Method 1: Hang-drying cannabis

If you are a cannabis cultivator with a limited budget, then hang-drying is a cost-effective solution for your marijuana flowers.

Hang-drying exposes your cannabis to the open air as your buds are hung upside down from a relatively elevated position and dried.

You will have to regularly monitor the temperature and airflow of the room where your cannabis buds are being hang-dried for maximum results.

Choose a dark and dry place to hang your cannabis buds and branches such as the laundry room. Ensure that your marijuana flowers are adequately spaced for the airflow to carry away moisture particles effectively without attracting mold.

If you are looking for quick results, then you will appreciate hang-drying as it lets you be able to hang full hemp branches with several buds. You do not have to go through the trouble of laying out your buds individually as you would if you were using a tray stacked on a shelf.

Hang-drying cannabis requires plenty of space as you will need a dedicated room where your cannabis branches and buds will be dried around the clock. Please note that you will not be able to use that room for any other purpose.

Method 2: Using a drying rack

Drying and curing is a critical process in growing cannabis as it can affect the flavor and potency of the psychoactive substances of your cannabis buds.

If you are preparing cannabis for commercial purposes, then you will need to use a drying rack. Drying racks come in various shapes and sizes, and you will need to pick racks that minimize the building work and manual labor involved in the drying process. A drying rack helps you keep your cannabis yield organized as it dries. Plus, there is a much lower risk of contamination or mold when you are using a drying rack.

It is recommended that you use a flat cannabis drying rack if you are short on space. Most flat cannabis drying racks are not taller than 8 feet, but they come in smaller sizes too!

If you cut your marijuana flowers into smaller pieces, then it will be easier for cannabis to dry quicker using a rack.

By exposing a larger surface area of the buds, airflow can take away moisture in far less time with better efficiency. You will not have to worry about deeper layers being wet as the external parts of your buds get dry and crispy. Once your cannabis buds have dried, you may take them off the stems.

After seven days of drying, check if a cannabis plant branch snaps when it is twisted. If the snapping sound is crispy and sharp, you will know that your cannabis has been dried properly.

Method 3: Baking the Buds

Baking cannabis cannabis to get it dry is one of the fastest ways of getting things dry enough for consumption. However, it’s worth putting a disclaimer here: Baking your buds is going to waste cannabis. It will compromise the potency of the cannabis in both flavor and cannabinoid content. Okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s continue.

This last-ditch method of drying cannabis should really only be used for sampling, or if you’re so dry that you’re willing to lose some. Only use a small sampling of your crop, and dry the rest in any other way.

Follow the steps below to oven-dry your cannabis:

Trim your buds to an appropriate size.

Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.

Lay the buds on the parchment paper in a single, thin layer.

Set the oven to 125°F or 50°C.

Place the baking sheet on the center rack of the oven, and let the cannabis bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove the tray from the oven and flip the buds, then place them in the oven for another 5 minutes.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow it to cool completely

What you’re going to get is a mediocre version of what you’ve grown, at best. Again, this should be the last method that you try, but for the sake of expediency, it’s definitely one of the fastest.

Method 4: Brown Bags and Computer Fans

Brown paper bags are a perfect medium for drying your buds! They’re cheap, you can get them anywhere, and they dry cannabis excellently. They’re also quick, even without the method that we’re going to talk about! If you grab a small handful of buds and toss them into a paper sack, they’ll dry completely in about a week. If you’re in a hurry though, you can speed the process up.

Rather than letting the buds stay in the bag for a week, you’ll let them start the drying process for 2 to 3 days. This is the halfway point, and where the additional method comes into play. Grab your computer, be it a desktop or a laptop, and locate the cooling fans. They should be easy to find, since they’re pretty noisy, and are situated behind an obvious vent.

The job of the fans in your computer is to cool the electronics. They do so by consistently pushing warm air out of the computer case. It’s rare for this air to be considered hot, by any means. However, it is warm enough to speed up the drying process. After placing your nugs near the fans, they should be finished drying within an hour or so.

Check out the detailed steps below:

Trim your buds of leaves and place them in a paper bag; a small handful is an ideal amount.

Put the brown paper bag in a cool, dry place for 2 to 3 days.

After the waiting period, remove the buds from the paper bag and place them on a paper towel.

Locate the cooling fans on your computer.

Place the paper towel directly into the airflow created by the cooling fans.

Flip the buds every ten minutes.

Continue flipping until the buds are completely dry to the touch.

When you dry your cannabis this way, you’re sacrificing flavor, but likely none of the potency. The cannabinoid levels should remain high, and will give you exactly what you’re looking for. The flavor, however, will be less noticeable. In certain cases, it will actually be somewhat harsh, being noticeable only in the exhale of smoke. If you can live with this, then this is a great way to dry a small batch of cannabis quickly.

Method 5: Sun Dry Your Buds

If you want to dry your cannabis as they did in the old days, or you’re just looking for a natural method that’s quick, sun drying is a great option. Like the previous method, you’ll need a brown paper bag for this, as well as a warm, sunny day. 

Take a handful of your smaller buds and pop them into the brown paper bag. In addition to a bag, you’ll need something to weigh it down. Nothing would be worse than losing a brown paper bag full of cannabis to a gust of wind. We suggest using a flower pot, a sizable rock, or a chair.

Here are the steps you can take to start sun drying your cannabis at home:

Check the forecast and make sure you have two consecutive days of almost full sun.

Put a small handful of buds into a brown paper bag, and fold the top several times to close it.
In the morning, place the bag in an area where it will get direct sunlight, and weigh it down.

Return in the evening to grab the bag and bring it in for the night.

Repeat step 4 the next morning, allowing the bag to get sunlight for an additional day
In the evening, open the bag and check your cannabis; if it is not dry to the touch, repeat the sun drying process for an additional day.

When you dry your cannabis this way, you can expect to have a dip in both potency and flavor.

Sunlight and heat tend to degrade the quality of cannabis. You can think of it like this – constant sun exposure tends to age people. It does the same thing to your buds. Don’t expect the best cannabis by using this method, but it will certainly work in a pinch.

Method 6: Drying Buds in the Boiler Room

This method is only going to work if you’re in a private living situation. The majority of private homes are going to have a boiler room where the hot water heater (also known as the boiler) is kept. A water boiler’s only purpose is to create heat to make sure that you have hot water. As such, the room that it’s kept in will be just a bit warmer than the rest of your home. You can use this to your advantage.

In a boiler room, you’re going to find that the temperature is higher than in any other room of the house. Additionally, you’ll tend to notice that it’s not very humid. The only reason your boiler room would have high humidity is if there’s a leak, which should be taken care of. Now, because you have an entire room for drying, you can dry small buds and large buds.

Now, depending on the size of the buds that you’ve got, you’re going to have two methods of drying. One will be for smaller buds, while the other will be for the larger buds, or the colas.

Take a look at each method below.

Small Buds

Gather small buds and place them in brown paper bags

Place the bags in the boiler room for 3 to 4 days.

Check the buds to see if they are dry to the touch.

If buds are still moist, return them to the boiler room for an additional 1 to 2 days.

Large Buds

In the boiler room, hang strong twine between the walls.

Arrange larger buds and colas on the twine.

Allow buds to dry for 6 to 7 days, then check for dryness.

If larger buds are still moist, allow them to dry for an additional 1 to 2 days

Surprisingly, this method can be accelerated, as well. If you flip your water boiler to the “on” position rather than the “auto” position, it will continuously heat water. This will lead to a warmer environment, as well as a higher power bill. However, it’ll dry your larger buds in as little as 3 days.

This method of drying has a lower impact on flavor and potency than the others on this list.

However, it will still result in lower quality cannabis, unfortunately.