Included FREE items
Amount exceeded
.
Cannabis edibles such as cookies and brownies are food products, and therefore have an expiration date. However, users can control variables such as temperature and light exposure to not only enhance the shelf life of their weed edibles, but to preserve the THC and terpenes responsible for their effects. Discover the best ways to store them.
Have you just whipped up a batch of homemade weed cookies or brownies? Or perhaps you’ve purchased a stash from a nearby dispensary or coffeeshop? In any case, you’ll want to learn how to store edibles properly to keep them potent and fresh. Discover the best ways to store cannabis edibles below.
Contents:
Yes, edibles begin to lose their potency over time. The speed of this process largely depends on how an edible is stored. Various environmental factors quicken the degradation of THC—the principal psychoactive ingredient found within weed edibles. Exposure to light, heat, and air all drive the degradation of THC into a compound known as CBN. This byproduct is known to produce a psychoactive effect, but one much more stoning and soporific than that produced by THC. Learning how to properly store weed edibles will help them retain their potency for longer, and keep their overall quality intact for greater durations.
Put simply, edibles are food. However, unlike most foods we consume on a day-to-day basis, they are infused with cannabis constituents. Therefore, edibles can go bad just as quickly as their non-psychoactive alternatives. The speed at which an edible expires depends largely on its ingredients. Edibles that contain dairy, such as non-vegan cookies, cakes, and brownies, are among the quickest to go off. Those that contain less-perishable ingredients and preservatives, such as gummies and candy, last much longer. Check out how long you can store different cannabis edibles below.
The answer to this question ultimately depends on the type of edible you're storing. If you’ve purchased an edible from a dispensary or coffeeshop, you can simply adhere to the expiration date on the packaging. If you’ve whipped up a batch of edibles yourself at home, you can keep moist bars such as cheesecake and lemon bars in the fridge for up to 7 days[1], according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Goods that contain less moisture, such as some cakes, will store safely for 2–3 weeks when refrigerated. Make sure to wrap them tightly and place them into airtight containers to protect their constituents from degrading.
Gummies and similar candy products don’t require refrigeration. The ingredients they contain are generally much less perishable than other products, and are often made with preservatives. Again, if you’ve purchased weed gummies, simply refer to the expiration date on the packaging. If you prefer to make your own, the FoodKeeper app developed by the USDA recommends[2] storing gummies at room temperature for no longer than nine months. However, storing your gummies in this environment can expose them to conditions that degrade THC faster. Make sure to place them in an airtight container and store them in a cool and dark place to shield them from warm temperatures and strong light.
Unless you have Amish blood flowing through your veins, you probably start the process of making cannabutter using store-bought butter. This makes storage times easy: simply keep track of the expiration date on the original butter packaging. According to the USDA, butter will keep at room temperature in a pantry for 1–2 days, and in the fridge for up to 2 months[3] from the date of purchase.
Cookies contain much less moisture than brownies and similar baked goods, and therefore have a much longer shelf life. Provided you keep them in an airtight container and in a cool and dark place, weed cookies will keep safely at room temperature for up to 3 weeks[4]. If you don’t plan to eat your cannabis cookies any time soon or have a particularly large stash, then you can keep them for much longer in the fridge. Here, they’ll remain safe to consume for up to 2 months.
Weed brownies are among the tastiest of cannabis edibles. They’re sweet, filling, and considerably moreish. But how long do pot brownies last? Unfortunately, because of their higher moisture content and perishable ingredients, they’re among the quickest to go off. You should place weed brownies directly in the fridge, and keep them stashed for no longer than 7 days before consuming them and enjoying the ride.
Absolutely. Freezing marijuana edibles makes it possible to greatly extend the shelf life of even the most perishable goods. Cookies and brownies will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months without a noticeable drop in quality. As well as persevering the perishable ingredients and flavours, freezers are dark and very cold, meaning they’ll protect THC, other cannabinoids, and terpenes from degradation. Place them in an airtight container before storage to remove oxygen from the equation, too.
Follow the tips below to store your edibles, and preserve their quality, for as long as possible:
There you have it—weed edibles can last much longer than you probably thought! At room temperature, cannabis cookies last a considerably long time! If you prefer gummies over baked goods, you can rest assured that they’ll remain preserved in your pantry for months to come. Baked goods such as brownies and cakes fare much better in the fridge. If you're planning on storing your edibles for some time, the freezer provides the best option for long-term preservation.
DisclaimerExtracts, concentrates, and oils used for dabbing are among the strongest cannabis products available. Proceed with caution when using substances high in THC. Start with low doses and slowly increase over time to build up a tolerance to the compound.
Remember: Set and Setting will help you deal with various situations.
Stay Cultivated.