As a cannabis enthusiast, you may find yourself wondering at some point whether your cannabis products go bad over time. While cannabis doesn't typically go bad in the same way other food products do, ensuring your cannabis retains its freshness and potency is essential for a satisfactory experience.
The good news is that most users buy cannabis in such small quantities that they are able to use it long before it goes bad. Yet, what if you have grown a large amount or found some old weed in the back of your closet that you'd forgotten about? Is cannabis that you've had for a while still safe to consume? Could something bad happen if you smoke old weed? Keep reading as we explore the factors that can determine how long weed lasts as well as storage methods that can extend the shelf life of your cannabis products.
Does Cannabis Go Bad Over Time?
Yes, weed can go bad over time as it ages, causing its taste, texture, and potency to change. However, unlike some foods, cannabis does not have a strict expiration date. How long it takes weed to go bad will depend on a variety of factors including how it is stored. When stored properly, dried cannabis can maintain its quality and potency for six months to a year with minimal degradation. After two years, however, cannabis will lose as much as 26% of its THC. This is because the THC in cannabis naturally turns into CBN over time when exposed to UV light or the atmosphere. However, unless there are signs of mold, it is generally still safe to consume old cannabis, there may just be a noticeable drop in quality.
How to Tell if Weed Has Gone Bad
So how will I know if my weed has gone bad? Fortunately, much like food, there are clear signs that you can look for to tell if your weed has gone bad. Here are a few things that you can look for when assessing the condition of your cannabis products.
Use The Eye Test
One of the easiest ways to determine if your weed is still fresh is to give it a close look. When cannabis is fresh, it will have a vibrant green color, and it may have streaks of purple. If the color has faded, it has started to turn yellow or brown, or it looks dry and crusty, then your weed has likely gone bad. While it may still be safe to consume, it has likely lost much of its potency.
When inspecting your cannabis, you should look for signs of mold, as ingesting moldy weed can make you ill. Look for fuzzy white patches on your cannabis or any other weird colors that shouldn't be there. As a general rule, if your cannabis doesn't look right, it may be safest not to use it.
Smell
Another easy way to tell if your weed has gone bad is by giving it a good sniff. Cannabis products that have started to age/dry out may not smell as fragrant, and they may have a more earthy smell than they used to. It may still be fine to use, but it likely won't be as effective as it once was. However, if your cannabis smells bad or pungent, do not use it as this may be a sign of mold growth. Trust your nose, and discard weed that smells bad, as moldy weed can cause nausea and diarrhea.
Effect
As your cannabis ages, the effects will likely lessen as the THC degrades. Additionally, as THC degrades it turns into CBN, which often causes people to become sleepy. If you have noticed that your cannabis does not seem to be affecting you the way it once did, or it is making you much sleepier than normal, these are clear signs that it has gone bad and you may want to discard it.
Feel
You can also assess the condition of your cannabis by its feel. Old cannabis may start to feel dry, brittle, or crumbly. Alternatively, cannabis that has started to go moldy may feel moist, wet, or even fuzzy and should be discarded.
Knowing how to assess the condition of your cannabis can help ensure that you get the best possible experience out of your products. While consuming old weed likely won't harm you (unless it is moldy), it can lose potency and taste harsher than you are used to. Fortunately, storing your cannabis properly can help extend its shelf life significantly.
How to Keep Weed Fresh Longer
Knowing how to store your cannabis products properly is essential to maintain freshness and potency. Light, humidity, temperature, and oxygen can all affect cannabis and affect its aroma, taste, and condition. Here are a few tips to help you store your weed to maintain freshness as long as possible.
Choose The Right Container
One of the biggest things you can do to protect your cannabis is to store it in the right containers, and that starts with ditching plastic bags and Tupperware. Plastic holds static that can affect delicate trichomes on cannabis (which are the crystal-like hairs on flowers that produce cannabinoids and terpenes) and mess with potency. Even metal tins aren't great as they can let in too much oxygen. Your best option is air-tight glass jars such as mason jars. These containers are static-free and protect your cannabis from oxygen and humidity that can lead to degradation over time.
Control Temperature and Humidity
To protect your cannabis from degrading or growing mold, you must store it in a cool, dark place with a temperature between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Direct sunlight can cause cannabis to break down, and too much heat can hold moisture, leading to mold growth. Alternatively, storing your cannabis too cold can cause it to dry out and lose its trichomes, making temperature control essential to effective storage. You also want to keep your cannabis at humidity levels between 59-63% to prevent it from becoming dry and brittle or overly moist and prone to mold growth. Consider investing in a hygrometer to monitor humidity levels or purchase a weed humidor to store your products in.
Keep Products Separated
When storing cannabis flowers, make sure to have separate containers for different strains to preserve their flavor profiles and avoid cross-contamination. You also should not store cannabis paraphernalia like grinders in your cannabis containers, as residues can impact the freshness of your weed.
Can't I Just Keep It in The Freezer?
People often wonder if they can just store their cannabis in the freezer to help it last longer since doing so helps preserve food. Unfortunately, that doesn't work with cannabis, as freezing temperatures can cause trichomes to become brittle and break off when handled. Keeping cannabis in the freezer can also expose it to moisture and result in mold growth.
Ultimately, in order to ensure a safe and pleasant experience when using cannabis, it is important that you store these products properly and that you only grow or purchase as much as you can use within 6 months to a year. Feel free to contact us to learn more about storing cannabis to ensure quality as well as for tips on growing your own cannabis at home.
