How long can cannabis last?

[BritManToo]

Glass jars at room temp, all go brown by 6 months, still usable but not at it's best.

Just for fun I vacuum packed some of my grow in Jan 2023, and put it on the top shelf of my fridge.

 

It still looks green after 2 years and 6 months, wonder what it will be like?

It's lost its vacuum.

 

[SamuiGrower]

Cannabis begins to degrade immediately from post harvest. You can slow it down by controlling the environment in which it is dried, cured and stored, but can not keep it at bay for an extended time. Degradation of flower directly affects quality and value.

 

Cannabinoids (THC, CBD, etc al.), terpenes and flavonoids degrade by light (photo-oxidation - primarily UV light), enzymes, and oxygen/air. Monoterpenes are the most volatile and begin to evaporate (volatilize) almost immediately. Chlorophyll degrades through enzymatic and microbial degradation. This is a good thing, reducing harshness and affecting the flavor in a positive way. Decarboxylation, the conversion of THCa to THC (also a good thing) occurs slowly. The conversion of THC to CBN also occurs and is an indication of “old” flower - not a good thing! A research paper I saw a couple of years back showed a linear decrease of THC and other cannabinoids over time, regardless of storage techniques used. Temperature, humidity and light are the major factors attributing to quality and purity loss.

 

On a commercial level, cannabis is viewed as a perishable crop and should be sold and consumed before any quality characteristics are compromised. For personal/hobby grows and consumption, cool, dry environments will slow down the process. Vacuum sealing and refrigeration will slow terpene loss but will not abate CBN conversion. Freezing will do the same but if the flower has more than 5-10% moisture it will not ‘look’ very good, but if it is for personal consumption, no big deal, right? A humidity pack (63%) with your flower in a sealed mason jar, kept out of direct light, in a cool place is the correct handling for those of you who enjoy connoisseurship.

 

One of my pet peeves, here in Thailand, is the handling and display of flower in dispensaries/weed shops. That pale, bleached look, that makes all flower look the same is a result of photo UV oxidation. High temperatures and humidity fluctuation certainly doesn’t help. Does your local weed shop turn off the air cons at the end of the day? Where do they store their flower when they are not open? Oversupply and poor merchandising of perishable flower is the issue. It always reminds me of an overcooked green vegetable - pale and drab.

 

i hope this was helpful.

 

[wombat]

does it still do the job?

[SamuiGrower]

11 minutes ago, wombat said:

does it still do the job?

A poster in this forum once wrote, “…..the difference between getting high on 15% THC flower and 30% THC flower is one hit! “ I found this so humorous AND so true. Lol.
 

I have smoked “vintage” hash that was several years old and yes, it still got the job done.

 

The takeaway catchphrase for those that enjoy flower: “Fresh is BEST”