How Long Do Cannabis Products Last?

Is it your lucky day? You just discovered a stash that was once lost and gone forever. Maybe it’s been a couple of months, even years? The first thing we assume is that the weed is stale, dried out, not effective, and probably tastes like dirt. While that is somewhat true and easy to understand, tossing it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It all comes down to understanding how long do cannabis products last, which is directly influenced by storage conditions and the type of product.

Even though cannabis comes from a living, breathing plant, it doesn’t act the same as our garden vegetables do. Unlike many fruits and veggies that continue to breathe after being harvested, cannabis undergoes a different process. The process, known as decarboxylation, is where the cannabinoids are activated through heat or aging rather than simply rotting or decomposing. 

Cannabis flower has properties that make it less prone to expiring quickly. The main reason for this comes from cannabinoids (like THC and CBD) and terpenes, which are natural preservatives. These compounds help protect the flower from bacteria and fungi growth. Havingantimicrobial propertiesprolongs the life of your cannabis products.

Proper cannabis storage is important

Anything you purchase “fresh” is suggested to be consumed within a short time. For example, milk. You store it in the fridge because if you left it out, it would curdle almost immediately and go sour. Another example that is more comparable to the proper storage for cannabis is paint. You can’t leave the lid off and sitting out in the sun for a week and expect it to have the same consistency and effect as if it were properly stored. 

What happens if cannabis is not fresh?

Nothing exciting happens if cannabis is not fresh. If it looks dried up or more brown than it should be, it is still smokeable. Your only concern with stale, dried-out bud is its lack of potency, taste, and smell. Over time, THC will degrade into CBN (cannabinol), which reduces any psychoactive effects. The worst possible thing that can happen if cannabis is not fresh is mold growth. 

The best way to store weed

In short, hidden. Keep your weed away from heat, humidity, sunlight, and open air. The best way to store weed is somewhere dark, dry, and comfortably cool. This also means ditching the plastic Ziploc bags and anything that is not airtight.

Cannabis freshness guidelines

Proper Storage

• Store cannabis in airtight, opaque containers. Glass jars with airtight lids or high-quality, resealable plastic containers are ideal.

• Keep the containers in a cool, dark, and dry place. Avoid areas with excessive heat, light, or humidity.

• Temperatures between 60-70°F (15-21°C) and relative humidity around 55-65% are recommended.

Avoid Sunlight

• Cannabis is sensitive to light, especially ultraviolet (UV) rays. Exposure to sunlight can degrade cannabinoids and terpenes, affecting potency and flavor.

Control Humidity

• Too much humidity can lead to mold growth, while too little can dry out the cannabis, making it brittle and losing its potency.

How to tell if your cannabis flower is expired

The number one and most important indicator that your cannabis flower is expired is mold growth. There is absolutely nothing good that comes out of consuming moldy weed. Aside from mold, the smell (or lack thereof) will indicate that your flower is expired. 

Quick tips to keep weed fresh

Avoid buying in bulk

• For all of you slow-tokers and those who are stocking up for the zombie apocalypse, you need to know the best practices to preserve your herb. 

• But, for the rest of us, it’s best to stock up on just enough for a couple of months at most. Don’t have your JARS Budtender missing you for too long. 

• Those fancy little bags we give you aren’t meant to be long-term storage for your bud. It would be awesome if you got a dope glass jar with every purchase, but that’s just not practical. 

Low humidity

• If you have longer hair, you know just how brutal humidity can be. The National Cannabis Industry Association recommends humidity levels to be between 59% and 63%. 

• Having a humidity level that is too low will cause the trichomes to dry out.  

• You can keep tabs on humidity levels with a hygrometer. This one on Amazon is less than $6. 

Avoid sunlight

• Not only does direct sunlight affect our skin, it affects our weed, too! 

• UV rays can penetrate and heat up the container you store your cannabis in. What happens is the THC will convert to CBN (cannibnol), which has no potent benefits.

Things to avoid when storing weed

So you have a stash spot in mind, a cool, dark, space. Great! But, there are still a couple of factors that will speed up the shelf-life and cause your cannabis not to last long. For example, try not to store multiple strains together. Each strain has its own terpene and flavor profile and should not cross-contaminate with other strains. 

Another thing to avoid is cramming as much weed as possible in one container. This will cause a lack of oxygen while increasing the humidity in the container. On the other hand, if you store your cannabis in a container that is too large, the buds will dry out faster. 

Lastly, stay away from plastics! Those Ziploc bags will only cause static and reduce the potency of the trichomes. Plastic containers are also sub-par when it comes to keeping things tightly sealed. 

Extending the shelf life of weed

When you store your cannabis correctly, you can expect its freshness to last at least 6 months up to a year. A fail-proof storage option consists of the following:

• Using an opaque glass jar. Just like some beer bottles, an opaque glass will block out any UV rays.

• Glass jars with a tight-fitting lid. An airtight seal will keep heat and humidity far away from your stash.

• Only grind what is needed. Once the flower is ground up, it has more room for oxygen, causing it to degrade and lose potency right away. 

FAQ

Can you store weed in plastic bags?

If you absolutely have to store your flower, and a plastic bag is your only choice… sure. It shouldn’t be your end solution for storage, though. If you’re taking a quick trip to your buddies house for a smoke-down, a large glass jar can seem inconvenient. Fair enough. Since you plan on lighting up within the next few hours, a quick trip in a plastic bag won’t cause any harm. But, for long-term storage, opaque glass jars are the way to go. 

What's the best smell-proof container for weed?

There are several options on the market for containers that are smell-proof, waterproof, and have an airtight seal. You can try out these budget-friendly options on Amazon. Many brands use vacuum-seal technology along with rubber or silicone seals. These are great qualities to have for a smell-proof container. 

If you need an immediate DIY option, grab an old pill bottle for a nug or two. Again, don’t resort to this as a full-time storage option. 

Can I freeze marijuana and CBD products?

Do you own a freezer? Then technically, yes, you can freeze marijuana and CBD products. But, should you really? It’s a dark and cool place for storage, right? The benefit of storing these products in the freezer is preserving the chemical makeup of the bud, keeping it as potent as the first day you got it. The major drawback is with extremely low temperatures, trichomes easily fall off and lose their stickiness.