But curing isn’t exclusive to cannabis: we’ve been curing our food since time immemorial; it’s what enables us to preserve food for longer periods of time and thus, survive. With cannabis, curing is essential for preservation while maintaining its flavors and health benefits linked to potency in cannabinoids and terpenes. This is because cannabis starts to degrade as soon as it’s harvested, reducing the quantity of enzymes and nutrients found in the plant.