Spotting mold on bread or cheese is pretty easy, but on cannabis? Not so much.

Here’s everything you need to know about what to look for, whether it’s safe to smoke moldy cannabis, and how to keep your stash mold-free going forward.

Moldy cannabis usually has a grayish-white coating. If you’re not a seasoned consumer or grower, though, it can be easy to mistake trichomes for mold and vice versa.

Trichomes are those sticky, shiny crystals on the leaves and buds that give cannabis its aroma.

Unlike trichomes, which look like little hairs that almost appear to glitter, mold has a gray or white powdery appearance.

Mold also has a distinct odor to it, so your nose may notice the mold before your eyes do. Moldy weed usually has a musty or mildewy smell, or it may smell kind of like hay.

It probably won’t kill you, but it’s still not recommended.

In healthy people, smoking moldy weed isn’t likely to have a detrimental impact on your health — barring the general risks of smoking, of course.

If you smoke moldy weed, you might experience symptoms like coughing, nausea, and vomiting, which are more unpleasant than dangerous.

But if you’re allergic to mold, you could end up with inflammation of your sinuses or lungs and symptoms like:

  • sinus pain
  • drainage
  • congestion
  • wheezing

In people with weakened immune systems or lung conditions, inhaling smoke from weed that contains certain mold species can have serious health consequences.

Fungi like Aspergillus, Mucor, and Cryptococcus can cause serious and even deadly infections in the lungs, central nervous system (CNS), and the brain in people with compromised immune systems.

A UC Davis study found these and other types of potentially harmful fungi on cannabis samples bought from dispensaries and growers in Northern California.

Not really.

You may be tempted to cut off the obviously moldy bits and smoke the rest, but it’s not a good idea. Life’s too short for bad bud.

If you can see mold or mildew, you’re better off tossing it. It’s not going to taste or smell good anyway, and could make you feel sick.

Storage is everything when it comes to preventing mold.

Exposing cannabis to the wrong temperature, light, humidity, and oxygen can promote the growth of mold.

Here’s what you need to keep in mind.

Avoid the fridge or freezer

Forget what you’ve been told about storing your green in the fridge or freezer. The temperatures are too low, and the exposure to moisture can result in mold.

The ideal temperature to store cannabis is just below 77°F (25°C).

Use the right container

Glass jars with an airtight seal are the way to go if you want to keep things mold-free.

Mason jars and similar glass containers help limit the exposure to oxygen and moisture, which can prevent mold and keep your nugs fresh longer.

If you want something a little more sophisticated than a Mason jar, most dispensaries sell containers designed for this exact purpose.

Keep it in a dark, dry place

Direct sunlight and moisture are recipes for disaster when it comes to keeping cannabis fresh.

The sun’s rays can heat things up and hold in moisture. A damp environment can also cause too much moisture to build up if your container isn’t properly sealed.

Keep your container in a dark, dry cabinet or closet that doesn’t get too hot.

Mind the humidity

Cannabis is best kept at a relative humidity of 59 to 63 percent. Go any higher and you run the risk of trapping moisture and growing mold.

Adding a humidity pack to your container can help. These are little packets that contain a mix of salts and water that help regulate the humidity in your container. They’re inexpensive and last a couple of months.

Humidors made specifically for cannabis are another option if you want to get fancy and are willing to spend some extra bucks.

Moldy cannabis will usually look, smell, or taste off.

A quick inspection of your green before you smoke it is always a good idea. This is especially true if you have a chronic lung condition, like asthma, or a compromised immune system.

Even if you don’t have any health conditions, you’re better off tossing anything that doesn’t seem quite right.

Adrienne Santos-Longhurst is a freelance writer and author who has written extensively on all things health and lifestyle for more than a decade. When she’s not holed up in her writing shed researching an article or off interviewing health professionals, she can be found frolicking around her beach town with husband and dogs in tow or splashing about the lake trying to master the stand-up paddle board.