Here's what I do -
I nuke my buds for a short time - for a 1/2 oz, probably about 10-15 sec. Just enough to start wilting the leaves.
What this does - the brief burst of heat vaporizes some of the water in the plant cells, which bursts the cell walls open. This allows all those nasty chlorophylls and terpines an easy escape and evaporate - as well as the extra water.
After that brief microwave treatment, I let them dry. Sometimes in a dehydrator, sometimes in the open. Haven't noticed a huge difference. Anyway, they dry rather quickly - about 2 hours in my dehydrator. A day or two in the open.
The key here - after they are dry, you put them into a jar for a traditonal cure for a week or more.
It's still cured bud, but your able to skip the week or 2 of air drying. I find the smoke to be pretty good when it comes out of the jars.