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In 2024, experts estimate that the cannabis market will reach almost $40bn. Of that massive market, cannabis edibles are the third and fourth highest-selling marijuana medium. They make up 11% of all marijuana sales.
To say edibles are popular is an understatement.
It’s also easy to see why. Cannabis edibles are healthier than smoking and vaping. You can bake your cannabis into a delicious treat and enjoy it on the go. There’s also the benefit of small, slow-release doses perfect for beginners.
However, there is one big question surrounding this popular treat: do edibles expire?
Edible shelf life can be tricky to figure out and there are a lot of factors to consider. But we’re here to help. Let’s look at edibles, their shelf life, and everything else you need to know to stay safe and enjoy your edibles for longer.
Edibles are cannabis-infused products, like food and drinks, that contain THC or CBD. By eating edibles, you can get high and enjoy the benefits of cannabis, similar to smoking or vaping.
There are various types of edibles, including:
The options are endless as people continue to create new delicious choices every year.
It’s important to note that different edibles have different shelf lives. For instance, brownies go bad quickly, while hard candies last longer. There is no specific expiration timeline for edibles since it varies based on the ingredients used.
For that reason, we have to consider each type of edible. That’s the only way to figure out how long it takes for them to expire.
To begin, let’s look at two of the most popular edibles, CBD and THC gummies.
CBD gummies are gummies infused with cannabidiol, the non-psychoactive ingredient in cannabis plants. Unlike THC, CBD doesn’t make you high. But you still get many of the benefits of cannabis. These include pain management, lower inflammation, anti-anxiety properties, etc.
Luckily, CBD gummies last up to six months if stored properly. The exact time frame depends on your dispensary and production lengths. Just examine your gummy container. It should note the expiration date.
THC gummies contain tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive compound in cannabis that gets you high. The active THC compound doesn’t affect the shelf life. Like CBD gummies, THC gummies can last up to six months with proper storage. The gummy container will tell you exactly when the gummies expire.
Determining the end dates gets trickier when we move away from gummies. It’s especially tricky when we look at home-cooked items like baked goods and candies.
Baked goods are a popular medium for cannabis infusions. All you need to do is make cannabis butter or oil like cannabis-infused coconut oil and add it to your cooking for a nice cannabis infusion.
Unlike gummies, baked edibles expire pretty quickly because the ingredients used to make the baked treats are perishable. Expect baked edibles made with milk, eggs, etc, to expire in three to five days.
Good news! Candies tend to last much longer than most edible products. However, the shelf life depends on the type of candy you’ve made or purchased.
Soft candies, like milk chocolate and peanut butter cups, expire after six to nine months. How you store them has a big effect on their potency and expiration date.
Jelly beans and other hard candies are hardier and expire after about a year. Even then, you don’t have to worry about them being completely ‘off’ but the potency might change.
Hard chocolates, like dark chocolate, can last up to two years. Again, providing storage and preservation is optimal–especially if wrapped in foil.
As we’ve established, edible expiration dates can vary from edible to edible. Here are all the factors that influence that expiration date.
The ingredients used to make the edible will have the biggest impact on the expiry date.
Edibles made from perishable items like milk and eggs expire in the first week. The only exception of milk products is chocolate, which has been tempered and has low water activity, keeping it fresh for longer. Lower water activity means less free water for microbial growth or chemical reactions.
Hard candies and gummies, which are made from gelatin, starch, etc., don’t expire quickly like fresh produce.
If you’re not sure how long your edibles will last, examine the ingredients list and determine how long they will last, just like you would any other foodstuff.
Edibles, especially ones made from perishable produce, are affected by temperature. The hotter it is, the quicker the edible will expire. The opposite is also true–the colder, the longer it’ll stay fresh.
Again, consider the edible ingredients to determine if you should keep them cold. For example, brownies and cookies, which both contain milk and eggs, last longer when kept cold.
High humidity, which means there’s a lot of water vapor in the air, can increase the rate of development of mold and bacteria directly affecting how long the product lasts. The higher the humidity, the higher the bacteria and mold growth, and the faster products decay and spoil.
Light exposure, specifically sunlight exposure, increases the temperature and humidity. It’s especially challenging if your foodstuff is in clear, plastic containers that trap condensation and increase the moisture content in the edibles. The more water activity there is, the faster the items spoil.
As mentioned above, packaging can affect the water activity and heat of edibles. Clear packaging that absorbs and traps heat, like clear plastic containers or bags, is the biggest culprit. Darker containers with good heat conductivity are a much better option.
Here’s how to tell if your edibles have expired.
First, if you bought gummies, candies, or any other store-bought product, check the expiry date. If it’s past the expiration date, give the edibles a skip.
For items without expiry dates, like brownies you made at home, look for physical signs like the ones in the next step.
Physical signs that an edible has expired can vary. Keep an eye out for these signs:
Even if the edible itself doesn’t expire, the THC in the edible might lose its potency. When cannabis is infused with edibles, it, unfortunately, starts a time on the potency because the cannabis has been decarbed and directly exposed to the environment.
If you took an edible, waited long enough for the edible to kick in, and felt nothing, your edibles have likely expired.
Trust your senses. Our bodies are good at picking up smell, taste, and texture changes in food. So, if you notice something different about your edibles but can’t put your finger on the issue, trust your gut and make another fresh batch.
Fortunately, there are tried-and-true methods for keeping your edibles fresh for longer.
Edibles are one of the most popular ways to consume cannabis. They come in a variety of mediums, like gummies, cookies, and candies, and even more flavors.
Because there are so many types, figuring out when they expire can be a little difficult.
Use this article to learn how individual ingredients, expiration dates, humidity, and packaging affect your edibles’ expiration date, and how you can keep your edibles fresh for longer.
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