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Like all products based on natural extracts, CBD products gradually lose their properties. Properly stored, however, they can retain their qualities for several months, even years.
Here our tips for storing your CBD products and hemp extracts for as long as possible.
What affects the quality of CBD products?
To know how to store CBD products, you must first realize that the active ingredients in this type of product are particularly fragile:
- Cannabinoids (CBD, CBN, CBG, etc.) oxidize very easily due to their polyphenolic nature;
- Terpenes (myrcene, caryophyllene, etc.) are particularly volatile. are particularly volatile.
In short, if you don't take certain precautions, you'll end up with CBD oil, flowers or resin that has no effect and/or whose taste is altered. effects and/or taste.. And that's a shame, because preserving CBD products is, in fact, not at all complicated.
In fact, to prevent a molecule from degrading, oxidizing or evaporating, it simply needs to be protected from certain environmental factorsx such as temperature, exposure to light and ambient air.
In general, natural extracts prefer to be stored in a cool, dry place, protected from light. And CBD products are no exception!
In fact, a study [1] conducted on different storage conditions for cannabis extract-based products showed that cannabinoid degradation is accelerated when they are exposed to :
- At temperatures above 37°C ;
- UV light ;
- Humidity ;
- And ambient air (oxygen).
The study in question concludes that the best way to preserve CBD products is to freezing. However, this may not be very practical if you want to enjoy the effects of CBD on a daily basis!
How to store CBD oil, flowers and resin?
As you can see, to store your CBD products for as long as possible, all you need to do is keep them cool, dry and away from light. However, here are a few practical storage tips for each type of CBD product.
Preserving CBD flowers
For practical reasons (and also out of habit), most CBD flowers are packaged in a plastic bag. a plastic bag. But this is not ideal if you want to store your flowers in the best possible conditions.
In fact, the bags are never never 100% hermetic. What's more, the static electricity generated by contact with the plastic damages the trichomes, not to mention the fact that most pouches are transparent. Admittedly, the damage is minimal, but while you're at it, you might as well transfer your little (or big!) buds into a jarIf you can't, place the jar in a dark place.
If you've bought CBD flowers that are a little too dry for your taste, then you can orange peel, banana peel or lettuce (so as not to spoil the taste of your flowers). (so as not to alter the taste of your flowers) to the jar. And if, on the contrary, the ripening stage seems to have been a little too quick, let the flowers air-dry first (away from light) before storing them in a jar.
With regard to storage temperature, room temperature (around 20°C) seems sufficient if you consume your CBD flowers within a few days or even weeks. On the other hand, if you want to keep them for longer, make a place for them in the fridge (only if you've placed them in a jar). Avoid storing your flowers in the freezer, however, as the trichomes may break and/or detach from the buds.
Preserving CBD resin
To store CBD resin, same struggle: use a jarpreferably in tinted glass, and store it at room temperature, or even in the fridge (or even in the freezer if you want to keep it for a very long time).
If you store your CBD resin in the refrigerator, wait until your resin acclimatize to room temperature before using it. This is because hashish is much better (and easier to crumble) when slightly warm.
How to store CBD oil
Most CBD oils are sold in a glass bottle, which is ideal, but it's rarely tinted. If the bottle comes with cardboard packaging, simply keep it as is, in its packaging. If not, store it in a drawer or box.
As for temperature, hemp oil, unlike olive oil, does not set at low temperatures. This means you can store it in your refrigerator without any problem.
Warning: some CBD oils oils crystallize (small transparent crystals form). This does not mean that your oil has expired, or that it has been stored in a cool place. Cannabinoids do crystallize over time. But this only applies to highly concentrated oils.
How do you preserve the quality of your CBD concentrates (isolate, distillate, wax, etc.)?
Hemp extract concentrates such as isolate, distillate or wax follow the same golden rule as other CBD products: they should be stored in a cool, dry place, away from light and ambient air.
However, this type of CBD product is not very special and requires extra caution.
In the case of highly concentrated products, it is generally necessary to remove a small quantity of product. And here, beware of the (very real) risk of contamination ! Whichever utensil you use to take a small amount of isolate or wax, make sure it is perfectly disinfected.
How long can you keep a CBD product?
The time it takes to consume a CBD product varies, depending on whether it's a raw product like flowers (several weeks, or even a few months), a processed product like resin and oil (several months), or a refined product like concentrates (several years).
In all cases, the expiration date should appear on the product packaging. Please note that this is a best-before date, which means that you can consume the product past this date without risking intoxication, but that its properties and taste may be altered.
How can you tell if a CBD product has expired?
Generally speaking, an expired CBD product has lost its smell and taste because the terpenes have evaporated. And if the terpenes have vanished, then there's a good chance that the cannabinoids are oxidized or degraded.
In all cases, except in the case of mold, the consumption of a CBD product is not dangerous. product is not dangerous and should not cause any serious adverse effects. Old flowers may give you a slight cough, oil that has been stored a little too long will simply have an unpleasant pungent taste, and expired resin will simply be difficult to crumble and hard to smoke.
If, despite our storage tips, you notice that your CBD products are rapidly losing their taste and effects, then the product in question may simply be poor quality. Indeed, the very composition of the product may induce premature degradation of the cannabinoids.
