Medical cannabis undergoes quite a journey from the moment it is harvested to the moment it is purchased by a patient at a medical cannabis pharmacy. During that journey, it can be subject to significant moisture loss. This could be a problem, which is why it is important that consumers understand what’s going on.
It’s worth noting that the moisture loss problem affects recreational users as well. This post will focus on medical users though, because the quality of their cannabis is more important in terms of health and wellbeing.
The Basics of Moisture Loss
Medical cannabis takes many forms. It can be purchased as raw flower, cannabis vapes, and even gummies, tablets and capsules, and topical products. Yet all medical cannabis starts out as plants cultivated and harvested by license growers.
As soon as cannabis is harvested, it begins to lose moisture. So from harvest to processing, moisture levels have to be maintained. If moisture levels are allowed to fall too far, there are consequences:
- Cannabinoid Degradation – Cannabis plant material that is allowed to dry out is subject to significant cannabinoid degradation. This matters to medical cannabis patients who rely on cannabinoids for their therapeutic benefits.
- Terpene Loss – Terpenes are known to enhance the therapeutic effects of medical cannabis. Unfortunately, terpene loss is one of the results of moisture loss.
- Weight and Potency – Medical cannabis patients rely on consistent dosing for maximum therapeutic effect. But with moisture loss comes a loss of both weight and potency. This inhibits consistent dosing.
- Health Risks – A loss of moisture can promote microbial growth. This puts patients in danger of mold exposure if they incidentally use a contaminated product.
Dried it out cannabis flower can undergo significant chemical degradation as well. That is the icing on the cake. Under the right conditions, chemical processes like browning and lipid oxidation can impact everything from appearance to taste to therapeutic effect.
The Decarboxylation Issue
There is one more issue associated with medical cannabis moisture loss: inhibited decarboxylation. The operators of Zion Medicinal, a Cedar City, Utah medical cannabis pharmacy, explain that the cannabinoids so valuable to patients start out as acids in freshly harvested plant material.
Consider THC. It actually occurs as THC acid (THCA), an inactive compound with very little medicinal value. THCA must be converted to THC to be useful. This is done through a process known as decarboxylation. Applying heat is the best way to do it.
Unfortunately, low moisture levels can inhibit decarboxylation. For a processor turning plant material into medical cannabis vapes, it means a less efficient operation and less overall productivity. For the patient who prefers to use plant material rather than processed products, it could mean a less potent medicine.
A New Standard for Moisture
Moisture content is so important to medical cannabis that the federal government, despite continuing to classify cannabis as a Schedule I controlled substance, recently published a new standard. A report from Marijuana Moment says the National Institute of Standards and Technology will publish the new standard in its 2025 industry handbook.
Marijuana Moment also reports that a number of states may look to adopt the federal standard in the coming year. Others could develop a standard of their own. Regardless, it has become abundantly clear that moisture levels need to be maintained if medical cannabis is to offer maximum therapeutic benefits.
If you are a medical cannabis patient, be sure you understand moisture content and why it matters. If you ever have any questions, ask your medical cannabis pharmacist or one of the technicians your pharmacy employs.