How does light affect curing?

Reading about curing harvested bud and the instructions always say "store in a cool dark place." I can understand cool, but what does light do to screw up the harvest? Doesn't mold and mildew grow better in dark conditions?

Degrades thc

So, for two months of veg and two months of flower it was necessary for the plant (and thus the THC) to grow, but the second I cut the stem away from the roots, BAM! now its degrading the THC?

Apologies @Bose I'm not trying to be a dick here, but that doesn't make sense.

Are you saying that leaving it exposed to light for months while its stored in jars is when the light is bad?

SativaSumo said:

Reading about curing harvested bud and the instructions always say "store in a cool dark place." I can understand cool, but what does light do to screw up the harvest? Doesn't mold and mildew grow better in dark conditions?

Click to expand...

It breaks down the THC. Follow instructions cool dark place 50% humidity.

I believe it is more that the plant is not dead and giving it light will not stop the processes. Do what works for you.

SativaSumo said:

Are you saying that leaving it exposed to light for months while its stored in jars is when the light is bad?

Click to expand...

Yes.

it makes the weed brown

SativaSumo said:

So, for two months of veg and two months of flower it was necessary for the plant (and thus the THC) to grow, but the second I cut the stem away from the roots, BAM! now its degrading the THC?

Apologies @Bose I'm not trying to be a dick here, but that doesn't make sense.

Are you saying that leaving it exposed to light for months while its stored in jars is when the light is bad?

Click to expand...

No need to appolagize. Plenty of info on here as well as the web. Read and maybe this will help in your understanding.

CrocodileStunter said:

it makes the weed brown

Click to expand...

AHHHH! So that is how the old school Mexican crap I used to buy for $20.00/zip turned brown. I always wondered how people could turn a green plant brown...thanks for clearing up the mystery! LOL!!!

SativaSumo said:

So, for two months of veg and two months of flower it was necessary for the plant (and thus the THC) to grow, but the second I cut the stem away from the roots, BAM! now its degrading the THC?

Apologies @Bose I'm not trying to be a dick here, but that doesn't make sense.

Are you saying that leaving it exposed to light for months while its stored in jars is when the light is bad?

Click to expand...

YES!

$bkbbudz$ said:

AHHHH! So that is how the old school Mexican crap I used to buy for $20.00/zip turned brown.

Click to expand...

Some growers even hang their fresh buds outdoors under sunlight for drying! Brown buds + harsh smoke + bad smell & taste! They think they're hanging their laundries!

The difference between growing weed and cultivating cannabis is KNOWLEDGE.

Click to expand...

Light degrades thc and trichomes. When thc degrades it converts to cbn. During curing (decarboxylation ) the thca converts to thc

While i understand your logic to a degree it is flawed..
The plants produce cannabinoids in the trichome on each calyx. And elsewhere.
But these parts of the flower stack on top of one another. Some plants namely sativas can fox tail and keep stacking while the rest of the plant is done. My point is that each calyx is independent. Once its mature it stops producing. This is when light turns your trichomes amber..from degraded compounds and polymerization etc

While the calyx or individual trich is growing it produces uv absorbing compounds and it produces in layers i guess you could say....why the trichs arent amber in flower.

(Largely) The ultra-violet rays activate such bonds to form free radicals, which then react further with oxygen in the atmosphere, producing carbonyl groups in the main chain. The exposed surfaces of products may then discolour ,although in bad cases, complete product disintegration can occur.

Polymers which possess UV-absorbing groups such as aromatic rings like thc must be protected..


Thca has a half life of around ~60 days at room temp under typical low lab lighting..
You could make it 230 days or so in the same conditions but in the dark.
Largely 9-thc rotates to 8 with about 30% less activity at cb1, but a little more at cb2 (a little dif pharmacology across the board)
Cbn is largely from oxidation and produced througj enzymatic processes but 9 times lower binding affinity.. some is formed directly from break down
All products from degradation will have lower potency.

This light also effects other compounds produced.
The flavor or smell and high can be altered and usually not a good thing


Also it can "slow" the cure.. why are you feeding essentially a cutting, light?
With no food source yes you break down chlorophyll likely leaving a browner lol plant.
But it destroys nutes in wide varied ratios. Your gonna kill the cutting without a long enough cure. Curing is aerobic, stomatas must function to allow gas exchange. Also the plant does things in light that are not beneficial...our loved starches fpr example


Well thats pretty simplified but there ya go