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Thinking about the fact that everything has an expiry date is kind of morbid, and it’s not the kind of brutal truth about our existence that you want to think about when you’re adding cannabis to the mix. Sometimes – a lot of times for some of us – smoking weed, dropping edibles or hitting a dab rig makes for a very introspective, philosophical and spiritual afternoon/evening. When the buds kick in, it can be hard to fend off those thoughts on mortality or the nature of our reality (which can be a real bummer sometimes).
Speaking of a bummer, there’s almost nothing that kills a buzz quicker or harshes a mellow faster than smoking expired weed. Stale, crusty, acrid and muted in color, when cannabis expires it can really put a damper on your plans. You might not have known that cannabis expires, but it certainly does. Weed is a lot like some herbs, teas or spices – sure, it’s technically still usable because it is dried & cured so it lasts a very long time.
That being said, there’s undeniably a “best before date” that if surpassed can make your buds taste like hay, smell like rotten skunk juice or cause them to whither and crumble between your once sticky fingers. Does weed actually expire? How do you know if you’re smoking expired weed? What should you do with old weed? How do you even know if your weed is expired?!
DOES WEED EXPIRE?
There’s no expiry date label or “best before” sticker on your buds in most cases. There are some requirements for many cannabis products such as production dates, stamped dates of approval or testing dates. Some packages for weed do include a suggested date range for “best before”, but it’s not exactly the same standards across the board.
This can cause some issues for cannabis shoppers at online dispensaries and in smoke shops because the weed might seem fresh or top notch when it can turn out to be stale and less potent. The kind of cannabis product you buy also has a major impact on how short/long your cannabis will remain at peak freshness, flavor, aroma and potency. Let’s go over each kind of cannabis product in order of how long each kind lasts.
Cannabis Edibles
Edibles can actually last quite a long time – weeks or even months depending on what kind of edible is in question. Of course, any food or beverages containing cannabis are subject to the same kinds of best-before dates as other food items, which means that cannabis edibles are the quickest to “expire”. Weed candies, chocolates and other less perishable edibles will remain potent and delicious a lot longer than your average pot cookie, but even these can lose some of their active ingredients over longer periods of time.
Cannabis Flowers
Cannabis flowers obviously aren’t actually one of the most likely to degrade in quality, even though they are in the most raw form of any of the other cannabis products. This is because of drying and curing, which make buds can last a lot longer than some people would expect.
It’s difficult to say how long each batch of buds will maintain freshness, potency and all of its flavors & aromas because how they were grown, harvested and stored will greatly impact how long before they become stale. On top of these factors, some strains just have a shorter shelf life than others – whether this is due to genetics or certain cultivation techniques is hard to say, but the truth remains that not all cannabis flowers have the same shelf life.
Cannabis Concentrates
Shatter, wax, resin, rosin, distillate and many more cannabis concentrates last a very decent amount of time. Some degrade much faster due to their more natural extraction processes and organic-based states (i.e. waxes, rosins). On the other hand, shatter, distillates and some of the more scientifically-inclined concentrates can maintain their potency levels for months and years. You don’t have to worry about smoking expired weed when you’re hitting dab rigs or vaping concentrates.
Cannabis Oils
Cannabis oils are some of the best bang-for-your-buck when it comes to purchasing a long-lasting, potent and high quality cannabis product. The oils that cannabinoids & terpenes are carried in help to preserve their profile of flavors, aromas and effects. Many cultures all over the world have practiced preserving a variety of herbs, spices, medicines and psychedelics in oil-bases. Today, cannabis oils are one of the longest lasting cannabis products with expiry date ranges in terms of years, not weeks or months.
Cannabis Topicals
Anyone who wonders “does weed expire?” is probably picturing raw cannabis flowers, because if you’ve ever checked the expiry dates on your hand lotion or face cream then you know that these kinds of cosmetics and body care items essentially never go bad. Cannabis topicals are a bit different in that they can lose potency over time – typically 6 months to years – but the other ingredients can last a lot longer.
Now that we’ve reviewed the different levels of cannabis products, does this mean that the more organic, natural or less-processed a cannabis product is, the more likely it is to degrade and expire? The easy answer would be to say “yes”, but as is often the case with cannabis the more appropriate response would be “it depends”. Let’s explore this idea further by figuring out how to know if your weed is expired.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR WEED IS EXPIRED?
The signs of stale buds or expired weed products can be easy to miss if you’re not paying close attention. Many people might be smoking expired weed right now and not even realize it! This is because not everyone is acquainted with true quality cannabis – for some, some hay-tasting, black ash skunk weed is all they’ve ever known. This isn’t to say that only poor quality cannabis expires, but the really noticeable changes to cannabis first occur with its visual appearance, then its flavors/aromas and finally in its overall potency.
Visual Cues That Your Weed Is Getting Old
One of the first hints that your cannabis is getting old shows itself in terms of coloration, darkness/lightness or surface textures. If you’re smoking expired weed – aka just plain buds – then your cannabis might start to yellow, turn brown or dark/muted tones of green without much contrast like it might’ve had before. Some strains don’t have as much coloration as others to start with, but the real takeaway here is that its overall brightness will become more dull. Think of expiring weed like you would the leaves in Fall – everything becomes more brown, yellow or orangey-red as they begin to wither and decay.
Color changes are a definite sign that your weed is degrading, but so are alterations in how they feel. Crispness, brittleness and flaking occur when weed has become too dried out or if it is nearing the end of its freshness/potency. In extreme cases, buds can look like they’re beginning to curl in on themselves – this can be brought about by drying out, but it also happens when weed has been stored improperly and has started to break down.
Most of these visual cues apply only to cannabis flowers because it’s difficult or impossible to perceive cannabinoids in a topical, edible or some concentrates. Cannabis oils or concentrates can show signs of degradation when they begin to separate or even change color, but these are much less likely to impact potency or flavor because it can take months – if not years – for oils or concentrates to expire.
Trust Your Senses When It Comes to Detecting Expired Weed
One of the most notable changes in your cannabis’ quality can hit you like a brick once it hits your mouth or nose: flavor and/or aroma. If your buds, oils, edibles or concentrates suddenly change from fresh, flavorful and sweet to sour, bitter or tangy then it might be time to get some new stuff. Flavor shifts don’t always signify that your weed is expiring, but they do mean something has changed – and usually not for the better – so always be careful and refrain from using any products that surprise you with new “tastes”.
How a product smells is a safer way to determine if a product is still potent because you don’t need to ingest it to test this sense. A good whiff of a favorite old strain should be enough to tell you if they’re still good or not. Are you hit with waves of cascading pungent aromas like pine, pineapple, citrus, spice or diesel? Sounds delicious, so let’s smoke it! When you open your weed jar does it suddenly smell like rotting wood, wet hay or grass clippings? Well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news but you’ve got some bunk buds in there.
The Highs (And Lows) of Fresh (And Expired) Weed
The dead giveaway that your weed has expired is very sad and frustrating when you experience it. If you’ve just smoked a whole bowl, joint or bong and it’s been an hour or two and nothing is happening, chances are your weed is just old. This means that your high becomes a low, leaving you in an unenviable state akin to cannabis “blue balls”. Besides being incredibly upsetting, this is the definitive way to determine if your weed is expired. This loss of potency is a sure sign that the terpenes and cannabinoids have deteriorated and you’re essentially smoking expired weed.
Reductions in potency are one of the surefire ways to figure out if your weed is expired because it can be detected in any kind of cannabis. Unlike with visual appearance changes or shifts in flavors/aromas with topicals, oils or concentrates, a product’s diminishing active compounds mean it’s time to chuck it out and buy a new one.
WHAT TO DO WITH OLD WEED
Speaking of throwing things out, the simplest and most common response to what to do with old weed is to trash it. This is fine for most, but you might be wasting an entire container of buds, oil, edibles or concentrates when it’s just partially expired. The best way to deal with expired weed takes a bit more inspection, but we think it’s totally worth the time & effort.
When you think you know that your weed is expired and you’re wondering what to do with your old weed, follow these steps to save what you can:
1. Empty the contents of the expired product on a paper towel, cloth or wax paper sheet
**If the product is in liquid form and it appears to be expired, it is likely best to just dispose of it
2. Sift through the pieces and check that they’re all in the same state of degradation
3. Pick out any pieces/chunks that look in better shape, set them aside
4. Throw the expired product in the garbage, compost or wherever you feel is safe/secure
5. Recycle the container whenever possible; if it is a reusable container, clean it out and prepare for further use
6. Store any salvaged cannabis product in a new container
**This is important! You never know if reusing the same container can lead to contamination.
You are now poised for the next step, but this step is really open-ended and up to each individual stoner. Repurposing your salvaged weed isn’t for everyone – some cannaseurs find the whole process to be gross and a waste of time. We say to each their own – there’s no rulebook saying you have to do any of these steps at all. If you’re the kind of DIY person that is willing to try anything at least once, then reusing some of these salvaged cannabis products can lead to some fun or interesting results.
A lot of homegrown stoners with expired buds hate to waste their own stuff that they toiled in the soil for, so turning some stale buds into shake, edibles or cannabis topicals is worth the effort. Cannabis teas, creams, oils or low-dose edibles can be made out of the remaining cannabis that you are able to save from expired batches. There’s no limit to what you can do with your repurposed cannabis, just be aware that it will be less potent, less flavorful and less aromatic.
Of course, it goes without saying that reusing cannabis products runs the risk of mold or bacteria. Be careful with your salvaged buds, and if you’re ever in doubt just throw it out.
