Marijuana is becoming far more popular and acceptable in recent times, particularly in the United States, where it is gradually becoming legalized on a state by state basis – allowing people to consume the substance for both medicinal and recreational purposes.
With this transition however, comes a need for people and companies to understand the best ways to produce, maintain, and store marijuana so that it remains effective and safe for consumption.
This poses the following question: can marijuana expire, and if so, what are the best ways to stop this from happening?
Can Marijuana Go Bad?
First and foremost, marijuana does not spoil in the same manner that food does – although this is obviously not the case when it comes to edible marijuana products.
While potency, and namely THC levels do indeed give it a timeframe – at least for marijuana lovers – smoking marijuana that has aged does not have any specific harmful side effects for the user; at least not in the same way that food and drink products do.
Are There Any Negative Effects?
There are, however, some negative effects to the overall taste, consistency, and effectiveness of the marijuana products that have ‘gone bad’, and these can be enough to ruin the experience for most people.
Harshness
Marijuana that has aged too much and become dry can seem much harsher when smoked, and this can make the whole smoking experience unpleasant to say the least.
Harsher smoking experiences can lead to sore throats and lingering unpleasantness that, we imagine, most marijuana users would much rather avoid (Also check out Smoking Weed With Strep Throat)
.
Unpleasant Taste
The taste can also be affected when marijuana has gone bad, and this can, in some cases, ruin an entire batch for some users.
While the taste and smell of marijuana might not be to everyone’s taste to begin with, this bad end result is much worse, and when combined with the harshness and dryness, can render marijuana useless.
Loss Of Potency
The longer you leave marijuana, the less potent it will also become – something that is of course a source of concern for marijuana fanatics.
Even before the days of legalization, it was a common practice to buy the substance in bulk – and as such, there is a fine line between buying enough to cover users for their intended period, and buying too much that it goes bad before they can smoke it.
How Can You Tell Marijuana Is Old?
Luckily, there are many notable things you can look out for when ascertaining whether or not your marijuana is old or not.
Appearance
The first thing is what it looks like. Generally speaking, a dirty, dusty, and brittle appearance will usually signify that your marijuana is past its best and needs throwing out.
Similar traits include wilted buds, a brownish tint, and faded color.
However, this is something that very much depends on the kind of marijuana, and the characteristics that it naturally has. This can make it difficult in some cases to discern the goodness from sight alone.
Smell & Taste
The smell is also a good giveaway. This is a good indicator as to whether the marijuana is old or not, and you should be able to tell whether it smells fresh, or whether it has gone way past its best.
While it is true that the scent varies depending on strain, good marijuana will usually have a potent, spicy smell that is very memorable.
Bad marijuana will usually either have no smell, or a very weak vegetation smell similar to grass and other plant life that has died.
As mentioned above, the taste will also be affected – with fresh marijuana having a more fruity, spicy flavor, and old marijuana being much more muted and tasteless.
Consistency
Fresher marijuana tends to be spongier and wholesome, whereas aged, bad marijuana tends to have a dryness and brittleness to the touch. This is easy as an indicator, and can save you a lot of heartache when the time comes.
How To Keep Marijuana Fresh
Thankfully, there are numerous methods when it comes to ensuring your marijuana remains fresh and effective for as long as possible.
Using The Proper Container
When it comes to storing anything, it is important to have the right container for the job. This is also true with marijuana, which can be kept fresh for longer when stored in glass jars, medicine bottles, and any other airtight containers with sealable lids.
Control Moisture
When it comes to storing marijuana, maintaining proper moisture levels is of the utmost importance.
This means using desiccants, which can absorb the moisture directly from the jar during storage, or simply doing your best to avoid all organic material during storage – including human skin.
Avoid Heat & Light
It is also best to keep marijuana in cool, dark places away from direct sources of heat and light.
This means keeping them away from sunny parts of the house, and storing them somewhere like a cupboard or box where they will be kept cool in the shade.
Specialized Equipment
Serious enthusiasts could also invest in more advanced equipment to store their marijuana.
This could consist of titanium storage chests, or humidors – the latter of which is commonly used with cigar storage, and can be great for controlling heat and moisture.
Final Thoughts
And there we have it, everything you need to know about marijuana, and whether or not it can expire if not stored correctly.
It’s true that marijuana is becoming more and more popular within the United States, with more and more states legalizing the substance for both medicinal and recreational use.
And of course, with these changes comes the need for a new degree of knowledge surrounding the manufacturing, production, and maintenance of the substance.
So if you want to know more about marijuana, and the best ways to store it, then this guide might just be the one for you!
Hi, I’m Zack Finch and I work as a Budtender for a Health & Wellness center here, in sunny California. I have been using marijuana recreationally for around 6 years now, and have many a time enjoyed the benefit that weed has to offer.
Whether you’re looking for informational guides about edibles, vape oil, CBD, how to roll a cross joint, the best blunt wraps, anything you can think of, I’ll cover it here.
What are you waiting for? Become a bud buddy and dive in now!
