How Long Is Weed Good For?

Have you ever opened an old jar of flower and wondered, does this expire? If so, you are not alone. Sometimes there's some weed tucked away that you forgot about, and you'd like to know if you can still safely smoke it. Follow the guide below to find the best practices for old cannabis.

How Long Is Weed Good For?

If stored correctly, weed can last anywhere from 6 to 12 months. After that, the THC slowly breaks down and the terpenes fade, leaving weaker effects and more dull of a smell and taste.

Signs Your Weed Has Gone Bad

Before smoking old cannabis, check for the following qualities to see if it's ok to smoke. The process is very similar to identifying low quality cannabis.

• Smells off: If your weed smells like hay or musty, the terpenes have faded, leaving less potent, less tasty, and less enjoyable cannabis.
• Crumbles to dust: When old cannabis easily crumbles to dust, this is an indicator that it has not retained any moisture and the cannabinoids have broken down into CBN.
• Looks discolored or moldy: If your weed has any indication of mold growing (smells very questionably, has small fuzzy patches growing, or there are unnatural dark spots), immediately toss it. It's not worth possibly inhaling moldy compounds.

Old weed is generally safe to smoke as long as there is no mold present. However, it will have lost its potency, and the smoke itself will be more harsh.

How to Properly Store Cannabis

If you'd like your weed to last longer, store it using the following methods.

• Use an airtight, glass container: Glass containers with an airtight seal will prevent continuous oxygen from breaking down the THC. If stored fully sealed with minimal oxygen, flower can stay fresh up to 18 months.
• Add silica packets to your container: Silica packets help decrease the amount of oxygen in the container, which stabilizes the cannabinoids.
• Store in a cool, dry location: Warm temperatures break down cannabinoids more quickly, and water contributes to general THC degradation. Keeping your plants stored in a room between 60 and 70 F (15-21 C) is ideal.

Are the Dispensary Pop Cap Containers Air Tight?

Most cannabis flower comes in pop-cap containers. Unfortunately, these containers are not airtight. Plastic does not naturally seal against itself - it needs some for of elastomer to create an airtight seal. Plastic also is not fully inert, so we strongly recommend having dedicated airtight glass jars in which to store your weed.

Wrap Up

If handled properly, cannabis can stay fresh as long as 18 months. Just keep it in a happy environment, and it will retain its cannabinoids and terpenes for an enjoyable smoke. If you enjoy rolling or want to learn how, check out our reusable filter tips for