<h3 id="1"><strong>Related: <a title="How To Grind Weed Without A Grinder" href="https://weedzly.com/library/how-to-grind-weed-without-a-grinder">How To Grind Weed Without A Grinder</a></strong></h3>
<h2 id="0">Identifying Old or Bad Cannabis</h2>
<p>Many cannabis users are on a quest to find the Holy Grail, also known as weed that never goes bad.</p>
<p>Due to the plant's sensitivity to extreme <a href="https://weedzly.com/library/tips-for-growing">growing and storage conditions,</a> achieving this goal will be difficult. Changes in light, moisture, temperature and various other factors will undoubtedly reduce quality over time.</p>
<p>However, with a bit of know-how and some unique storage habits, you can extend the life of your green.</p>
<p>The maturity process occurs when the <a href="https://weedzly.com/library/how-to-cure-and-dry-cannabis">cannabis is dried and cured</a> to bring out its desired qualities. Sadly, not all cultivators are as meticulous as they should be, resulting in several growers incorrectly identifying the right time to harvest. That may also be a recipe for undesirable results. Fortunately, it's pretty easy to tell if the weed you are going to smoke is old and bad. Would you mind checking out these four signs?</p>
<p><img title="https://res.cloudinary.com/timj111/image/upload/v1673904854/articles/rpzdozafbkweqrsoxqyc.jpg" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/timj111/image/upload/v1673904854/articles/rpzdozafbkweqrsoxqyc.jpg" alt="Weed pot" width="346" height="415" /></p>
<h3 id="2">A moldy, musty, or rotten smell</h3>
<p>Terpenes are fragile. They can dissipate into the air within hours if the temperature or humidity isn't right. The best way to tell if your bud is good to go? Just wait a moment and take a deep breath.</p>
<p>For most people, the smell of cannabis should be one of comfort and familiarity. Most cannabis is cured and stored correctly from the harvest to the point of sale. Any off-notes in the smell of dried cannabis can indicate potentially dangerous pathogens like mold or mildew. Also, avoid cannabis that smells like pesticides, as this might indicate cross-contamination with chemicals during growth or drying and processing.</p>
<h3 id="3">Buds have a powdery mildew appearance</h3>
<p>The aesthetics of cannabis are not limited to its fresh, green, just-cut state. Have you ever observed a specimen from afar to notice it looks exceptionally bright and almost sparkly? That is one of the most beautiful signs of perfectly preserved bud, especially for those rare strains that "pop" with similar characteristics as the freshly cut variety. On the other side of the spectrum, old or harvest-stressed cannabis has a different appearance altogether.</p>
<p>You can identify most molds visually, but it helps to look closely to identify the differences between mold and trichomes (crystal resin). Molds will penetrate and grow over trichomes, forming a powdery white mass.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that mold can also develop on the underside of buds. A bud that looks good from the outside may not be any good on the inside. It's essential always to break apart and smell buds before purchasing them, as mold has a rather musty scent (you'll know it when you smell it).</p>
<p><img title="https://res.cloudinary.com/timj111/image/upload/v1673904901/articles/mihf2fsrdmlo9l1xxxuf.jpg" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/timj111/image/upload/v1673904901/articles/mihf2fsrdmlo9l1xxxuf.jpg" alt="Buds" width="585" height="355" /></p>
<h3 id="4">Buds should not feel sticky as if covered in dust or pollen</h3>
<p><a href="https://weedzly.com/products/categorize">Quality cannabis</a> should not leave your hands sticky as if covered in dust or pollen. When you handle it, is it over-compressed? Do they seem to have the optimal moisture content? Can you feel the shatter between your fingers? Look, touch and smell will give you a holistic understanding of your herb.</p>
<h3 id="5">It's dry or brittle and crumbles</h3>
<p>When breaking apart your buds, please pay attention to the sounds they make as you crush them with your fingers. Freshly dried and well-cured flowers should audibly 'snap' when you squash them. Check to see if there are any stems. Broken stems will also snap in your fingers.</p>
<p>Cannabis buds that look and feel resilient in a "hands on" examination are generally a sure sign of the bud freshness. Put simply, healthy cannabis buds are typically sticky. Buds should break in half instead of crumbling into dust when lightly squeezed.</p>
<p><img title="https://res.cloudinary.com/timj111/image/upload/v1673904932/articles/nwl1epphokezcgrl9vje.jpg" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/timj111/image/upload/v1673904932/articles/nwl1epphokezcgrl9vje.jpg" alt="Buds dry" width="360" height="345" /></p>