How long does weed stay good? A long time if you take care of it properly! Let me guess; you just dug out a jar that has been sitting in the back of your stash box forever. Now you’re wondering, can I smoke this? Will it hurt me? We’re so glad you asked! Here’s everything you need to know about old weed.
Does Weed go Bad?
Yes, weed can go bad. While cannabis flower won’t spoil like a glass of milk, your stash is probably bad if you notice funny smells or flavors. You will also experience a significant drop in THC potency if your weed has expired. High Times says, “Essentially, all the chemicals that make marijuana special break down.
Over time, many of the cannabinoids and terpenes found in cannabis slowly break down and lose potency. As the terpenes break down, your bud loses flavor and scent. As a result, old bud is relatively tasteless and lacks that distinctive, sharp odor that fresh weed is supposed to have. Sometimes, old weed will end up tasting harsh and nasty. Either way, when the terpenes have broken down, your weed won’t taste or smell the way it’s supposed to.”
How long does it take weed to go bad?
Dried cannabis flower can last from 6 months to a year when stored correctly. According to Healthline, “Weed loses roughly 16 percent of its THC after 1 year, and it just keeps dropping from there:
26 percent THC lost after 2 years
34 percent THC lost after 3 years
41 percent THC lost after 4 years.”
Is Old Weed Dangerous?
Smoking the weed you’ve been holding onto for a while probably won’t cause you any serious harm, but be cautious if you have underlying medical conditions. Old weed is so dry it will crumble when touched. So, if your old weed feels moist and spongy, watch out! Cannabis that isn’t appropriately stored may be growing mold.
How to tell if you have Moldy Weed
You’ll notice the moldy weed’s smell before you see any growth on your flower. It will typically smell musty and earthy. In much the same way your senses can tell if you just walked into a moldy room, they’ll alert you if the smell is off.
Mold growth is nearly impossible to see, as it forms on a plant that has similar textures to mold. It typically appears as small, white fuzzy spots. These can easily be mistaken for trichomes, so trust your gut instincts when smelling the flower. If it’s moldy, the best thing to do is throw it away. Especially in people with weakened immune systems, smoking moldy cannabis can lead to nausea, vomiting, and coughing.
Best Ways to Store Your Weed
You can avoid moldy weed if your store your flower in a glass jar with an airtight seal. Lots of dispensaries sell specialized storage containers that have been designed to keep weed fresh for a long time, but mason jars are easy to find, cheap, and do the job just as well!
Storage alternatives like plastic bags and metal tins can impact the chemistry of the plant, which makes it spoil quicker. They may also be letting in too much oxygen causing the plant to dry out quickly.
When you’re storing cannabis for the long haul, we also recommend paying particular attention to the light and humidity in your jar. Humidity packs keep the air moisture between 59 and 63 percent. This is the sweet spot between drying out and getting moldy. Keep the jar out of the sun and in a cool, dark place to prevent the cannabis from breaking down too quickly.
On the other hand, colder isn’t necessarily better. We’ve heard some people recommend putting cannabis into the freezer. Freezing weed won’t hurt it, but it may damage the trichomes and cause them to fall off the flower.
Answered: how long does weed stay good?
Now that you know how to check the freshness of your weed, you never have to worry about smoking weed that has gone bad again! If you just threw out the last bit of your stash, fear not. Terrapin Care Stations have fresh, locally grown cannabis in Colorado and Missouri.
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