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How To Tell If Cannabis Has Gone Bad
Apr
Imagine searching through your house during a spring cleaning and stumbling upon an old stash of weed that you had entirely forgotten about until now. Since you are not sure how long it’s been sitting there, you might want to know how to tell if your weed has gone bad, right?
The quick answer to this question is that it all relies on your definition of what is considered a bad weed. The same life of a fresh weed depends on many circumstances, but the manner of storing weed is at the forefront of consideration.
Keep in mind that a container of mayonnaise or any food product does not go bad like weed does, although a bud might become stale or develop mold.
Throughout this post, we’ll go over how to determine whether or not your pot has gone bad, how old weed may affect you, and how to keep your weed fresh in the future.
The shelf life of marijuana
Did you know that if your fresh cannabis is not stored correctly, it might go bad before it reaches its expiration date and even develops mold growth? It sure does not sound like a pleasant way to spend an evening smoking.
Unfortunately, marijuana, like every other organic material in the world, has a short shelf life if it is not stored correctly. However, it can also last for decades in long-term storage if produced and stored correctly.
Cannabis that has been adequately cured, stored in an airtight seal and maintained in a dark place or dry location has a shelf life of approximately one year.
However, the marijuana will begin to lose its flavor and potency around that time, and it may even grow mold that is potentially hazardous if inhaled. As a result, you might experience heart and lung problems, especially if it is a moldy weed.
Just as it is necessary to prevent weed from turning into bad cannabis, it is essential to properly store your buds if you want to enjoy high-quality marijuana for an extended period after being harvested.
There have been many instances where marijuana users have worried if their cannabis has gone bad, whether they intentionally stashed it away or forgot about old marijuana.
Marijuana can be preserved and stay fresh for an extremely long period if properly cultivated, dried, cured, and stored. We can help you out by giving you some pointers on detecting cannabis that has reached the end of its shelf life or has gone bad.
You may use several methods to tell if your weed has reached the end of its shelf life. Find out if you are smoking fresh or moldy weed by reading this article.
What will happen to old marijuana?
The first and most important thing to understand is that old weed may not cause harm to the person who uses it. Keep in mind that cannabis differs from food in several ways.
When we remark that food has “gone bad” or “rotted,” we refer to the fact that it is no longer fit for human consumption. It is bacteria that cause food to spoil because they colonize it, and it is the gasses generated by the breakdown of the food that give off the foul smell.
In contrast to edible cannabis, cured and dried cannabis do not serve as a growing environment for microbes. Of course, you still have to be concerned about them when your crop is being harvested.
But if you have an old weed that has been adequately preserved, it is probably safe to consume. However, expect that it will be less strong than it used to be because of the effects of time.
When it comes to utilizing old cannabis found on the floor, it ‘probably’ won’t do much harm if it has been well cured and dried. If you reside in a place where marijuana is legal, it makes more sense to chuck out the old weed and invest in some fresh buds.
About 110 cannabinoids have been found in marijuana, with CBD and THC content being the most numerous, followed by CBN. The cannabinoid content changes from strain to strain based on the cannabis plant.
Since cannabinoids respond to the presence of air, light, and heat, once your marijuana has been collected, cut, and dried, its cannabinoid content begins to fluctuate over time.
As marijuana develops, it creates cannabigerol acid (CBGA), converted into the psychoactive compounds CBCA, CBDA, and THCA. It’s fascinating to note that the cannabinoids we like, such as THC and CBD, must be activated to have any impact on us. Raw cannabis includes THCA, which does not produce THC unless subjected to heat to be ‘decarboxylated.’
If you were wondering, when exposed to light and air for an extended period, cannabis concentrates undergo the same modifications as flowers. Because the number of cannabinoids and terpenes in the substance will decrease, older cannabis may have off-flavors compared to new marijuana.
How to know if your weed has gone bad
Most marijuana users who do not produce their bud have no idea what goes into the growing, drying, and storage processes of their product. When you smoke moldy cannabis, it will no longer taste or feel nice, so keep reading to find out the signs that your weed has gone bad.
Let’s put our five senses to use and see what we can learn.
What is the appearance of the weed?
The majority of cannabis aficionados like to spend a significant amount of time admiring their weed before using it. As a result, when something starts to go wrong, the weed will inevitably appear terrible.
As you take a closer look at your buds, you should be able to determine if your weed has gone bad or moldy. Old weed can begin to appear weird, and in some cases, it may no longer resemble a bud. Its color and texture are altered as well.
If you are holding something in your hand that you have been informed is cannabis, but you are having difficulty distinguishing it from a bud, chances are your weed has gone bad.
Smoking your recently acquired stash will be a lot less enjoyable if it doesn’t appear to be marijuana anymore and instead resembles a fine powder.
If you see a fuzzy white powder growing on your marijuana, you may have a moldy weed. Thus, it should not be consumed to avoid any respiratory problems.
Mold can penetrate every bud surface, even though mold is often mistaken for delicate trichomes.
A simple approach to distinguish between the two is to remember that mold is a white powdery substance that will cover the whole weed. On the other hand, Trichomes are typically confined to crystal-like hairs on the surface.
As a bonus, during a mold inspection, make sure to split apart the blossoms since mold may form in the tiny spaces between your weeds.
What is the sound of the weed?
Even if you think that listening to the sound of your marijuana to determine whether or not it is moldy is weird, it isn’t! When tearing apart your weed with your hands, you should hear snaps. If the products sound crackly, your weed is too dry or placed on too much heat under direct sunlight.
Flowers that have been properly cared for produce a distinct breaking sound when broken, but weed allowed to grow in an unsuitable environment does not. The sound of crackling buds rather than a crisp snap might be produced by buds that have become excessively dry and crumbled.
On the other hand, the presence of silence indicates that your weed has too much moisture content, and you should check for mold. This means the weed will be difficult to break apart and produce no sound.
What is the smell of weed?
When your old stash smells musty, mold is most likely to blame. Chemical or plastic scents are caused by improper storage or pesticide contamination.
Cannabis that has been stored and forgotten about for a long time does not smell as strong as marijuana used recently. However, it should be devoid of aromas. Weeds should have a unique odor to distinguish them from other plants.
The terpenes and flavonoids from throughout the curing process give particular cannabis strains their distinctive smell. However, they don’t want to hang around for too long if the environment isn’t up to standard.
Cannabis with little to no fragrance will most likely have little to no taste, if not none at all. Apart from the fact that it will be bland to smoke, terpene degradation may also alter the entourage effect, resulting in a duller high.Other odors indicate that your cannabis has reached the end of its shelf life.
The lovely flowery scent of marijuana may be replaced by a wet, mildew-like smell on moldy cannabis, which is undesirable. Other strange odors might also indicate that it’s time to get rid of your moldy marijuana.
For example, buds can occasionally take on the aroma of the place they are grown. These conditions may serve as warning signs that your marijuana has gone bad.
An excellent nose test is to be on the lookout for that delightful scent that you know cannabis has when it has been well cared for and is ready to be consumed.
What is the flavor of the weed?
Whether your old stash looks to be mold-free, you will be able to determine if it’s truly gone bad by the flavor of the weed once you have lit it. It should also have a distinct marijuana smell and taste, with no off-flavors.
What is the taste of the weed?
If you are still unsure whether your cannabis is moldy after following all of these instructions, you can always do a taste test. Anyone who has smoked weed way past its freshness knows that it does not taste enjoyable.
When it comes to the taste of marijuana, terpenes play an essential part, and old or moldy weed will lack the delightfully pungent flavor that excellent grade pot possesses. It is also worth mentioning that smoking marijuana after it has passed its freshness is not healthy, so inspect your weed before you consume it.
What is the texture of the weed?
Determining whether or not your weed has mold on it is a very sensitive process. In addition, it is vital to handle your buds to check for mold aside from smelling and looking at them. The presence of a wet substance trapped in the buds of your cannabis is a tactile indicator that your pot is about to go off.
This dampness might also give the impression that the weed is over-compressed and, thus, not suitable for consumption. Breaking your cannabis apart also allows you to check for mildew hidden in some difficult-to-see areas. However, this should not be confused with kief or dried-out bud.
How to tell if your weed is good?
Giving your cannabis a thorough inspection is the most straightforward approach to determine if it is still fresh. Fresh cannabis has a brilliant green hue, sometimes with purple streaks. Moreover, it should have fine hairs that become orange or amber when exposed to light.
If such hues appear to be washed out, it is most likely because they are coated in tiny foggy trichomes. On the other hand, if that vibrant green has faded, chances are you have got some outdated marijuana on your hands.
Terpenes don’t survive very long on cannabis that hasn’t been adequately preserved. Thus, if your weed is fragrant, it is probably okay to use.
In addition to that, you should also be able to determine everything about the weed’s state just by pulling it apart and examining it closely. A weed that has been properly cured and dried will create a cracking sound when picked up and handled.
Lastly, to ensure that your marijuana passes all of the freshness criteria, smoking a tiny bit of it is your best bet. You will know the taste of bad cannabis almost instantly.
How to keep your weed fresh
Although weed does not technically expire, it can decay and be stable over time. Mold is the most serious hazard, but it is not overly serious. Moldy weed will not injure you, but it will taste awful, and you will most likely cough it up.
The best thing you can do to keep cannabis from going bad is to cure it correctly for long-term storage, then use vacuum sealing to keep it fresh. Mason jars with a wide opening and a rubber top are the most usual choice, and it is preferable if the lid has a latching mechanism.
Apart from mason jars sealing properly, glass is a superior container to plastic or metal since the latter two will transfer their residual aromas and tastes over time.
Also, keep in mind that if your cannabis is stored in an area that receives excessive moisture, mold will form, and smoking such marijuana is likely to make you very sick very quickly.
As long as marijuana is collected, cured, and dried properly, it may last for an extremely long period, and smoking is unlikely to affect your health negatively.
When it comes to long-term marijuana preservation, heat, light, and moisture are all enemies. Thus, if you want your pot to taste nice months after purchasing it, store it in an airtight container in a cold, dark area. Even though the strength of your cannabis may diminish with time, you should still gain some medical advantages from it.
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