Away from the bathroom, kitchen steam and anywhere damp.
• Locked away or out of reach of children and pets.

A small airtight glass jar is a good home for opened pre-rolls or several at once.

What should you avoid?

Do you need a humidity pack?

For a few pre-rolls you'll use within weeks, the original tube is enough. If you keep several for longer, a two-way humidity pack in an airtight jar helps hold the moisture level steady, so the pre-rolls don't dry out or turn damp. Use packs made for cannabis, follow their instructions and replace them when they harden.

You don't need a humidor unless you're storing a lot over a long time.

Whatever container you use, label it if it isn't the original packaging, so everyone in the home knows what's inside, and keep it somewhere children and pets can't reach.

How should you store a half-smoked pre-roll?

Let it go out completely and cool down, then tap off the ash and put it back in its tube. It'll taste a little harsher on the relight, which is normal. Try to finish it within a day or two. Smaller formats like Baby Jeeter half grams or the Cannon three-pack make it easier to avoid leftovers in the first place.

How do you carry a pre-roll when you're out?

Keep it in its original tube, which protects it from crushing and keeps air out. Avoid leaving it in a pocket where body heat can warm it, or in a car on a warm day. If it's partly smoked, make sure it's completely out and cool before it goes back in the tube.

Only carry cannabis where it's legal for adults 21 and over, keep it in its labelled packaging, and remember that crossing state lines with it is illegal even between legal states. Our post on travelling with cannabis covers the rules in more detail.

How long will they stay fresh?

Stored well, sealed pre-rolls keep their quality for months, while opened ones are best within a few weeks. Our post on how long pre-rolls stay fresh explains how to tell when one is past its best. Check the packaging date on the label too; see how to read a cannabis label.

If a pre-roll ever smells musty or shows white, fuzzy spots, don't smoke it.