Vacuum Sealing in Bags - destroy potency?

Hi folks - newbie here, age 68, toked the first time at age 13. Lots of experience as a smoker, zero experience as a grower. I'm in the process of developing a place on my property where I can outdoor grow. I live in a remote area in a state where, providing you have the right certificates, you can grow a small number of plants for personal use. The area I've set aside is protected by a wrap around 7 1/2' deer fence and a motion activated security system. I just finished it this fall and will start my first grow next season.

Until I can grow my own, I'm provided by a long time best friend who grows, has grown for about 20 years, and provides me with high quality bud which we buy from him by the pound to save money. My problem is that it's just my lady and I and it takes us a while to go through a pound of pot - say 6 months - so we need to store it properly. I had thought that vacuum sealing in bags would be the best way to store pot that long without losing potency. I have a commercial vacuum sealer, and currently have about a pound sealed (1/4 lb at a time) in bags. The sealer truly pumps all the air out, crushing the bud down considerably.

BUT, my provider now tells me I've damaged the buds by sealing them in vacuum sealed bags. He seems to think that doing it that way causes a loss of potency. I've been searching the web for more info, and nowhere have I found it stated that potency is actually lost - only that the buds are damaged by being squashed - which sounds more of an issue of esthetics than potency. I'm not concerned with esthetics - I grind it before rolling it up or packing a pipe anyway. So if the potency isn't damaged I'll continue to store it this way. However, if the potency is damaged, I have to find another way (such as vacuum sealing in canisters). Frankly, I haven't noticed a drop in potency, but then I've just started doing it this way, so the sampling rate is minimal.

So, my question is: does vacuum sealing in bags, which admittedly crushes the buds pretty flat, actually cause a loss of potency, or are we just talking esthetics here?

In other words, have I lost potency in the pound I currently have by vacuum sealing it ? (actually about 3/4 pound, the other 1/4 pound is in my on-hand stash)

Any help on this issue would be greatly appreciated.

Strolop

First of all, welcome to RIU

Good to see an old timer starting his first grow.



The best way of long term storing is to vacuum seal the weed in blacked out bags, in a steady temp & RH leveled, dark room.
The worst enemies of weed with regards to storing are: moisture, heat, air & light.

So to answer your question, no it doesn't harm potency.
It might not be viable to most people due to the hassle and the fact that it can destroy bag appeal but it's a great way to store safely long term.

I realize that my answer and reasoning was short but it's a fairly simple answer to a simple question.

Good luck with the grow!