Edibles are one of the most popular cannabis products, owing to their delicious flavors and how easy it is to consume them. They even amounted to a billion dollars worth of sales in the USA in 2021! They often come in sealable bags so you can take the amount you need and close it right after.
However, with their widespread consumption, people may get careless about their shelf life. Just like any other product meant for consumption, it should not be consumed after its expiration date. However, if you plan on stacking them up in your pantry, you may be wondering how long you can keep them? Will they stay fresh? Or what are the suitable ways to store them?
So, let’s look at the important information you should familiarize yourself with, in order to safely consume cannabis edibles.
Cannabis is basically an organic plant part, and thus, has a shelf life. It will gradually lose potency, it may dry out or get stale. The main factors affecting a cannabis product’s shelf life are exposure to air, heat, light, and moisture. Particularly for edibles, it is important to store them in an air-tight container, in a cool, dark place.
Edibles’ shelf life varies significantly depending upon whether you made them at home or bought them at a store. As you may be aware, store-bought products usually have preservatives, prolonging their shelf life by months. They are also likely to be sold in airtight packaging, which removes the risk of light and moisture impacting the product.
On the other hand, homemade edibles lack any way to keep away microbes or prevent moisture from building up. As a result, homemade edibles like cannabis brownies won’t last for more than a few days.
However, the way you store the edibles has a direct impact on their shelf life. So let’s look at some suitable storage options.
Storing edibles the right way doesn’t require a lot of knowledge, you’ll just need to keep a few basic things in mind, such as:
If you keep these pointers in mind, you will stay safe from consuming edibles that have gone bad. However, do you know what makes them go bad? Keep reading to find out.
Much like every edible product, cannabis edibles’ shelf life depends on their ingredients. For instance, if you baked brownies/ cookies using egg, milk, or butter, they would last for about a week at most.
When dairy products go bad, consuming them can result in an upset stomach, which may also lead to diarrhea or nausea. Moreover, baked edibles may go stale easily and lose their flavor and texture.
Other edibles such as hard candies can last for a very long time without becoming stale. Similarly, cannabis gummies last for a long time; however, you must ensure that they stay away from heat. The same goes for cannabis mints, as they too, can last for months.
Cannabis beverages can be hard to store, as once you open them, their texture changes. It also doesn’t help much to keep them refrigerated. So, it is best to purchase smaller beverage bottles that can be finished in one sitting. Alternatively, you can buy a bigger beverage bottle but try to consume it within a day or two as it will slowly decrease in quality.
Also keep in mind that no matter how you store your products, their potency will decrease over time. A study suggested that cannabis oils lost nearly 25% of THC and 13% of CBD content after being stored for a year at about 22°C. The same can be applied to edibles as they contain the same components.
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