So you discover an old bag of weed from who knows when and wonder if it’s still good? Apart from smoking it, there are a few things you can do to determine whether or not it’s still usable.
It won’t harm you to smoke it but expect a difference in texture and strength. The exception is when cannabis has become moldy, which can make you sick.
When Does Weed Expire?
Cannabis can lose its potency over time, just like other dried herbs. When you store cannabis correctly, it will retain its efficacy for 6 months to a year.
If you believe it hasn’t been dried, cured, and stored appropriately, it’s best to consume your cannabis within six months. Cannabis starts to lose its aroma and potency after that.
Weed will start losing its potency at about 16 percent per year. It loses 26 percent of THC after 2 years, 34 percent of THC after 3 years, and 41 percent of THC after 4 years according to some research.
If you’re using weed for a medical condition, the reduced strength might render your usual dosage ineffective. To get similar effects, you may need to use more.
How to Properly Store Weed?
Heat, light, and humidity all shorten the life of marijuana. If you want your cannabis to retain its flavor and potency for as long as possible, store it in a cool, dark place in an airtight glass jar.
Static from plastic bags and containers might harm delicate trichomes and reduce the potency of your weed. Tins are also not recommended since they aren’t airtight.
If you store your cannabis in an airtight glass jar kept in a dark location, it will slow the degradation of THC into CBN. A container with a brown tint also keeps out the light.
The quality of your cannabis will gradually degrade over time, however, even if some of the THC becomes CBN, you should still get therapeutic advantages; although the ‘high’ may feel different.
Does Your Weed Have Mold?
Mold, as well as an off odor and flavor, is common in poorly cured and dried marijuana since the plant’s chlorophyll was not completely broken down. Moldy cannabis usually has a musty, haylike scent. It also has a strange flavor to it.
Cannabis can develop mold when it’s growing or when it is stored with excess moisture for a long time. You have to examine your buds closely to notice mold. It might be white powdery or fuzzy and have little specks. The mold can also appear gray and is similar to a thick cobweb.
To inspect for mold, you can also hold the bud under a black light. Any mold on it will have a distinctly green hue. Discard any moldy cannabis, regardless of its age, if you find any.
In healthy people, smoking moldy marijuana is unlikely to cause any serious damage. Mold can make some individuals feel nauseated and ill. In persons with weakened immune systems who breathe in cannabis smoke or vapors from germs or molds present in the plant, significant illness or even death may result.
How to Know if the Cannabis is Past Its Prime
You can identify if your marijuana is no longer effective by examining, inhaling, and/or smelling it.
Mold is often to blame if your old stash has a musty, urine-like, or locker room odor. Chemical or plastic scents are the consequence of improper storage or pesticide contamination.
If the cannabis is still good, it will have the smell and taste of cannabis and won’t have any off smells or flavors. When you break off fresh weed, it shouldn’t be crumbling or spongy.
Concluding on Does Weed Expire
If your weed was dried, cured, and stored correctly, it can last up to 6 months to a year. The potency and aroma begin to deteriorate after that.
Even if some of the THC converts to CBN, you should still be able to obtain therapeutic advantages; although the ‘high’ may feel less pleasant.
If your marijuana has an off flavor or smell, or you can spot mold on it, then it’s time to get rid of that batch.
