There is a difference between someone wanting to compress good bud and mexi brickweed.
The mexi stuff is often trash compacted before it is dry (much less cured) and ferments...hence the funky smell.
I agree with curing and storing in glass jars (out of light!), but I understand that there is something to compressing. As far as the trichs being damaged and losing potency...light, time, temp, and O2 are the enemy of THC...compressing slows down the decomposition due to light and o2.
I used to manicure each perfect bong rip and marvel at the beauty of each one....I got so much bud (none pressed!) that I can play with any time I want that I now grind it in a grinder with a kief catcher and jam a day or twos worth into a container that I can just pinch a toke out of easily. For traveling this would be nice to compress, as it comes right back to life.
Of course you would not want to compress wet or uncured bud.
Large amounts could be made into pucks in a 2" pvc pipe, ram with a wood dowel fit to inside dia. of pipe. It works good for keeping light and O2 from degrading the flowers of MJ's cousin, Hops.
I have a "Makin's clay extruder" (looks like a hash press with a t-bolt to tighten) that I use for hash and would work well for bud also, but it makes little pucks the diameter of a U.S. dime (actually use two dimes inside so it does not extrude)
a
