Drying in darkness/daylight!?

Had a discussion today with someone regarding drying after having trimmed the plants.

I always have been cutting my plants after the lights have been off for hours and drying them in a dark room.

This guy cuts them lights on and dries in daylight (not in a dark room).


IMO it is common knowledge why to dry the plants in total darkness and not in daylight.


However is there anyone around who has been drying his plants in broad daylight and can tell IF there is a difference between drying in darkness or daylight?


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I would like to know also.I've dried in my flower room before,don't have a separate veg room,so I veg and flower in the same room.I didn't notice a difference,but no side by side.Can't just dry anywhere!If I could I would dry in my attic.Good thread Strainhunter!

I read that at first light or just am.

I all was went with Sativa daylight / Indica darkness

drying in the light is a no no. Light degrades cannabis. consider it the enemy after it's been harvested. Vac sealed left in the dark to cure

Hammerhead said:

drying in the light is a no no. Light degrades cannabis. consider it the enemy after it's been harvested. Vac sealed left in the dark to cure

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Agreed.

However why would someone dry copious amounts of herb in a room with daylight coming in?

Has anyone just let it completely dry-out the plant... no trim.... just no water to the plant?

Forest20 said:

Has anyone just let it completely dry-out the plant... no trim.... just no water to the plant?

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No I have not.

Think about it:
All those smaller leafs all curled up and then trying to trim them off...major PITA vs doing so while they are fresh & wet sticking out.

Forest20 said:

Has anyone just let it completely dry-out the plant... no trim.... just no water to the plant?

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You mean let it die in the pot? Haven't in a long time but it's a great method for certain scenarios.

if the plant grows outside i dont see why the sun is gonna degrade the thc when its the sun that made it..remember it grows in dark and light..so why cant it dry day and night and still be potent...start with good weed it wont matter and long as you get high thats what its for

i was wondering this as well because i used to dry my stuff inside a big card board box and it was always dark in there but now i made a drying rack wuth screens and strings to hang the buds from or lay them on the screen to dry ...
BUT
what im wondering is that i have a small cfl tube lght on 24 hours a day across the room about 5 feet way ...
its not that bright at all and the room is still kinda dark so would that make any difference ...???...

I think the reason for drying in the dark, other than THC degrading, is that the plant is still alive for awhile after it is cut. Thus drying in the dark so it doesn't try to continue growing.
Grow on,Fred

after the plant has died the light/heat will degrade the THC as well as the color of the cannabis. It will turn brown if left long enough. Most if not all brick weed is dried in the sun or hot barns

I trim all the large leaf off hang the whole plant in the dark until it's 55%RH. Vac seal and let cure in the dark.. some people are just set in there ways..

As with most things related to growing, myth surpasses fact on this subject.

However, a few facts for your fancy...

The finest grades of tobacco on the planet are dried and cured in slated sheds that do not exclude the light. You see, it's a matter of intensity - yes, hot direct sunlight will have enough energy to cause chemical degradation of the thc molecules (in time), but the deleterious thermal effects on the vegetal matter would be orders of magnitude greater in a shorter period of time. Light is not as devastating to thc as most people fear, it's really only a factor that archivist's need consider.

The cogent rationale behind low light environments in the drying and initial stabilization of the plant materials is to maximize the dehiscing of the simple chloroplasts to promote sweeter flavors and smoother smoke. Part and parcel to this strategy is the slowing of the plants respiration and transpiration, as too quick of a dry will fix the chlorophyll's within the cell walls, locking in their negative effects.

IMO cannabis can not be dried the same way as Tobacco if you want the best product. I have already learned by my mistakes.

darkness helps to breakdown chlorophyl.
I know a swiss mountain grower who dries at a cabin with uncovered windows.
couldn´t tell a difference in taste.

It has to do with preserving both the terpene, as well as the cannabinoid profile. Terpene content plays a HUGE role in the effectiveness of your meds, they have analgesic, sedative, cancer-fighting/anti-mutagenic and an array of other medicinal properties, all of their own.

Plants lose and recreate terpenes all day long; light and heat damages and destroys them, while living cannabinoids do not degrade as readily until harvested or overly-matured. It is why your plants tend to smell so much more in the late evening, and in the early morning, than they will when it is closer to lights-off... towards end of the daylight hours, they appear to have little odor at all compared to the late evening.
This is also why it is not only best to dry in total darkness, and store your canna in well-sealed jars in a cool dark environment, but it is also best to harvest first thing in the morning rather than late in the plants 'day', or even after a slightly extended period of darkness.


Once the plant is deceased and no longer producing fresh chemicals (terpene/flavanoid etc) to replace those that dissipate, and it is no longer sustaining those already in existence (cannabinoid), at this time UV light and heat will begin to degrade even cannabinoids more rapidly as well... storing your herb in a hot car for a day is enough to begin crippling its medicinal value. And cannabinoids degrade more gradually than most terpenes, first decarbing along the way.. terpenes however are much more fragile and volatile. Under the same conditions, terpene content is depleted much more rapidly.
After a person has been around herb for long enough, especially the same strains and varieties, they can begin noticing very (sometimes painfully) easily how old it is, and in what way a bud was stored... a bud that is forgotten and left outside the jar for a few days or a week, exposed to light and the open air, can seem to age months in that amount of time, when it is compared to bud from the same plant, that remained in the jar.


"" In Cannabis:
-over 120 different terpenes can be manufactured by Cannabis, some only in trace amounts with others in double-digit percentage
-produced in the Trichomes, the same glands where THC is produced, comprising between 10 and 20 percent of the total oils produced by the glands
-about 10-29 percent of marijuana smoke resin is composed of terpenes/terpenoids
-age, maturation and -time of day- can affect the amount and ratios of terpenes. They are constantly being produced but are vaporized by heat and light of the day… so harvest in early morning!
-climate and weather also affect terpene and flavonoid production. The same variety, even genotype, can produce a different terpene profile when grown in different soils or with different fertilizers (So treat your babes well, give them a good environment, cool night time temps and comfortable daylight temps... they can survive abuse, but they will reward you when you treat them just right - BKS )....

Effects when ingested by an animal can be:
-anti-microbial, anti-carcinogen, anti-oxidant, analgesic (painkiller), anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxer, anti-depressant, psychoactive..., anti-anxiety, sedative, vasoconstrictant, vasorelaxant, sensory enhancer…" - Terpenes and Terpenoids in CANNABIS - Info



It's worth noting that the terpene myrcene is responsible for the enhanced effect some people experience when they consume a mango a half hour to an hour or so, prior to smoking or consuming an edible.
This effect is not as pronounced with high quality, properly dried and fresh home grown herb: this is because quality herb, already has a myrcene content that dwarfs that of the mango! But when smoking low-grade, older 'schwaggy' herb, this is when the 'mango effect' or an increase in perceived potency, has the most pronounced effect. Mangoes really do not have much myrcene.. for a better experiment, try either hops extract, or a lemongrass extract with its high 25% myrcene content.

Myrcene is one of the most dominantly produced terpenes in cannabis; it increase cannabinoid cellular permeability, it is sedative, analgesic, and has been long known for its anti-tumor/anti-mutagenic qualities.

Many fruits even besides mangoes can help increase the effectiveness of your meds via their own unique properties and their ability to enhance cannabinoid cellular permeability, and a healthy lifestyle in general (also increasing omega-3 intake), can improve the overall effect of your highs and sessions in the long-term. But now I'm getting way off topic



Using extreme methods to speed up the process, like allowing daylight exposure and heaters to be present during drying, these methods are usually best left to those who grow primarily for profit and recreational use.


If you are a patient and you're growing medicine (or you just plain, have high standards, when it comes to your stash), then you will want to preserve as much medicinal value as you can, so that you may benefit as much as possible from the last several months worth of your time and effort.




Hope this helps.

BadKittySmiles said:

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Hope this helps.

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Wow very well educated reply!

Thanks BadKittySmiles! Useful information for sure.

in the real world it really dont make a difference. i have done both dark and light and cant see any difference.