What Should I Do? (Mold problem)

[Frederick McGuire]

(The search function didn't entirely help me with this...)

OK, I've recently run into a situation that makes me feel like this:

Recently, I picked up some herb (an oz) and I was warned that this stuff was a bit more wet than the stuff I normally get.
It was a bit harder to grind properly, but aside from that, there was nothing wrong with it.

As I normally do when I pick up an oz, I grab the biggest/best looking bud or 2, and keep them in a glass jar I got from 7th floor, and promptly forget about it.
This is my "emergency stash"/"I just ran out of bud, and want to vape before I can get some more stash"
I probably put about a 1/4 ounce, maybe a bit more in there.

So I vape my stash, no problems, but when I open up the emergency stash, there are a whole bunch of little white spots on the buds...
The smell is also strange, some of the "weedy" smell is gone (but there's still a distinct weed smell), and there's a strange after hint of an almost minty smell...

So basically, I'm guessing this is mold...
Unfortunately, I have NFI what kind of mold it is, or how to rectify the issue...

I don't want to vape it, so I figure I've got 4 options:

1. Make Edibles
2. Make QWISO/BHO
3. Give it to a buddy (Obviously, explaining the mold issue)
4. Trash it

I did some googling, but Couldn't come up with much.
Apparently eating it could be worse than inhaling, so I'm thinking I'll avoid #1

That leaves me with making a concentrate extraction out of it, giving it to a buddy, or trashing it.

Could ISO/Butane extract the mold along with the actives I'm after?
Can I clean the buds first?
Could Smoking be a somewhat safe way of consuming this bud if I give it to a friend?
Is there any safe way to consume this stuff, or should I just cut my losses and toss it?

I'll upload a pic or 2 of my affected bud tonight...

Thanks in advance everyone

 

[hoptimum]

(The search function didn't entirely help me with this...)

OK, I've recently run into a situation that makes me feel like this:

Recently, I picked up some herb (an oz) and I was warned that this stuff was a bit more wet than the stuff I normally get.
It was a bit harder to grind properly, but aside from that, there was nothing wrong with it.

As I normally do when I pick up an oz, I grab the biggest/best looking bud or 2, and keep them in a glass jar I got from 7th floor, and promptly forget about it.
This is my "emergency stash"/"I just ran out of bud, and want to vape before I can get some more stash"
I probably put about a 1/4 ounce, maybe a bit more in there.

So I vape my stash, no problems, but when I open up the emergency stash, there are a whole bunch of little white spots on the buds...
The smell is also strange, some of the "weedy" smell is gone (but there's still a distinct weed smell), and there's a strange after hint of an almost minty smell...

So basically, I'm guessing this is mold...
Unfortunately, I have NFI what kind of mold it is, or how to rectify the issue...

I don't want to vape it, so I figure I've got 4 options:

1. Make Edibles
2. Make QWISO/BHO
3. Give it to a buddy (Obviously, explaining the mold issue)
4. Trash it

I did some googling, but Couldn't come up with much.
Apparently eating it could be worse than inhaling, so I'm thinking I'll avoid #1

That leaves me with making a concentrate extraction out of it, giving it to a buddy, or trashing it.

Could ISO/Butane extract the mold along with the actives I'm after?
Can I clean the buds first?
Could Smoking be a somewhat safe way of consuming this bud if I give it to a friend?
Is there any safe way to consume this stuff, or should I just cut my losses and toss it?

I'll upload a pic or 2 of my affected bud tonight...

Thanks in advance everyone

I saw this link about mold that might help

http://sparkreport.net/2009/08/what-you-should-know-about-mold-issues-on-marijuana/

 

[weedemon]

what should i do?

I don't mean to be this guy:

but you should always dry any bud that is not properly dry before you seal it into any airtight spaces.

yes you will obviously lose the weight, but as long as this bud ias actually for you then it's totally worth it. When i buy mine if it's ever not fully dry (the stems will snap) I will always dry it first, getting wet herb isn't the worst deal though, because it's fresh enough that you get to cure it. a step no dealer takes because time and weight is money and wet herb costs them to have it sit around.

I've read about this problem before, and I don't know what you can do bud

that was a good article thanks hop!

 

[hazy]

I hate wet bud. If you've paid money for it, you've just bought some very expensive water. Let it dry out then re-weigh it. You will be shocked how much it has shrunk!

 

[Tweek]

If your interest is in good health, then I would not take any risks with potential mold.

 

[CentiZen]

Do a BHO run! The mold won't cause any problems that way. ISO would work too, but in that case you have a possibility of dissolving some mold spores right into your oil and that's just kind of gross.

 

[Frederick McGuire]

I saw this link about mold that might help

Thanks, Interesting read.

I don't mean to be this guy:
...
that was a good article thanks hop!

Captain Hindsight!
I shall indeed heed your words of warning Sir

I hate wet bud.

Yeah, this was a one off thing, normally my stuff is pretty consistent...

If your interest is in good health, then I would not take any risks with potential mold.

My interest is in good health up to a reasonable point...
If I can find a solution with minimal risks I'm happy to explore it

Do a BHO run! The mold won't cause any problems that way. ISO would work too, but in that case you have a possibility of dissolving some mold spores right into your oil and that's just kind of gross.

So BHO won't dissolve the spores but ISO could?
If it's safe, A BHO run would be pretty ideal.

Thanks for the help so far guys

 

[CentiZen]

Nope, all the butane will do is freeze them to death. The ISO will actually start to break them down rather quickly though. Best of luck!

 

[Frederick McGuire]

Cool
I guess I'll be doing a BHO run tomorrow then

 

[farscaper]

I think people are a little tooo paranoid about the mold issue... unless you have an extreme mold allergy... the only thing its gonna do is wreck your stash...
I grow and cure my own stash, so i deal with the issue on the regular... i actually had a dry box that got tainted and had to be discarded because of it... so here are my suggestions:

1. dry that out!!! do this regardless... it wont take long cause your going to have to sacrifice a little terpene to save the stash.
1.1 place it in front of a fan with direct air movement... your goal here is not to preserve the smell, but rather irradiate the infestation.
1.2 if you can find it you can lay it on a pile of dessicant (like the stuff in the little pouch you get when you buy new shoes.) this will aid in pulling moisture away from the bud... you can also use rice as it does the same job, just make sure to keep an eye on the rice so that it does not become over-saturated... the dessicant will not have this problem.
step 1. has taken care of major mold issues in the past for me to be able to vape or smoke the material, but i prefer to take that the next step cause... i was gonna do that anyway

2. so take your material that you have tried to get as much moisture out as possible and make that shit formerly know as moldy into some lovely BHO and forget your EVER had a mold issue!

to make not of what centizen said, i think that if you didnt do this dry method you would prolly end up with contamination in your BHO, if you dry it first I think that will eliminate that issue.

3. If you are just TOO leery about vaping it cause your afraid that some spore particulates might reach your respiratory system you could use water filtration which would eliminate the particulates or you could make it into edibles. i would not be afraid to smoke the material or the BHO cause the heat from the flame will incinerate any possible spore contamination.

The only other cure tech that i can think of you could try is water cure. I have used it before or trim and popcorn... it does work as a cure tech, i just have never used it to try and get rid of mold.

I hope my past headaches can be your future savior!

good luck!

BTW, with lots of air movement in an unsealed box preferably your issues should go away fast (24 to 48 hrs) and break up the big moldy buds with scissors into smaller buds, this will increase the surface area and speed the drying process.

waste not want not!

 

[Roger D]

You can water cure them. Put em in hot water for a while, you can even boil those nugs to get the shit outta them. Change the water during process. Water over 60°c kills mold and bacteria. Once its looking clean enough, dry em, then enjoy. Minimize effort/loss.

Water curing kills the taste making it very neutral but preserve actives. Their loss is not significant in my experience.

 

[farscaper]

wouldn't boiling water cause evaporation of actives? i mean your talking direct prolonged contact with boiling water... lets see..

here's some quick info i found:

THC has a boiling point of 200°C (392°F). However before the THC boils, other parts of the oil evaporate and boil.

Here are some important temperatures: At 21°C (70°F) the most volatile terpenoids start to evaporate, lending a pungent odor to the air.

At 31°C (87°F) the less volatile terpenoids start to evaporate, lending the air even more pungent odors.

At 39°C (102°F ) vir tually all of the terpenoids undergo evaporation fairly rapidly.

At 50°C (122°F) THC-Acid decarboxylates as the water molecule held in the carbonate form evaporates. This activates the THC.

At 66°C (150°F) Cannabidiol (CBD) melts and starts to evaporate.

At 185°C (365°F) Cannibinol (CBN) boils.

At 200°C (392°F) THC boils. Clear vapor from a vaporizer.


and about water:

The boiling point of water depends on the atmospheric pressure, which changes according to elevation. The boiling point of water is 100°C or 212° F at 1 atmosphere of pressure (sea level), but water boils at a lower temperature as you gain altitude (e.g., on a mountain) and boils at a higher temperature if you increase atmospheric pressure (lived below sea level).

The boiling point of water also depends on the purity of the water. Water which contains impurities (such as salted water) boils at a higher temperature than pure water. This phenomenon is called boiling point elevation, which is one of the colligative properties of matter.

So id say that the water cure method would best work if you can keep your water temp between 60*C and 66*C (just shy of 150*F optimal) This will preserve any remaining CBD, CBN and Decarbed THC. Might be difficult for some heating surfaces.


Also, once they have water cured it will take less than 24hr to dry out if you put a fan on it.

 

[Frederick McGuire]

Thanks guys, Knowledge Bombs being dropped left and right... I like it

 

[t-dub]

. . . At 200°C (392°F) THC boils. Clear vapor from a vaporizer.

Pleas see this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrahydrocannabinol

The boiling point of THC is: 157 °C (315 °F) [4]

 

[Roger D]

I knew you're losing taste by boiling it, but I didn't knew about the CBD. Thanks for that

CBD are non psychoactive but still do a little in the experience. I would say since its a reclaim operation (you wouldn't have to do that with good bud) its not such a waste to simply boil it if you don't have the stuff to keep the water between 60 and 65°C. You would had thrown it away either.

 

[farscaper]

Pleas see this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrahydrocannabinol

The boiling point of THC is: 157 °C (315 °F) [4]

Thanks for that correction Tdub

this is of concern then... if the boiling point for THC is lower than i thought then it is possible that the boiling points for CBD and CBN could also be lower (i got that info from rollitup)

not to mention that it not necessarily the boiling point that we should even be considering here... we really should be asking where the evaporation point begins... cause that will be when the actives start to dissipate... not when it boils... by that time i have a feeling that a great amount of loss has already occurred...

I think the key here either way is that the water in the water cure should be far from boiling... if the water is boiling, it would seem your loosing actives and would certainly be on your way to steam clean weed!

I think because of the controversy I personally wouldn't test this theory with stash that I would need if it went south...

I would air dry it fast and run it as BHO, since this is exactly what I have personally done in the past. (3 weeks ago) I did not notice any ill effects from this treatment either so i will vouch for it...

Edit: http://www.omma1998.org/McPartland-Russo-JCANT 1(3-4)-2001.pdf

Tdub linked this above, but even just the first page is with a quick gander because it discusses the relationship between the different actives synergy in relation to one another.... kinda old, but worth a look.

 

[meduser#420]

I have personally used moldy buds to make BHO and no effects happened. No change in color, taste, or potency. IMO it's the only thing you can do with moldy herbs.

Be glad it wasn't a pound...

 

[weedemon]

sounds l;ike a bho run is the best solution and that's far from the worst thign that could happen to buds (be made into lovely honey oil)

it would be cool to run it thought a filter that has a size capable of catching mold spores too. (a piece of lab grade filter paper or something maybe?)

 

[Roger D]

I understand the skepticism but you really should check out the water curing technique. That's what seems the most simple to me. You can even do it with cold water.

 

[CentiZen]

Cash, I don't know where you got the idea that water over 60 degrees Celsius will kill all bacteria; but that is not the case. Mold and bacteria can be exceptionally hardy once they have grown on something and the spores (the form bacteria take when threatened) can last all the way up to the boiling point. For example, when a town or other municipality has their water supply infected by microbes they put out a "Boil Water Order" so people will kill the bacterials in the water before they drink it.

Actually, now that I think about it, I think I do know why. I used to work at a restaurant and they constantly drilled us to make sure the food never got into "The Danger Zone" where it was being kept any lower than 60c or higher than 5c to make sure that bacteria wasn't growing on the food as it sat. Now, this will certainly stop most, if not all bacteria from growing and replicating; but it won't kill bacterial spores, and they will wake back up once taken out of the heat. However, those were all killed in the initial cooking of the meat or poultry, and keeping it out of the danger zone simply ensures nothing grows back.

 

[Frederick McGuire]

Thanks again for the help/info guys
I've got the affected buds out to dry a bit, then I'll do a BHO run tomorrow

Thanks for the tips about water curing ca5h, but it's kinda nice to have an excuse to make some oil , so I'm gonna go with that.

I've got some pics uploading right now, one of them is a pic of the infected bud. I'll post it once it's up.

EDIT:
here's a pic

 

[FLskwat]

Hihi, I see in your purchases & in your buds that you're leaning every day more towards the concentrate world Fred!!! Be careful, there is no coming back, hahaha!

 

[weedemon]

I'd also like to just clarify that mold is not a form of bacteria either, they are fungi

thx for the pic btw. what a sad week once you are done, and you have your buds loaded in your tube, toss the tube in the freezer for a couple hours. It wont hurt anything. and who knows it may help. My reasoning is: freezing generally ruptures cell walls when they contain water.

and growers blast fresh buds, they don't even dry em out, just freeze em and run em! I't makes the best oil apparently (Wish i grew again!) haha

 

[farscaper]

Hard to say if it is for sure from my phone here... I think its just typical "bud rot"... although, maybe a more advanced symptom than what im use to seeing. im usually looking at a plant that has just been chopped in that last few days... this has had more time to fester so im assuming that fact is why it has the little white spots on it.

No worries though mate, dry that bitch out by blasting it with a fan and run you some BHO!!!

just pitch the material after one run though... wouldn't be worth the effort or butane waste to try n repack for extra weight.

 

[Roger D]

I knew about the bacteria, some are uber resistant and stuff, I forgot to put the word "most" before mold and bacteria, my bad
tough to see this picture moldy