Weed at Your Fingertips! Experience the Ease of Ordering Cannabis with Our 
In short, yes!
As an organic/plant-based material, weed aka cannabis does start to lose its potency and taste over time, eventually diminishing in its overall quality in the end.
To be specific, under optimal storage conditions, weed can stay safe for consumption for as long as 4 years or so while slowly deteriorating in its strength and flavor after the first 6 months or one year.
More broadly, it loses up to 16% of its THC content in the first year, followed by about 26% by the end of 2 years, 34% in the third, and over 40% of THC after 4 years of storage.
Yet, the lifespan of weed cannot be strictly limited to a particular duration as it is a versatile substance that comes in many forms and products.
As such, the actual date of expiration of a weed product varies greatly depending on its form and formulation.
For instance, while a dry weed flower or bud can stay good for only a few years at best, cannabis concentrates such as tinctures and isolated extracts can go on for as long as 10 years or more.
Cannabis edibles, on the other hand, can suffice for only a few days or a week at max before they start to decompose or catch mold.
Speaking of which, mold is perhaps one of the clearest signs of your weed gone bad.
One of the major reasons for this is the contamination of air, water, or moisture, in other words, improper storage.
That’s right, improper storage is one of the biggest causes of the early deterioration of weed and its derivatives.
Things such as incorrect containers or storage boxes (like plastic or metal), direct exposure to sunlight/UV light, and too much moisture or humidity can endanger the quality of your weed and even promote the growth of mold.
That said, let’s go through the ideal storage conditions and the lifespans of every common weed product that you can find.
Cannabis flowers are perhaps the most vulnerable to contamination and mold compared to all other products due to the heavy concentration of different types of compounds including cannabinoids and terpenes.
The amount of humidity or moisture can also influence the age of your cannabis buds in case they exceed the ideal limit. And this is why, the curing or drying process of cannabis plays a major role in defining their stipulated lifespan.
Although, advised to be somewhere between 6 months to 1 year in general, when stored under best conditions, cannabis flowers or buds can last for up to 18 months and even more.
Therefore, for a long and safe consumption of your stored cannabis buds, make sure to use a glass/mason jar or a humidor for storage and keep the container in a dark and cold place that is away from direct sunlight.
2. CBD (medical marijuana)
CBD or cannabidiol is the main medicinal compound of cannabis that is usually derived from hemp.
Compared to typical marijuana plants, hemp plants are specifically cultivated for medicinal purposes as they contain less than 0.3% of THC which is the main psychoactive ingredient of cannabis.
As such, CBD does not cause any ‘high’ or trigger any type of paranoia or laughter.
Known to deliver ample health benefits such as relief from anxiety, pain, inflammation, depression, epilepsy, and so on, CBD can be obtained in several formats including isolated and in combination with other cannabinoids. A few common examples include CBD oils, tinctures, wax, and topicals.
As such, the date of expiration of CBD also varies from product to product.
3. Weed wax or resin
Cannabis concentrates such as wax, resin, dab, budder, and shatter are some of the most potent forms of cannabis that you can find.
Meant for multiple purposes such as smoking, vaping, dabbing, and so on, cannabis concentrates are one of the purest forms of cannabis that contain significantly lower amounts of raw plant material.
Due to the lack of plant material or flowers, cannabis concentrates like wax and resin are more likely to last for a longer duration than dried cannabis flower buds.
When kept under the best storage conditions, they can last for as long as 2 years with minimum degradation in their potency and content.
Again, keeping it in a cool and dry place away from direct sunlight and airtight conditions can prevent the loss of cannabinoids and terpenes significantly, thus prolonging its overall life.
4. Cannabis oils for vaping
Vaping is one of the most common ways of consuming cannabis (be it THC or CBD) and gaining its effects.
Also known as vape juice or vape oil, it is a special type of cannabis extract that is used by vaporizing and inhaling the content.
Done using special vaping devices called vaporizers and vape pens, it is claimed to be a relatively healthier substitute to the infamous smoking.
Being in a liquified form, cannabis vape oils do not have any plant material in them and are usually sold/used in airtight cartridges that protect the content from any kind of tempering or contamination.
As a result, cannabis vape oils generally do not have a strict expiry date and can easily last for 2 to 3 years or more.
5. Cannabis-infused edibles and beverages
Cannabis-infused edibles and beverages are yet another safer medium to get the effects of cannabis without smoking or vaping.
Albeit, the slowest in delivering the effects, eaten cannabis is known to have the longest-lasting effects that can be felt for up to 24 hours.
However, the shelf life of cannabis-infused eatables may vary depending on the type of the edible whether readymade or homemade, and most importantly, the ingredients.
E.g., baked goods like brownies, cakes, and cookies, especially if they use eggs, milk, dairy products, or other perishable ingredients may have a shorter lifespan than cannabis-infused confectioneries such as candies, gummies, and chocolates.
Similarly, readymade edibles with additional preservatives may also last for longer.
In general, though, cannabis edibles can last for a few days to 6-9 months depending on their type and ingredients.
6. Cannabis tinctures
Cannabis tinctures are edible oils or liquid solutions that are made to be consumed orally or sublingually.
As one of the purest cannabis extracts, tinctures are made by solving the desired plant material in an alcohol-based solution or glycerine which works as a natural preservative.
As such, tinctures have the longest-lasting lifespan of all the products that are derived from cannabis, whether directly or indirectly.
When stored properly or in the recommended conditions, they can last for up to 10 years or more.
Oil-based solutions or tinctures, on the other hand, may have a lower lifespan of up to 2 years or so, but they are rather rare in the modern cannabis market.
7. Capsules and pills
Capsules and pills containing CBD and other cannabinoids in some form or other are medicine-oriented products that are largely used for therapeutic purposes.
Beneficial for a variety of issues like chronic pain, mental disorders, inflammation, and insomnia, cannabis capsules or pills generally have a longer shelf-life but with an expiration date as is the case with most medications.
Apart from the expiration date, you can also figure out if they are safe for consumption or not by looking at their texture, color, and stench.
In either case, if you feel that your CBD pills have gone wrong, then it’s better to check their expiration or consult with a doctor.
8. Cannabis topicals
Last but not least, we have cannabis topicals that refer to all the cosmetic and skin-care products that are infused with the herbal qualities of cannabis.
This may range from your daily bathing soap to creams, oils, lotions, balms, and gels that are rich in cannabis.
Meant to be applied directly over the skin, cannabis topicals usually last for up to 2 years when kept in their original container or proper storage conditions as mentioned on the label.
Conclusion
As an organic and complex substance, cannabis tends to lose its strength or potency over time, especially if it is not stored properly.
The type of the product you use is yet another factor that influences the lifespan of your weed.
In essence, the general age of dried cannabis is somewhere between 6 months to one year but may also extend to about 18 months if you’re lucky enough to protect it from fluctuating levels of temperature and humidity.
Concentrates and vape oils, on the other hand, can stay safe for consumption for 2-3 years in optimal storage conditions.
And edibles, for up to a few days to 9 months depending on the type of goods and ingredients.
Perhaps, no other cannabis-oriented product has a longer lifespan than CBD tinctures which can last for as long as 10 years or more when provided with the recommended storage conditions.
All in all, the age or shelf-life life of cannabis is a complex topic, but it can still be summed up as a “couple of years,” or so, on average.
FAQs
Yes, exposure to direct sunlight, heat, UV light, and storage in hot and humid conditions can cause your weed to lose its chemical content and sometimes turn brown.
Of course! Albeit not immediately, making direct contact with natural factors such as light, air, temperature, heat, and moisture can pose several risks to your weed including mold and deterioration.
To be safe, it’s always advised to store the rest of your weed including the ground or crushed leftovers back in its ideal airtight conditions.
Old weed is usually identified by its relatively powdery and overly-dried texture. This generally signifies a potential loss in its smoothness and quality which occurs due to the breaking down of potent THC into minor cannabinoids like CBN which is known to have a low psychoactive content.
Nonetheless, taking CBN-rich old weed in heavy dosage can certainly give you a kick for a while.
