Maybe you’ve had your weed stashed away for a while, or maybe you found some old weed that you stored somewhere long ago. You might be wondering how to tell your weed is still good. Below, we’ll discuss exactly that, along with what good weed looks like and what bad weed looks like.
Good weed will have a healthy green color, dense appearance, good smell, and no white powder-like appearance on the bud that could indicate mold growth.
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Good Weed vs. Bad Weed: What Does Good Weed Look Like?
Weed that is still safe to consume will have a healthy green color and can have small amounts of orange, red, or purple, depending on what strain you have. Bad weed, on the other hand, will have more of a brownish color and almost look burnt.
Good weed will be dense and still have nice trichome structures. Good weed will also have a pleasant dank smell and strong aromas. Bad weed will smell stale and not appealing.
Inspecting Your Stash: Has It Gone Bad?
Since there isn’t an infallible way of determining the freshness of cannabis for the average home smoker, you’ll have to rely pretty heavily on your inner stoner senses to thoroughly examine your specimen and determine if it’s still good for a smoking session. Hopefully, by now, you know what a dank and healthy nug is supposed to smell, feel, and look like, and if there are any inconsistencies with what you’re expecting to see, you should give it a good look over and ensure it’s still safe and worthy to consume.
Remember that bud can often remain fresh on the outside, but once a nug is broken open, you may find an unsightly case of bud rot, so watch out for that and make sure you always inspect your goodies inside and out.
What Does Expired Cannabis Look Like?
Has it changed colors? Do you see moldy spots? Is it extremely hard or powdery? Has it lost its aroma? It’s important to take into consideration that mold can actually look like trichomes in some cases, so take a good hard look at it.
If you’re not sure how to tell apart the trichomes from mold, a good trick is to compare it to a fresher bud you may have lying around or have a quick online search for better comparison purposes. The color of old weed may appear bleached out, but moldy weed may appear an even darker green than before. Watch out for spots of black or white mold but also keep in mind that mold isn’t always easily visible to the naked eye.
What Does The Nug Feel Like?
We all know that a perfectly good bud will have a sticky and spongy consistency to the touch. To feel out your old bud, perform a simple squeeze test as you would a fresh one, and if you feel it basically crumbles in your hands with little to no effort, you definitely have encountered a stale bud that is well over its expiry date. Use your best judgment for this test; the fact is that expired flower won’t hold very well after being put under a little pressure. You could also roll the bud under the palm of your hand across a table, and if it falls apart into a powder-like substance, it’s no good.
Dirt weed isn’t just a funny and sometimes overzealous insult, either. If your cannabis looks and feels like literal dirt, like you could go outside and grab soil, and your friend couldn’t tell the difference, then it’s best to discard it.
How Does Expired Marijuana Smell?
Remember the first time you got a whiff of really dank pot? It had a distinctly earthy yet fresh smell so potent that the people in the next room definitely caught on to what was going on. That’s some good flower; now you have some old weed that will certainly not smell anything like the delicious fresh bud it once was.
Expired weed will have a very faint smell because the terpenes most likely will have long done their job in the aromatic section. If the flower is moldy, then it will surely have an even more potent stale aroma to it.
Although there are many different aroma profiles across the myriad of cannabis strands, the differences are small and at the end of the day, if it smells like nothing you’ve ever encountered before, it’s likely not just an exotic strain giving off new smells. Really nasty cannabis can sometimes resemble a similar smell to an old moist bath towel that’s been sitting in a dark corner, giving off a distasteful mustiness.
When Does Weed Actually Expire?
Weed stays good for approximately two years; however, the shelf life can be significantly longer if the weed is stored and cured properly.
This is a topic avid users have been debating about for some time. The fact is that marijuana can have different expiration dates, largely depending on the strain, extraction technique, curing, processing, and exposure to both light and humidity. If you didn’t grow it yourself, it could sometimes be impossible to know exactly how old the cannabis you have is, making this process quite a bit more difficult.
The two-year mark is assuming you’ve taken into consideration all factors and made sure to store your material correctly, and, of course, you are privy to the information regarding when that cannabis was harvested in the first place. I know, your source always tells you it’s fire bud that’s super fresh, but is it really?
It’s fairly common while combing through forum posts to find individuals claiming cannabis is just like fine wine, saying you can smoke it without consequences and that it may even be better with time, which is just downright incorrect and any experienced stoner would not only know this myth is nothing but smoke but would be able to tell via the experience! Just because it lights up in a bowl doesn’t mean there aren’t harmful substances hitching a ride straight into your lungs and it also doesn’t mean you’re having the best experience possible.
To some, having any bud at all may seem like a better alternative to no bud, but in fact, expired cannabis could easily lead to illness or just a downright awful experience, leading to more of a headache than a high.
If you were wondering about the baggie of weed you found between the cushions of your couch, definitely proceed with caution, it can be moldy, and you absolutely do not want any of that bad bud anywhere near your lungs for risk of infection. Weed that’s been improperly stored can have changes in cannabinoid content and potency, and since there is an actual risk involved, it’s advised to play it safe and live another day so that you can smoke some yummy fresh bud for years to come, of course!
Can Cannabis Wax and Concentrates Expire?
What happens if you’re unsure about the shelf life of other forms of cannabis products, oils, shatters, or wax? It can certainly be more tricky for the rookie smoker to tell than some nasty-looking and musty-smelling weed.
Given the consistency of these products and the solvent used during the extraction process for each one, it is likely that these forms of cannabis will have a more stable and longer lifespan than regular bud. Taking the plant material out of the equation can combat the creation of mold, giving concentrates and extracts a distinct advantage in this respect over plain old marijuana.
It can be a lot more difficult to determine when they’ve passed their best-by date. For example, shatters can develop a chaotic sugary texture instead of the usual uniform crystalline structure. Whether or not the smoke quality changes enough to really notice is still up for debate, but there is no doubt that the fresher the concentrate is, the safer and better it will be.
Herein lies an issue in the world of concentrates; it’s incredibly difficult for the average consumer to accurately gauge the quality and contents of the product. It’s true; there have been instances of cannabis users getting sick and having major health complications both from not understanding and heeding labeling and packaging and also from misleading or misinformed sources in the first place.
This is why it’s so important that you research your source and are getting these products from only the best and most trustworthy players in the industry, as trust and reputation play a huge role currently in the market.
What Happens If You Consume Moldy Marijuana?
The only healthy version of molds needed for the creation of beer and cheese does not grow on cannabis. On the contrary, potentially harmful fungus finds your beloved flower to be the perfect habitat in which it can thrive. I know, terrible news for your lungs and perhaps a detriment to your planned evening sessions!
The fact is, we all must have smoked weed that was a little moldy at some point because nearly all plant matter will have traces of microscopic mold spores present, so most likely, all bud is moldy to an extent, but thanks to our awesome immune system, the spores that do survive the journey anywhere near our lungs are quickly killed. The idea here is to avoid a surplus of mold in your stash.
If we take a look at our planet, fungus, mold, and mildew are found all over the globe, even in the harshest of environments. That means that some of the spores will endure after lighting up your favorite joint, and can live long enough to enter your body. Some may take residence in your lungs, and some may even get a pass into your bloodstream.
Mold thrives in hot and humid conditions, which, unfortunately for us, are the exact same conditions most cannabis plants produce the best buds. Growing plump buds without mold is a bit of an art form in the world of cannabis cultivation and is the reason why purchasing quality cannabis from a trusted brand is very important. If you grow your own cannabis, combating mold will be a primary factor in a successful harvest so it’s important to prepare against mold long before planting your first seed.
When inhaled in significant amounts, mold spores can wreak havoc through your body once they get inside. Mold can be especially harmful if your immune system isn’t in the best shape and it can impact different people in different ways. Sooner or later, exposure to mold may start causing flu-like symptoms like a runny nose, sneezing, and coughing (Not the fun toke-induced kind). If left untreated, mold-caused illnesses can take a turn for the worse and leave you in a hospital bed, potentially hooked up to a ventilator.
To avoid a moldy stash, it is crucial to know and understand the proper way to store it, whether you need it to keep it fresh for short or long term. How long it takes for bud to get moldy completely depends on your environment and a myriad of other factors, but no matter the situation, it’s well worth looking into proper storage techniques and also planning ahead.
How To Store Cannabis To Extend Shelf Life
Good storage starts with good distributors. If you’re getting your stash from a dispensary, you’re expecting bud that’s ready to party! If you’ve been given anything other than moisture-free tightly packed flower, you should consider changing your source, and there’s a very good reason for this which is obviously the dangers and disgust of mold. You want your stash to have the lowest risk possible of mold growth because it can have serious health consequences if smoked and at the very least, is a major party foul.
Storing your cannabis isn’t all that difficult, especially because, in most cases, you’ll be smoking it way before it has an opportunity to expire. If you’re planning on buying in bulk and need to keep it for long periods of time before you get to smoking it, here are the key factors that will determine the longevity of your precious flower:
Light
An elementary study published by the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology found that even exposure to indirect light can have an effect on the loss of cannabinoids. Losing key portions of your cannabinoid profile translates to a loss of potency; that is why light-proof storage is essential for the preservation of your cannabis. Long-term exposure to sunlight converts the cannabinoid THC to CBN, which is less psychoactive. CBN still conserves some medicinal properties, but the high will not be the same as the one with THC.
Heat
You want to keep your stash at a room temperature of 70 Fahrenheit, or 20 °C. If the temperature gets any higher than this, you risk entering an environment where mold thrives. It’s not exactly necessary for everyone, but it’s actually somewhat common for some to temporarily store their cannabis in a refrigerator or air-conditioned room to avoid exposure to high temperatures in hot environments.
Humidity
This factor of the storage environment can be a tad more difficult to control than the rest. A rule of thumb is to keep the cannabis stored at a humidity level of around 60%. If you let it get higher than 60%, your bud will be at a much higher risk of falling victim to mold. Of course, really low humidity can dry out your cannabis and cause other issues, like a damaged aromatic profile, but I suppose it’s preferable to have bland and dry weed than it is to have a moldy bag of useless grass.
You might have heard that some people store marijuana in the freezer. This could sound tempting, but if you’re planning on storing cannabis for a long time, this is not a good option. Even in a resealable bag, the buds tend to absorb moisture, and just like anything else in your freezer, they become prone to freezer burn if left for a prolonged amount of time.
Do you remember those little silicon-filled packets that have disclaimers such as “not food, do not eat” on them, typically found in food containers or even in the box your new tennis shoes came in? Well, the cannabis industry has a solution similar to that, called a Boveda Pack. These tiny but mighty packets are designed to control the humidity in a small enclosed space, like a storage jar, for example, and are definitely a top-tier ticket to long-lasting quality cannabis storage.
Air Exposure
You don’t want any oxidation happening anywhere near your buds. Keep your cannabis stored in an airtight container. Glass is a good option for storage because it doesn’t produce any scent and you don’t want to introduce any other scent to your buds. I
f you find that glass just won’t work for you, a vacuum sealer would be a pretty good investment for long-term cannabis storage. Vacuum sealers are quite common nowadays and are really affordable, I highly recommend grabbing one if you’re going to buy cannabis in bulk and/or have cannabis stored for lengthy periods of time.
That being said, your weed should always be kept in an airtight container, away from humidity, heat, and light, for best storage practices, independent of when you plan to smoke it. Your typical plastic sandwich baggies aren’t very reliable storage containers because many of them leak or fail to seal completely.
Extra Storage Tips
Size does matter, or at least the size of your jar does!
When choosing the size of the container you’ll store your canna babies in, think about proportions. You don’t want to use an oversized container for a small amount of weed because you’ll be allowing more oxygen in. Ideally, you’d try to match the container size with the amount of flower you’re storing and try using smaller jars as you go through your stash. The more open space in your container, the more opportunity oxygen has to oxidize the materials inside and also the more moisture that can be trapped inside and left to cultivate mold on your cannabis.
Remember to leave a little extra space for a Boveda pack if necessary! The jar doesn’t have to be jam-packed with marijuana, either, just try and make sure a solid 80% or so of the space is taken up by cannabis and not oxygen.
Store Separately
This is a good rule to keep if you’re planning to keep different types of marijuana in store, it’s helpful knowing what kind of strain you’re getting next time you decide to have a smoking session. Each strain has its own unique set of characteristics, and they’ll be better off being stored separately in their own jar. It’s not uncommon for different types of marijuana to damage their jar-mates aromatic profiles.
Black-Out Mason Jars DIY
Mason Jars are great for cannabis storage because they’re made out of glass; nothing gets in or out unless you open it and let air in. We’ve already mentioned that keeping light away from your canna babies is a must, so to maximize the use of these glass containers, you can paint them black to reduce the amount of light that gets through. Even if you keep your cannabis inside a cupboard, you might still be opening and closing its doors, risking exposing your stash to light damage.
There’s no science to painting the mason jars, and you can get as creative as you want as long as you fully cover the entirety of the glass in black acrylic paint. Make sure the jars have been wiped down with rubbing alcohol, and you can also use a painting sponge to achieve a nice finish. If you just want to get the job done and don’t mind the paint finish being a little messy you can simply use a regular paintbrush with the acrylic paint!
TLDR: How To Tell If Weed Went Bad
- Weed will stay good for approximately two years, but storage and curing can extend its shelf life significantly.
- There’s no such thing as an “expiration date” for weed because it depends on factors like strain, extraction technique, curing, processing, and exposure to light/humidity. Some could grow mold in a day if they’re exposed to high heat and humidity.
- Expired cannabis can lead to a negative experience or even greening out, so watch out and avoid smoking dry or moldy weed.
- To examine if your weed has gone bad, take a look at its appearance, smell, and texture. Look for signs of dryness, mold, discoloration, or a stale smell.
So you’ve got some crusty weed in your possession, and with the help of this guide, you can now go forth and check for mold, conduct a few tests to check for quality, and discard anything that may be harmful or just not up to par for a quality smoke session. Not only can you weed out the bad cannabis today, but hopefully, you’re armed with the knowledge you need to prepare your stash to go the distance if need be.