Quote Originally Posted by misty116
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! dont freeze weed!!!!!!!!!!

THC is quite a complex molecule and the more stress you apply to a sample, the higher the fraction of it that will break down into a lower-energy form, ie: something else! [im a chemistry student btw.....] i garuantee that weed that has been frozen will lose potency [although i dont think it matters how long in the freezer, just whether it has been frozen or not....] perhaps to a great degree.

in case you were wondering, its not the low temperature, its the crystallisation/solidification of the molecule that stresses it.

on the other hand, at room temperature THC is relatively stable, and although it will break down over time, i reckon, maybe 6 months might be achieved in a bag with alot of the air squeezed out, i would hesitate to vacuum-pack it though. plus, keep it in the DARK.
Let's see...
THC is quite a complex molecule and the more stress you apply to a sample, the higher the fraction of it that will break down into a lower-energy form
True... But, when you 'freeze' something, you are taking energy away from it... thus, when you freeze it, you reduce the stress on the THC molecule. In order for the THC molecule to "break down" into something of "a lower energy form", it would need to increase its energy so it can clear the activation energy of such a process...

i garuantee that weed that has been frozen will lose potency
What are you offering? 10years? 100,000miles?

Yes, frozen weed will not be exactly as un-frozen weed... but that's because the water molecules line up (hydrogen hybrid bonding) and form ice... and the ice wreaks havoc to the bud. BUT, the THC molecule per se, will not change it's structure because of lowering its temperature (even below freezing).

If you freeze your buds, and then un-freeze them in the microwave, then you are (1)a moron, (2)destroying a lot of THC molecules. If you un-freeze your buds by leaving them on the counter top for a couple of hours, no harm will happen to them.

on the other hand, at room temperature THC is relatively stable
Sorry my chemy friend... THC is a relatively UNstable molecule @ room temperature. Just leave weed in a jar, without airflow, light or high temps, and you'll see that it looses potency. Slowly, but surely.

its the crystallisation/solidification of the molecule that stresses it.
True... very true. But remember, you're talking about the WATER molecule there... the THC molecule doesn't form a 'crystal', even when it's temp goes down drastically. Yes, it will solidify, but under close inspection with a microscope (sorry people, we're talking about $250,000 ESEM microscopes here), you'll see that the THC molecules are not forming crystals. Maybe you'll see two or three THC molecules lined up, but seeing dozens of them lined up? No way. It's just too complex of a molecule to form a crystal with its self.

i would hesitate to vacuum-pack it though
Yes... if you vacuum-pack your buds, you should use only a light vacuum... such as those acheived by food-storage machines (non-commercial). When you pull a vacuum in a jar, you're lowering a subtance's evaporation point. If you pull too much of a vacuum, yes, you will evaporate the THC out of your buds. But we're talking about heavy duty vacuums here... something you could reach with an automotive A/C vacuum unit or something, not with your average home vacuum storage machine.

keep it in the DARK
Wise words.

Misty, I really enjoyed this. If you ever need help with anything of your chemical studies, let me know. I hope I haven't put you off by this post. I look forward to your comments, questions, suggestions, flame-wars, etc.

Best,

-turtle420

[I'm a Chemical Engineer, BTW]