You empty out your closet and find a bag of marijuana or hashish. If you cannot remember how long it has been there, it is probably old cannabis. But how do you recognize old cannabis and how do you prevent it from losing its shelf life? You will be surprised how long cannabis can be kept, provided you store it properly. And even if the quality of your marijuana or hash has deteriorated, you can still enjoy it. Read below to find out how you can identify old cannabis and what the best way is to store your marijuana.

Does cannabis have an expiration date?

Although marijuana cannot spoil as quickly as many foods do, it does have an expiration date. However, if you do not store the cannabis properly, then there is a chance that it can become wet or damp. As a result, it will go moldy quickly. Moldy cannabis is totally unusable. If you see any mold on old cannabis, throw it away immediately. Smoking this cannabis could endanger your health. In addition, you will no longer experience a high when using it. Consuming moldy cannabis can lead to headaches, respiratory problems, or even pneumonia.

If your cannabis is not moldy, it will dry out over time and eventually lose its potency. Non-moldy cannabis can lose its shelf life in time. This is similar to spices. Old nutmeg is not the end of the world, but it also doesn’t provide the desired taste in your dish. So old marijuana won’t make you sick, but it doesn’t provide a great high either. The same goes for hash which has been lying around for a while.

How do you extend the shelf life of cannabis?

We have already mentioned that if you want to get the most out of your stash you will have to store it properly. If you store your marijuana or hash carefully, you can keep it for up to a year. With these tricks, you can extend the life of your cannabis.

The right container

Careful storage of cannabis begins with choosing the right container. Make sure you store your weed or hash in an airtight container. This can be a (preferably) glass container that you can buy at any store that sells household items. But there are also containers for sale today that are specially designed to store cannabis. These are sterile and provide the right humidity in the container itself. Have you found the right container? Fill the container only for three-quarters with cannabis. 

If there is too much air in your container the buds will age faster. Therefore, never put a small supply in a container that is too big. It is also important to avoid plastic containers as much as possible. The static charge of plastic will affect the trichomes and your buds will be more susceptible to oxidation.

A suitable storage place

With a storage container, you can create an ideal humidity level for cannabis. But light and heat can also affect your weed or hash. Ultimately, of course, you want to see glistening trichomes and beautiful buds that are free of fungus. For this, you will have to choose your storage location carefully. The UV rays in sunlight affect the THC in cannabis. This causes your cannabis to lose its strength and will cause you to experience a weaker high when using the marijuana. Therefore, choose a dark and cool storage place.

How to recognize old weed

Recognizing old cannabis

Despite all your efforts to store weed in the best possible way, you may feel that your cannabis is out of date. This is how you can determine whether your stash is past its peak. And the best part is: you don’t need anything more than your own senses to do so!

Smell

Does your weed no longer smell like the cannabis you’re used to? Then you are probably dealing with old or moldy marijuana. Well-grown cannabis can be recognized mainly by its distinctive pungent smell. The stronger the weed smells, the better the quality. To detect old weed, you will therefore need to smell your weed.

What do you smell? Do you immediately recognize the slightly sweet, fruity, sour, or even citrus-like aromas? Then your stock is fine. If the cannabis smells musty or more like grass or hay, then your cannabis has probably been in contact with moisture and has gone moldy. Throw it out!

Observe

Does your weed look crumbled and dry? As if it has been left to decay for too long? Then you are undoubtedly dealing with old weed. You can recognize good cannabis by the color of its buds. The buds should have a nice green color. Do the buds have a more brown, yellow or red color? Then you are dealing with old weed. You can smoke this product, but don’t expect too great an experience. 

Do your buds look good, but are there any white fluffy spots on the outside? Then you are dealing with mold. This weed should go directly into the trash.

Feel

Another good way to qualify your weed is to feel it. Does it still feel firm and even a bit sticky? Then your stockpot has done what you have been hoping for. Your cannabis stock is still in very good shape. Does it feel dry or crumbly? Then it has seen better days. If it feels spongy, it contains too much moisture and you are probably dealing with moldy cannabis.

Taste

You have now been able to observe with your senses whether your supply of cannabis has been well preserved. You are now probably tempted to take a chance and smoke it. However, you should first take a little taste of it. Put a small piece in your mouth and you will immediately taste whether the expiration date has passed. Do you detect flavors other than the subtle aromas that distinguish different types of cannabis? Does it resemble old cheese? Then something has gone wrong with the storage of your product. If it still tastes like regular weed, you can go ahead and roll it into a nice joint.

Want to know more about old weed?

Would you like to know more about storing your buds?  Our staff will be happy to explain how you can extend the life of your products. This way you can enjoy your favorite cannabis for even longer. Find your favorite types of weed in our coffeeshop in Amsterdam. We are currently open from 08.00 to 01.00 (but please note that this can change). Will we see you soon?