Pubdate: Thu, 09 Jul 2015 Source: Westword (Denver, CO) Column: Ask a Stoner Copyright: 2015 Village Voice Media Contact: http://www.westword.com/feedback/EmailAnEmployee?department=letters Website: http://www.westword.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1616 Author: Herbert Fuego WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO STASH MY STASH? Dear Stoner: What is the best way to store pot when not using it for a while? Is it best to put it in the refrigerator, the freezer, or neither? Gary Dear Gary: Depending on your definition of "a while," there are a few ways to store your cannabis. The freezer is not one of them, however: Freezing your buds also freezes the trichomes, turning the THC crystals into brittle icicles that will eventually fall off the buds. If you're saving your pot until the Cubs win the World Series, the fridge is great for long periods of time (more than a year), but you must keep it airtight, or mold can grow and your herb will taste like those old enchiladas you forgot about months ago. A friend on probation once tried it without a good Mason jar, and after a year the whole thing looked like a penicillin petri dish. If you vacuum-seal your stash, put it in an airtight jar and don't open it often, it should be fine. Keeping that same herb in a Mason jar in a dark place (closet, pantry, etc.) with little temperature fluctuation will also maintain its flavor and potency for at least a year. And if you'd like to save some dabs for a special occasion, all of these rules apply to concentrates, too. Dear Stoner: Why hasn't Denver seen a rush of professional athletes signing with our teams now that pot is legal here? I thought basketball players loved blunts after practice. Bong Dear Bong: I'd like to call your question stereotypical and offensive - - and it probably is - but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I wondered the same thing when Amendment 64 passed. Despite the "Denver Nugs" T-shirts you've seen and Mile High Stadium jokes you've heard, no professional athlete who works in Denver is exempt from a league's drug policies. The Colorado Supreme Court recently reinforced that standing by allowing Dish Network to fire a quadriplegic Colorado employee for using medical marijuana because the "lawful activities" protected by the state constitution must be lawful under both federal and state law. The NFL wanted players to know its position on pot before they got any bright ideas, and sent out a memo in November 2012 reiterating marijuana's banned status in the league despite legal changes in Colorado and Washington. The NBA, which didn't start testing for THC until 1999, basically creates a pot-smoking window for players in its off-season, though. After his fourth and final drug test during the season, an NBA player isn't tested for recreational drugs until the next one begins - unless the league has reasonable suspicion that said player is using. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom