How to Store Hemp Flowers. A Guide for CBD Users
Whether you're buying your first hemp flower or are a seasoned user, it's always good to have a refresher on CBD storage and how you can keep your buds fresh. Many consumers ask, "does CBD expire?" Understanding the conditions that impact the effectiveness of your premium CBD buds can certainly save you money and ensure you have the best experience from your flower.
Does CBD Expire and How to Extend the Shelf Life
Yes! Your CBD-infused products can expire. To extend their usable life, learn how to store hemp flowers properly. You don't want hemp flowers to dry out. The trichomes that coat the buds should remain moist for as long as possible, which ensures freshness. As these areas dry out more, the compounds in the flowers can lose their effectiveness. CBD flowers should be used within a year to keep them fresh and prevent the phytochemicals from breaking down after extended exposure to air, heat, and sunlight. Storage conditions can materially impact your flower’s expiration.
Keep CBD Flowers Fresh
Again, when the flowers come into contact with oxygen, direct sunlight, and heat, they break down faster. Store your CBD buds in an airtight glass container. Unless it's always stored in a cool, dry location, use a tinted jar to reduce sunlight from reducing the CBD and other phytocannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids potency.
Avoid opening and closing the container too much. Every time you open it, you expose it to oxygen more and reduce the effectiveness. Don't store CBD flowers in the freezer or refrigerator. Temperature fluctuations may cause freezing and condensation in the jar.
Moisture in a sealed container leads to mold and mildew growth. It’s dangerous to use hemp flower that has molded. If this situation occurs, it's important to discard all the CBD flower in the jar. Many hemp enthusiasts recommend using a humidity pack to better regulate the humidity in the jar and prevent mold from developing. The two most common humidity packs include the Boveda 2-Way Humidity Control and the Integra Boost.
The best temperature for your CBD flowers and all other hemp products is between 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Avoid storing any hemp products in rooms with humidifiers. These can increase the chances of moisture seeping into the container and causing mold and mildew growth. Another area to avoid storing CBD and cannabinoid-related items is near a heat source. For example, never keep them in the cabinets above your stove or in a room with a fireplace or woodstove. It's best to store the products away from the kitchen, bathroom, basement, and garage. These areas have the most temperature fluctuations and can cause CBD oil and hemp flowers to expire faster.
Choose the Right CBD Storage Containers for Hemp Flower
If you decide to remove your flowers from the CBD storage container the brand provides, only move them to a tinted glass jar. The best color CBD storage container is either dark green or amber. Both of these help prevent your nugs from being exposed to UV light. Not only can sunlight reduce the effectiveness of phytocannabinoids, using plastic bags or containers can cause contamination. The plastic may leach into the flowers, causing you to inhale the particles when smoking or vaping the buds. Additionally, it may cause the different compounds to break down faster.
What About Edibles and other CBD Products?
Most CBD products come in airtight containers. But once you pop that top, the countdown begins on the expiration date. Most CBD oils are good for 12 to 18 months when stored properly. For oils, use the CBD storage containers provided by the brand. These jars are tinted to protect the items inside from the sun. Just as direct UV light can speed up the aging process for hemp flowers, it will break down CBD oil quicker, too.
But, like many things in life, there are exceptions to this rule. Always pay attention to the other ingredients. An oil with natural flavoring might only have a 12-month shelf-life because of the additives with a closer expiration date.
Can You See CBD Oil is Bad by Looking at it?
In some cases, you may smell that something's off with the tincture. If it produces an odor you are not accustomed to or a rancid fragrance, it's a good indication that the oil is bad. Although this is rare, it's better to be safe than sorry.
Another way you can tell if your CBD oil is still good is to look at the color. If it's lighter or darker than the original product, it's most likely spoiled. If it's a pure extract without additives, it might still be safe to use. But it might not be safe with the additional ingredients. To be safe, toss the bottle and purchase a new one.
If you make the edibles yourself, write the date down, so you have a better sense of how long they're good. Store-purchased ingestible CBD products offer expiration date. Depending on the ingredients, you might be able to still use the edible past its prime. However, if it's a milk-based item, we don't recommend taking a chance. Toss the product.
Hemp creams and balms may have an expiration date. But these are generally safe for a full 12-month to 24-month duration. Always check with the other ingredients to verify how long each product is safe to use.
Another way to always have fresh hemp flowers is to buy premium quality buds from Mind Body Hemp. Our flowers are always moist and offer a smooth smoking experience. Choose from top-shelf hemp strains, Hawaiian Haze, Mojito, and White CBG buds to enhance your mood, relieve stress, and help with occasional sleeplessness. Don't forget to stock up on our CBD edibles and tinctures with a 12-18-month shelf-life when stored properly.