What’s a Weed Stash Box and Why Do You Need One

You can register trademarks and copyrights with the government, but there’s no “regulation” of phrases that have simply become popularly used in today’s society.

For example, “a piece of cake” means something that is easy to do, but it’s also a great snack after you’ve enjoyed a bowl or two. Tom Brady often “passes out” of the pocket, but he can’t hit a receiver who’s passed out.

Meet “weed box.”

Some people use the term to refer to the container in which they keep their weed — the container that many of us call a “stash box.”

More recently, cannabis entrepreneurs have taken the term and given it a new use. It’s reminiscent of the 1960s and 70s “Fruit of the Month” clubs or the “Columbia Record Club,” which sent you new goodies every month once you’d subscribed.

Let’s check out both meanings of a “weed box.”

What Is a Stash Box?

Any box can literally serve as a weed stash box. That doesn’t mean it will be a good weed box.

When we were young, many of us (who didn’t just keep our marijuana in the baggie it came in) hid flowers and pipes in old cigar boxes. Others repurposed candy or cookie tins, or even small safes.

Some of those jury-rigged boxes did a fairly good job of keeping bud out of sight. Most were less successful at preventing weed smell from escaping into the house. None was ideal.

Today you can purchase an enormous number of weed boxes that will hide and protect your valuable stash. To make the right choice, it’s important to understand what a great weed stash box will do.

Qualities of a Great Weed Stash Box

It goes without saying that a stash box is used for storage. Only the hardest of hardcore stoners or slobs will just leave their weed, pipes, and tools sitting on a table for days, weeks, or months.

That’s why you can call an old-fashioned cigar box or cookie tin a weed box. Those containers don’t provide all of the important benefits you’ll get from modern weed boxes, though.

Here’s what to look for, in order of priority.

Protection Against Light and Outside Air

Two of marijuana’s biggest enemies are light and oxygen. (We’ll get to the third shortly.)

This isn’t a recent discovery. A study done back in 1976 found that exposure to outside light, especially ultraviolet rays from the sun, is the primary reason why weed degrades over time. The light turns THCA (the precursor acid that becomes THC when it’s activated) into non-psychoactive CBN.

That’s one reason why it’s always been a bad idea to keep flowers in a baggie. Its translucent properties allow light to destroy the bud in a hurry.

Here’s the other reason: even Ziploc bags allow some outside air to get into the bag, Oxygen speeds up the conversion of THC to CBN, and also causes weed’s terpenes (which contribute to flavor, aroma, and potency) to oxidize and degrade.

The best weed stash boxes will be opaque, preventing all light exposure. They’ll also seal air-tight.

Sealing in Aroma

Some lucky smokers don’t have to worry about people detecting the smell of their weed. For most, however, it’s a concern. Others enjoy the aroma while they’re smoking up, but don’t want to smell it 24 hours a day.

That makes smell-proof weed boxes particularly valuable. A box that seals tightly is a great start, but the best options also contain carbon filters, rubber seals and gaskets, or other features that make it virtually impossible for the telltale odor to escape.

There’s one related note to consider. Some stash box materials have their own natural smell which can inadvertently be transferred to your flower. Some types of plastic may even contain harmful BPAs that can be transferred to your weed as well. Metal and glass are better choices than wood or plastic when it comes to odor and safety.

Humidity

We’ve mentioned that stored herb has three natural enemies. Humidity is the third.

Cannabis that has been properly cured and dried will have moisture content in the 10-12% range. But high humidity levels in a storage container (or in the outside environment) will boost the amount of water that weed will absorb. That makes it more likely that the flower will grow mold or mildew. Relative humidity that’s too low will cause the flower to dry out, degrade and crumble.

Most weed boxes aren’t going to be able to help much in that regard. In fact, sealing them tightly can cause temperature and humidity levels to rise. (Cannabis doesn’t do well in hot temperatures, either.) The best approach is to put a “humidity pack” into the stash box; it will maintain optimal humidity levels. Boveda humidity packs are a very popular choice.

There’s another option, though. Marijuana humidors maintain the perfect humidity for your stash, while also keeping it safe from light and oxygen and holding its smell in. They’re pretty expensive, but a great choice if you want to go that route.

Just don’t use a tobacco humidor to store your weed, because it’s designed to keep cigars at higher humidity levels than weed should be exposed to.

Other Features of Weed Boxes

A weed stash box is also a smoking accessory of sorts, so there is naturally a wide range of styles, sizes, designs, and colors of stash boxes for sale. You can also choose to lock weed boxes, hard-sided ones which will physically protect your flower, smaller travel stash boxes, and even models that include built-in grinders and trays.

That old-school Altoids tin? It’s fine in a pinch, but you can do much better to protect your stash.

What Is a Weed Box Subscription?

It’s really no different than any other type of subscription. For a regular fee, the vendor will send you a box packed full of merch every month. Needless to say, this box is designed for weed lovers.

There’s one very important fact to understand, though. Most weed boxes that arrive by subscription don’t actually contain cannabis. It’s illegal to send marijuana through the mail, and most companies that offer the service deliver their boxes to addresses all over the country.

The vast majority of these weed boxes contain smoking accessories like pipes, grinders, and rolling papers, along with other goodies like non-psychoactive snacks, t-shirts, hats, and the like. In most cases, you’re on your own when it comes to finding cannabis.

There are a few exceptions. In legal states, a few companies have begun selling weed boxes that do contain weed as well as other paraphernalia. They use couriers to deliver them instead of sending them by mail.

If you’re able to find a weed box subscription that includes samples of a provider’s latest and greatest strain, however, consider yourself lucky. That may become a commonly-available service one day, but right now, these weed boxes will rarely have weed in them.

Weed Box: FAQ

Q: Is a cannabis humidor worth purchasing for use as a weed stash box?
A: It really depends on your circumstances. If you buy a gram or two at a time and use it almost immediately, it probably won’t be worth spending $150-$300 for the perfect storage environment; you’ll be smoking it up well before it will degrade or get moldy. On the other hand, a humidor could be a good investment for those who buy ounces (or more) and keep their stash around for quite some time. Just remember: tobacco humidors aren’t good for your flower.

Q: What comes in a weed box subscription if you’re in a legal state where you can get “full service” delivery?
A: It varies between providers, of course. We’ve found companies in states like California that say they include approximately $250 worth of weed for a $99 monthly subscription. The products are generally pre-rolls, edibles, extracts, and topicals, with some services also including small amounts of flower.

Reference

Fairbairn, J. W., Liebmann, J. A., & Rowan, M. G. (1976). The stability of cannabis and its preparations on storage. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 28(1), 1-7. [1]