Ask a Stoner: How Do I Keep Pot Fresh?

Dear Stoner: I had a fifteen-year-old beer this week; it was disgusting, but it wasn’t harmful. Is weed the same? Does it go bad to the point of being unhealthy, or does it just taste bad?
Mahriar

Dear Mahriar: Like beer, cannabis can be contaminated by various pathogens and bacteria that can cause undesirable tastes and potentially harmful health effects; it’s also affected by moisture much more than beer. So instead of being sealed for one-time consumption, like a bottle or can of beer, cannabis is usually kept in plastic bags and jars and frequently exposed to fluorescent lighting and sunlight.

Even so, cannabis is easily susceptible to mold, rot, dryness and THC deterioration. Mold and bud rot can be very unhealthy for the respiratory system when consumed, especially in concentrate form. But if you store weed like you would beer in a cellar – sealed and in a dark, dry and cool area – then your flower should last a year without going bad, and it can last even longer in the fridge if sealed correctly.

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