Ever took your time to roll what usually counts as a good joint to better your health, but after a few puffs, you’re like, “Nah, this doesn’t taste and feel as good as it used to”? You’re left wondering what’s gone wrong with your favorite bud.
For most people, some similar questions come to mind: does weed go bad? When does weed go bad? And more importantly, how long does it take for weed to go bad?
At least, if there’s a timeframe for weed to go back, you’d probably want to beat it, right? Why let good weed go to waste?
Questions, questions, and more questions! And we’ll be answering all of them today.
Wait, Weed Expires?
With the way this post has gone so far, it sounds a teensy bit like weed does expire. If your thoughts are in that line, they are not so far off the right path.
So, does weed go bad? The simple answer is yes.
All the natural things you consume go bad at some point. Think of it: milk, meat, fruits, veggies, and even food products laden with preservatives do go bad. So, it’s only natural that your weed will start to go bad at some point.
The big questions are: how long does it take for weed to go bad, and when does weed go bad? And when discussing weed going bad, is the ill phenomenon limited to only weed flowers? For instance, does weedbutter go bad? How about cannabis edibles?
In whatever manner the questions are framed, the point remains that weed and weed products, including concentrates, do go bad.
However, the rate at which weed and weed products go bad differ according to various factors, which may include the following:
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- The overall weather condition of your locality, including temperature, humidity, and daylight/light intensity
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- Storage conditions
Unlike the food items mentioned earlier, weed doesn’t go bad in a manner that makes it appear obviously rotten or messy after a few days. Since your bud is a dried cannabis flower, the deterioration rate is slow.
In fact, aging best describes the way weed goes bad. The older it gets, the more it gradually loses all its finer characters.
So, when we ask the question again: does weed go bad? The technical answer would be that weed doesn’t go bad in the sense that it portrays rottenness; rather, it ages in a manner that portrays gradual deterioration over time.
What Happens When Weed Ages?
Since we have established that it ages, what actually happens when weed ages? When does weed go bad?
For starters, it loses its freshness! You’ll notice that your bud is no longer as fresh as it was the day you bought it. The lack of freshness is the first telltale sign that your weed is going to yonder.
That aside, other indicators that your weed is going kaput include the following:
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- Potency: Weed that’s gone bad or going bad will no longer be as potent as it should be. As weed ages, the THC components break down into a less potent form known as cannabinol (CBN). CBN is about 25% as strong as THC, but the longer the weed is exposed to air and UV light, the strength reduces even further. The relationship between weed longevity and potency is largely inverse. The longer the weed stays, the less potent the weed. This theory also applies to other indicators.
- Smell: An aging weed loses its aroma faster than Cinderella loses her footwear. You’d have to bring it way closer to your nose to get a good whiff.
- Texture and color: Weed that’s gone bad loses its color and feels drier than usual to the touch—it would go from lush green to grayish or brownish, and it will feel brittle when you touch it.
- Flavor: In some cases of aged weed, you might notice an obvious change in taste. Sometimes the indicator is the lack of the strain’s signature aroma as the smoke floats over your tongue. Other times, the taste feels unusually harsh.
Weed doesn’t age like fine wine: the older is not better.
The Bad Weed and the Mold
One major point to bear in mind when pondering the “when does weed go bad?” question is that, in some cases, mold infestation makes your weed bad. And if you’re one for mold allergies, smoking mold-infested weed might immediately trigger your allergies.
Weed that’s lost its potency and its signature smell, texture, color, and taste are less likely to harm you. It might throw you into that “Nah, this doesn’t taste and feel as good as it used to” puzzle, but that’s all there’s likely to be.
But mold-infested weed? No, that’s trouble – even if the trouble only lasts a short while.
You can tell if your weed is mold-infested by checking to determine if it has whitish, blackish, or grayish spots that feel powdery or moist when touched.
Also, your weed probably has a mold problem if it smells musty. Best to only check with your eyes – for spots – and hands – to know if the spots feel powdery. Sniffing to confirm if it smells musty could have you breathing in mold spores.
You can minimize most of these aging/expiring weed problems if you know how to keep cannabis fresh, and we’ll get to that in a bit. But before that, how long does it take for weed to go bad?
How Long Does It Take for Weed to Go Bad?
If you store your weed well, it could last as long as 6 – 12 months without losing its potency substantially. Since the shelf life of weed is six months to a year, you should expect your weed to be less effective after six months. Beyond 12 months, it might as well be mere grass.
Now, to cannabis-derived products: does weedbutter go bad as buds do? How about weed oils? Do they go bad, too?
Does Weedbutter Go Bad?
Does weedbutter go bad? Yes, it does! Weed butter has a short shelf life and typically goes bad in six to twelve weeks.
If sealed in an airtight container and put in the fridge or freezer, you might get up to six months of life out of your weedbutter.
Does Weed Oil Go Bad?
Yes, your weed oil will eventually go bad too. That’s why weed oil from reputable cannabis brands comes with expiration dates.
Typically, your CBD or THC oil will expire within one to two years. However, if you constantly expose it to light and heat, your weed oil might go bad faster and lose its potency in less than three months.
Does Weed Go Bad in Cold Temperatures?
Yes, weed can go bad in cold temperatures.
Although the fridge or freezer could make weedbutter last longer, that’s not always the case for cannabis flowers. If you leave your cannabis in a very chilly environment for too long, it will start drying out – just like leafy vegetables do when put directly inside the fridge.
The drier your weed gets in a cold environment, the more the trichomes will fall off when you handle the weed. Trichomes are vital for a great weed experience, as they are what produce cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes that make weed the wonder it is globally.
Also, if your weed gets damp in the fridge or freezer, it could become a fertile ground for mold growth.
How to Keep Cannabis Fresh
Since you’re already spending a significant amount of money to purchase or grow weed, it’s only right that you know how to keep cannabis fresh.
Thankfully, it’s easy to keep cannabis fresh! Put your cannabis in an airtight container, and store it in a cool, dry, dark place. The end!
Keep your weed container away from the following:
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- Heat sources or excessive heat
- Too much light
- Damp and humid environments (this will also limit mold infestation)
When contemplating the “when does weed expire or age” question, you should put what you know on how to keep cannabis fresh into practice so its expiration doesn’t take you by surprise.
Get the Freshest Weed With an MMJ Card
If you pay attention to cannabis news from around the U.S., you’ll be familiar with government programs shutting down or suspending some poorly managed cannabis facilities due to mold in their weed. Sometimes, they recall a batch or line of products for the same or similar reasons.
State health agencies overseeing medical marijuana programs work around the clock to ensure that only the freshest weed – free of germ infestations and harmful pesticides – makes it to the shelves of MMJ dispensaries.
With your MMJ card, you can easily access top-shelf weed in all the weed-legal states. More than 100,000 Americans trust Elevate Holistics to help them get their MMJ card hassle-free, and we do!
In less than 30 minutes while sitting in the comfort of your home: you can sign up, have a quick virtual appointment with a certified physician, get approved for your state’s MMJ program, get your card, and start enjoying the freshest weed in your state.
Click here or the link below to sign up now.
