Do edibles spoil or go bad over time?
Yes, marijuana edibles do expire eventually. Like any food product, edibles don’t stay fresh forever, though the freshness factor depends on the edible you have on hand. THC is also a factor—as it degrades, THC converts into CBN, a different type of compound found in marijuana. While CBN has some potential benefits, like boosting your appetite, it doesn’t make you high like THC does. Some find that CBN makes them sleepy and ready to catch some zzzs, but the jury is still out on CBN’s exact effect on the body. One of the most well-known CBN studies only proved that CBN can cause sleepiness when combined with THC.
Edibles typically expire after a year, though it depends on the type. Ultimately, it’s an edible’s other ingredients that decide when the product goes bad, not the THC potency. Cookies and brownies, for instance, are made with ingredients that go bad fairly quickly, while hard candies are made with ingredients that never truly spoil. Per your state’s cannabis regulations, marijuana products have to come with an expiration date. Find and cross-check this label to see when your edibles expire. In some cases, the expiration date may be a year after your purchase date.
Gummies and candies have the potential to last longer than 1 year. Hard candies can last indefinitely. They aren’t made with any perishable ingredients, so you don’t have to worry about getting sick from eating an old candy. Gummies can be kept in the freezer for as long as you want, but they might not taste as fresh after 1+ years in storage.
Baked goods can stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. For longer storage, stash your sweet treats in the freezer, instead. A lot of baked goods start to lose their freshness after 2 or 3 months in cold storage, while cookies can stay fresh for up to 1 year in the freezer. Still, these baked goods won’t go “bad” if you freeze for longer than these recommendations—they just won’t taste as good. Baked goods have a much shorter shelf life when they aren’t refrigerated or frozen. Brownies, for instance, can last up to 4 days when stored in an air-tight container on the counter. Cookies, on the other hand, last 2-3 weeks at room temperature. If you’ve left your cookie or brownie on the counter for months and months at a time, you’re better off tossing it out and buying a new one. Pro tip: Treat your edible baked goods the same way you’d treat a THC-free version of the same treat. If you wouldn’t eat a 2-month-old brownie that was lying around, you shouldn’t eat a 2-month-old edible brownie. At the end of the day, they are perishable goods!
Do expired edibles lose potency?
Yes, THC may start to break down after 1 year. In a study done with flower-based marijuana (not edibles), researchers found that THC’s potency went down by over 15% after 1 year in storage, over 25% after 2 years, over 34% after 3 years, and over 40% after 4 years. While edibles weren’t tested in this study, it’s reasonable to assume that the THC in your treats starts to break down the longer it stays in storage. One Colorado-based bakery tested the potency of their products after 1 year and found that the potency level stayed consistent. This is good news for people with months-old edibles, but this doesn’t necessarily mean your year-plus-old edible is going to be super potent.
Proper Storage Conditions
Stash your edibles in a cool, dark place. Heat and THC don’t mix well, so it’s best to keep your edibles in a cool spot that’s away from the stove and any source of sunlight. Keep in mind that cookies and brownies don’t tend to last as long as THC-infused chocolates and candies, so you’ll need to freeze or refrigerate anything you don’t eat within a few days. Always keep your edibles in a safe, secure location that’s out of children's and pet’s reach. The more care you take in storing your edibles, the better and fresher they’ll taste. For instance, an edible cookie carefully stored in the kitchen pantry will likely taste a lot better than if it were left on a windowsill in direct sunlight.
Signs of Spoilage
Look for signs of mold and spoilage. Only foods like hard cheeses, certain vegetables, and salami can be salvaged when mold is present. Edibles like brownies, cookies, and gummies definitely don’t cut it here and need to be thrown out.
Inspect the edible’s texture. Stale baked goods may be stiff and crumbly, while spoiled gummies might have a tough, almost grainy texture to them. If your edible’s consistency seems abnormal, you’re better off throwing it out.
Give the edible a quick sniff. Foul, stinky scents are a telltale sign that your edible is no longer fresh and needs to be tossed out.
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