Does Weed Expire? (What to Look For)
To start this article off, I just want to disclose that I have a sealer with some really good sativa buds that have been kept in there for two years now! Every once in a while, I open the lid and allow some fresh air in. This allows just a bit of moisture from the air to penetrate some of the older bud. I will elaborate on this further down in the article.
Does weed expire? Weed or marijuana does not expire. It can go bad by getting moldy and it will lose potency over time. It is imperative that proper storage techniques are utilized in order to prolong a high level of potency as well not to allow the weed to get moldy.
It’s true that your marijuana’s potency will weaken over time, regardless of what you do with it, however, there are ways to maximize how long it stays at it’s top peak potency. Taking proper care is also required during the drying time as to not allow mold to start on the buds.
In this article, we will look at how to tell if your weed is expired (expiring) and what preventative measures you can do. I will disclose that this information is based on my personal experiences and knowledge gained from advice of other very experienced marijuana growers and smokers. Let’s get to it!
How to Tell if Your Weed is Expired
Since we know, technically, weed does not expire, unless of course, it is taken over by mold, then you would just throw it away. However, we can check our marijuana buds to see if they have dried out by look and touch.
- Your buds will start to fade in color over time, so observing that they are discolored is a sign of them losing some potency.
- Another way to check is to physically touch the bud. Go ahead and your weed the squeeze test. When buds are first cured, they are almost sponge like. When they start to dry out, they will crumble and break apart.
As mentioned earlier, I have some bud that is two years old being stored in a glass sealer. Even though the buds are much drier than two years ago and have faded somewhat in color, when smoked, there is still enough THC to get you high.
The only issue I see with older weed is when smoked, it’s just not as smooth as it used to be. It’s a harsh smoke as some ‘tokers’ might say. You may end up coughing a bit but you will still get stoned. So is it so bad? I don’t think so.
How Long Before Weed Loses Potency
Without proceeding with a scientific test, I would expect the only way to identify when weed starts to lose its potency is to relate losing potency with the deterioration of the marijuana.
From my own experiences, I can say that after having marijuana buds in a sealer over a period of two years, that I noticed after the one year mark that my buds were starting to look a bit faded and were drying out quite a bit more.
Lets face it, it’s inevitable for this to happen with a product like this. At the two year mark, the weed is still showing some good potency, however, I am sure it is not as high as it was when first harvested and cured.
*If you don’t like the look of a sealer then maybe you would like this very cool Tightvac Storage Container over on Amazon. It comes in different colors so you should be able to find one that you love.*
Does Dry Weed Lose Potency?
I say that when weed is dry it has already lost some of its potency. When weed is dry, it has lost its moisture holding power and is therefore breaking down. This is just my opinion on the subject. To know for sure if and how much potency your weed loses over time, a scientific test would have to take place, as previously mentioned.
Just know, though, that whether your buds are sticky and moist or dry as a bone, when you smoke it, your going to get stoned.
How to Tell if Your Weed is Moldy?
Another condition that would cause your weed to be expired or ready for the garbage can is if it was growing mold.
Most of the time, mold can be identified by observing the weed.
- Check for fuzzy looking or web looking materials on the buds or leaves. There is a good chance this is mold. Mold can be a light color or it can be dark. Either way, if it is there, it should stand out and be easily spotted.
- Another identifier is if the marijuana doesn’t smell right. All weed has a distinct smell. If yours has a funny/odd smell, then chances are there is some mold somewhere on the plant.
What Causes Mold on Marijuana?
The majority of the time, mold will occur when the buds are not cured properly, if you place buds in plastic bags to cure and just leave them they will mold. My favorite method for curing buds after they have been stripped from the plant is to place them in glass sealers. This way, you can observe the product and the sealer provides a tight seal as needed.
I wont get into the curing process here but if you do use a sealer, just make sure to open the lid once or twice a day for 10 or so minutes at a time for the first couple of weeks. After that, you can open every few days and after a few months. If any is left, you will still want to give the older drying buds some fresh air once in a while.
How to Get Rid of Mold on Cured Weed?
The obvious thing to do when you find mold on your weed is to cut it off. Just cut the section right out. Throw out the moldy section and be done with it.
Another possible solution, if cutting a chunk out of your harvest doesn’t appeal to you, would be to soak the affected buds in water. Now, I have never done this myself and honestly, I don’t know how effective this method is. The recommendation I found online was to soak it in warm water for 10 or 15 minutes while rubbing off the moldy areas.
I don’t know if this would get all of the mold and I wouldn’t even do this myself. Like I said, I found this idea online and thought I would share it with you.
I still think that just cutting away molding areas is the best alternative. Then there is no question as to whether you have removed everything that needed to be removed.
Conclusion
Wrapping this article up, let me just remind you that technically, weed does not expire.
It can lose potency and dry up over time or it can go bad by getting moldy.
One of the most important parts of the marijuana growing process is the curing of the buds. If done right, the buds will stay very potent for a very long time and will not get moldy. Meaning, your weed will take a very long time to expire.
Use glass sealers, if you can. I guarantee, if done correctly, you will not regret it. If you have marijuana that isn’t being used up within ½ a year, I feel that is the way to go.
There you have it! I hope you were able to find something useful in this article. Thank-you for reading and good luck.
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