Does Weed Go Bad? What To Look For And Storage Tips - Healthline

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HealthlineSubscribeHow to Tell If Cannabis Is Past Its Prime

Medically reviewed by Femi Aremu, PharmD — Written by Adrienne Santos-Longhurst on February 24, 2020

Shelf life
How to tell
Checking for mold
Proper storage
Freezing
Takeaway

Cannabis doesn’t typically go bad like other food products. However, over time it can change taste, texture, and potencies. It could also get moldy.

woman weighing weed from glass jars on a counter

Old weed likely won’t lead to any serious health issues if you don’t have any underlying conditions.

It can, however, have a noticeable drop in potency, which can be a big deal if you’re using it for medical purposes.

Keep reading to learn more about how long weed stays fresh.

How long does it stay fresh?

When stored properly (more on this later), dried cannabis keeps for 6 months to 1 year. Over time, it begins to lose its aroma and potency.

According to some older research, 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

How do I know if mine’s old?

It’s mostly in the smell. Weed that’s past its prime will smell different or lose its aroma entirely. Some weed might even smell and taste harsh when it’s been sitting too long.

Its appearance can also give you a clue as to whether or not it’s old. Fresh weed shouldn’t crumble or feel spongy when you break it off. If it does, it’s old and either too dry or too moist.

Consuming it shouldn’t harm you, but be prepared for changes in texture and potency. The exception is weed that’s grown mold, which could potentially make you sick.

How do I check for mold?

Very carefully!

Mold is often hard to see unless you look very closely. It typically looks like white powdery or fuzzy spots, some of which can be pretty small.

Moldy weed usually smells musty, kind of like hay. It also tends to have a bit of an “off” taste.

Even if your weed isn’t super old, it’s best to do a mold inspection. A study by researchers from University of California, Davis found bacteria and mold on 20 cannabis samples bought from dispensaries and pot growers in Northern California.

Mold on weed isn’t likely to cause major health problems, but it can lead to nausea, vomiting, and coughing.

In people with weakened immune systems, inhaling smoke or vapors from weed containing bacteria or fungi could cause serious illness or even death.

If it looks or smells off, then you’re better off tossing it, even if you just bought it.

How should I be storing my weed, anyway?

Light, humidity, temperature, and oxygen can all mess with cannabis and affect its aroma, taste, and potency potential.

Here’s what to consider when storing weed to help keep it fresh and maintain its quality for as long as possible.

Choose the right container

Ditch plastic baggies and containers. Plastic holds static that can affect delicate trichomes — the tiny, crystal-like hairs on flowers that produce cannabinoids and terpenes — and mess with potency.

And forget those funny little tins, too, because they let in too much oxygen.

Glass jars with an airtight seal, like mason jars, are the way to go. They don’t have any static charge and limit oxygen exposure. Plus, they’re inexpensive and easy to find.

Most dispensaries also sell containers designed to keep weed fresh for as long as possible.

If you have kids or pets in your household, invest in a child- and pet-proof container.

Watch the humidity

Weed is best kept at a relative humidity of 59 to 63 percent. Any higher and you run the risk of trapping moisture, which can lead to the growth of mold. Anything lower can cause your weed to dry out.

To help you preserve your stash, you can add humidity packs to your containers if you really want to get fancy. You can also go the extra mile and store your weed in a humidor made specifically for cannabis.

Keep it cool, dark, and dry

Keeping weed in a cool and dry spot away from sunlight is as important as the container you use, if not more so.

Direct sunlight can cause cannabis to break down, and too much heat can hold moisture and lead to mold.

Keeping it somewhere too chilly, on the other hand, could dry it out and lose those precious trichomes, which is why the fridge and freezer aren’t recommended.

Aim to store cannabis in a dark place, like a closet or cabinet, with a temperature below 77°F (25°C).

Can’t I just put it in the freezer?

Everything lasts longer in the freezer, right? Not quite.

Freezing temps can cause trichomes — the tiny hairs on flowers that produce cannabinoids — to become brittle and break off when handled.

Keeping weed in the freezer can also expose it to moisture and result in mold.

The bottom line

Weed shouldn’t go bad if you store it properly. By keeping it in a sealed container away from heat, moisture, and sunlight, it should stay fresh and potent for up to a year.

Adrienne Santos-Longhurst is a freelance writer and author who has written extensively on all things health and lifestyle for more than a decade. When she’s not holed-up in her writing shed researching an article or off interviewing health professionals, she can be found frolicking around her beach town with husband and dogs in tow or splashing about the lake trying to master the stand-up paddle board.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Cannabis and Hemp Research Center. (2019). UC Davis study identifies potentially lethal bacteria and mold in cannabis grown in northern California [Press release].https://cannabis.ucdavis.edu/news/uc-davis-study-identifies-potentially-lethal-bacteria-and-mold-cannabis-grown-northern
How to properly store cannabis. (n.d.).https://ocs.ca/blogs/facts-about-cannabis-consumption/how-to-properly-store-cannabis
Ross SA, et al. (1999). CBN and D9-THC concentration ratio as an indicator of the age of stored marijuana samples.http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/bulletin/bulletin_1997-01-01_1_page008.html#1
Thompson GR, et al. (2017). A microbiome assessment of medical marijuana. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmi.2016.12.001

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Medically reviewed by Femi Aremu, PharmD — Written by Adrienne Santos-Longhurst on February 24, 2020

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