Does marijuana go bad? While marijuana is not as perishable as food items, potency, fragrance, and flavor can diminish over time. We’ll go through the aspects that can impact cannabis shelf life, how to tell when cannabis is no good, and how to store it correctly for short- or long-term storage. Try our kootenayz exoticz and rotten runtz strain.
Factors That Affect Cannabis Shelf Life
Keeping your marijuana fresh and potent is simple and inexpensive as long as it’s kept in a cool, dry, and dark place to keep it fresh. There are a few components within cannabis flower that can speed up the natural deterioration process.
Temperature
Excessive heat can deplete the moisture in your cannabis flower faster than you’d like. When cannabis’ fragrant terpene compounds evaporate as a result of being exposed to excessive heat, the fragrance and smoke become harsh.
Moisture
When storing marijuana, keep in mind that too much dampness might promote mold growth. When the temperature is high outside, it’s especially important to maintain an appropriate level of humidity (RH). Mold can be formed when the relative humidity goes above the recommended range.
Light
The plant’s chemical composition may be destroyed by natural and artificial light. Direct sunlight exposure and other environmental changes can accelerate the THC to CBN transformation in THC-rich cannabis. You’ll lose potency in your marijuana if you let it get too hot or dry out. CBN is a lot less potent than THC.
How do I Check For Mold?
Mold is difficult to detect unless you examine the plant very closely. It generally appears as white powdery or fuzzy patches, some of which can be quite tiny. Moldy cannabis has a musty odor and may have an unpleasantly “off” flavor.
Even if your cannabis isn’t extremely old, it’s a good idea to conduct a mold inspection. Bacteria and mold were discovered on 20 marijuana samples purchased from dispensaries and growers in Northern California, according to a study published by researchers from the University of California, Davis. Mold on cannabis is unlikely to cause major health issues, but it might induce nausea, vomiting, and wheezing.
Inhaling cannabis smoke or vapors from cannabis contaminated with bacteria or fungus can lead to severe illness or even death in individuals with weakened immune systems. Even if you just acquired it, if it looks or smells wrong, you should simply toss it.
Cannabis Freshness Guidelines
The expiration date for cannabis products is determined by the type of product you’re ingesting. Marijuana might stay in your system for a long time, possibly months or even years, but there are some general expiration date recommendations for each cannabis product you buy.
Medical Marijuana
The term “medical marijuana” refers to virtually any cannabis product. Read the label or ask your pharmacist to determine when your medical marijuana has expired.
CBD Tinctures
The shelf life of CBD tinctures is far superior to that of any other cannabis product. If stored properly, high-proof alcohol-infused tinctures can last for ten years. Oil-based tinctures, which are less popular, have a two-year shelf life.
Cannabis Flower
How long cannabis flowers will keep is largely determined by how well cured the flower or bud is, as well as how well it is stored after purchasing from a local dispensary. It won’t mold or mildew if your product is properly dried and cured (i.e., relatively dry with limited moisture) and kept in a mason jar out of direct light and in a cool, dry location.
The potency of cannabis flowers deteriorates after six to nine months in jars, owing to the high temperature and humidity. Fresh cannabis flower should be used as soon as possible because most individuals cannot keep them in ideal conditions without fluctuations in temperature and humidity.
How Can I Store My Weed Properly?
We’ll go through the many considerations you should make when purchasing medical marijuana online, as well as the best ways to store it. Oxygen, temperature, humidity, and light have a tremendous influence on your cannabis’ taste, fragrance, and potency.
Therefore to store weed safely without the negative impacts we’ve discussed, you should do the following:
Don’t store your marijuana in plastic bags since they have a static charge that damages the trichomes on the plant. The trichomes are the parts of the plant that produce cannabinoids and terpenes, and if these properties are lost, so is the weed’s potency. A glass jar is not only airtight but also free of electromagnetic fields and reduces exposure to oxygen for cannabis.
Observe the Humidity of Your Location
When you store the cannabis, keep an eye on the humidity level: it should be 59-63% and no more. You will trap too much moisture inside the container if it goes above this percentage, promoting mold growth. If you’re not sure about the humidity, get a humidifier for your containers that is designed for cannabis and use it correctly.