January belt-tightening: ways to save money by making your weed go further

Sure, it's hard to resist the temptation. Yet by simply exercising some self-discipline you can prevent your weed stocks from running out prematurely so that you don't end up facing an unexpected lack of supplies. In this post we share some tips on how to make your cannabis go further without the need to spend additional money.

Storage matters

The first thing you need to do if you want to keep your cannabis fresh for weeks, even months, is choose the right storage method so that the flavour and aroma remain intact. The best option here is using airtight containers, as these create the perfect storage environment. The size of the jars should be consistent with the amount of cannabis you need to store, so avoid over-filling them with buds, as this could result in a partial loss of resin. The buds should fit comfortably in the jars but not too loosely, otherwise the air could end up damaging them.

Design a saving scheme

Once you've done with storage, the next step is to design a saving scheme, which you can do by establishing a consumption pattern based on your budget. Yes, you heard right. At least this is what you should do if you don't want your buds to disappear in a flash. To give you an idea, according to an extensive analysis, the average joint contains 0.32 grams of marijuana, which gives you an average of two to three joints per gram of marijuana. Although the numbers may vary from smoker to smoker, most of them claim to smoke from two to ten joints a day, which at an average price of €5 per gram of marijuana, gives a cost of €4.5-€13.5 per day, that is, €135-€405 per month.

And, of course, once you've established a roadmap tailored to your specific budget, the next natural step would be to stick to it - at least as far as possible. Are you one of those people who smoke a joint first thing in the morning? Well, why not try and find a better time, like late in the day, when you're done with all your duties? Another good option is using vaporisers, a more time-consuming method but definitely worth it as you won't have to use as much weed. But if, for whatever reason, you ever feel like binging, you shouldn't try too hard to resist the temptation: if you keep track of your end consumption, you are allowed to overindulge occasionally.

Consumption method is key

One of the simplest saving techniques is choosing the consumption method that best suits your needs. If you are one of those people who like to smoke leisurely early in the morning or late at night, enjoying every single hit without rushing, then there's no reason why you should give up on combustion, which is actually a great way to keep track of the amount of weed you use.

However, if you prefer to enjoy your weed throughout the day - e.g. during work breaks or as an after-meal dessert - then other methods might prove to be more cost effective, as they will allow you to optimise your weed by preventing accidental wastage. Instead of half-smoking your joints in an effort to keep up with your day-to-day duties, you can opt for a pipe or a bong, which don't necessarily need to be filled to their full capacity and give you the peace of mind of knowing that you'll eventually smoke all the content without wasting a single gram.

Wet trimming to make the most of your buds

There is a number of techniques expert growers use to make the most of their cannabis plants and increase production. Instead of dry trimming the buds after leaving the branches to dry for some days, and at the risk of compromising the organoleptic profile slightly, you can opt for wet trimming to minimise the loss of trichomes and thus harvest a larger amount of cannabis.

This technique is easier and faster, and that's why many large-scale growers prefer it over dry trimming. That said, wet trimming requires greater accuracy when removing the leaves from the buds, which could otherwise be damaged. Expert trimmers remove the leaves from the tiny stem that connects the bud to the plant and cut it off with scissors and a precise technique. Inner leaves are usually kept as they tend to be covered in resin and are great for concentrates.

Recycling leftovers into concentrates

Concentrates are another great way of making your cannabis go further. Increasingly popular these days mainly because of their extreme psychoactive potency, they are becoming easier and safer to use - solvents are no longer necessary in some cases - and represent a highly efficient alternative to smoking. So when you run out of buds, you might still have some of the hash you made from the resin of your last harvest's leftovers, which may be more than enough to keep going a few more days.

There are a variety of techniques and tools that can be used for making concentrates, so the chosen method will ultimately depend on the amount you want to consume. To give you an idea, you can expect butane hash oil (BHO), which can be made with trim as the stems and secondary leaves contain large amounts of trichomes rich in cannabinoids, to give a yield of 10%, that is, one gram of BHO for every ten grams of cannabis trim.

Say no to spongers

Last but not least, if you really want to make your cannabis go further while saving some money, you will have to be resolute and stop sharing your weed with those friends who never seem willing to follow suit.

I bet you are already thinking of that tight-fisted friend of yours that always has an excuse for not sharing or for not buying a single gram. Well, if you don't want this friend to undermine your planning efforts, I'm afraid you will have to be uncompromising. A tough decision indeed, but think it's for the sake of your cannabis and your pocket.