THC Cartridge Shelf Life?

[Lysergaman]

How long do THC cartridges last before the THC starts to degrade into CBN? I’m assuming it varies with the potency and storage methods, but I was wondering if anyone had an estimate for cartridges kept in the dark at room temperature. I’d appreciate any info

 

[Thomas Davie]

For cartridges that are sealed hermetically, kept in the dark and at or lower than room temperature - they would last indefinitely providing stable storage conditions.

Tom

 

[Mafioso]

Lots of variables. Not all distillate is created equally, as some of the more skilled/careful distillers can remove certain compounds that speed up oxidation. The good ones claim somewhere around 6-12months shelf life with no(or negligible) color change or degradation, if stored in the proper conditions(dark and cold). . Also, I'd guess live resin carts or other less refined oil carts will degrade much quicker.

Put it in a cartridge that has a vent for airflow, add terpenes and possibly some cutting agent(not uncommon industry practice both legal and illegal markets), then send it through distribution and retail, which IME takes at least 1-2 months, and it might be 2-6 month+ old product by the time you are purchasing your "brand new" cart. So more than likely, a percentage has already degraded.

But in practical terms, you can keep a cart in your frig or freezer in a sealed bag for 6-12 months without a whole lot of degradation, atleast that is noticeable. I've never tested it. You will likely have problems with separation in the freezer, possibly fridge, if a cutting agent is used and it's stored for a long period of time.

 

[Cream Gravy?]

I got a legit legal cart the other month and it had a manufacturing plus an expiration date. It was one year apart.

I'd agree that a year is about all you'd get. I've had wax degrade heavily in decent conditions. No reason to think carts are any different.

 

[DrumTripper]

I found some tended to separate over long storage (even just a couple months) into visually different components.
That started to weird me out.
Been off carts for a year now, feeling healthy again.
Seriously, not to be alarmist, but some of those things have nasty lead and other bits you don’t want to repeatedly be heating up.

 

[Mafioso]

'd agree that a year is about all you'd get. I've had wax degrade heavily in decent conditions. No reason to think carts are any different.

There actually is, assuming it is uncut properly refined distillate, which will be removed of waxes/fats/lipids, pigments/dyes, and a lot of other compounds that degrade over time. Adding terpenes(as even legit carts do) will probably increase degradation over time compared to pure, highly refined 95%+ THC. But fats and lipids degrade the fastest, I believe, which is part of why wax will sugar up over time.

 

[Lysergaman]

There actually is, assuming it is uncut properly refined distillate, which will be removed of waxes/fats/lipids, pigments/dyes, and a lot of other compounds that degrade over time. Adding terpenes(as even legit carts do) will probably increase degradation over time compared to pure, highly refined 95%+ THC. But fats and lipids degrade the fastest, I believe, which is part of why wax will sugar up over time.

So you’re saying carts store better than wax typically does? I’ve got the cartridges stored in an airtight bag in a cool closet. Would those be good conditions for proper storage? There’s a lot of contradictory information out there, so I’m still trying to figure all this out

 

[Mafioso]

yes, the fats/lipids/waxes/dyes/pigments/compounds(even terpenes) will degrade themselves, speeding up the process of the degradation of the thc. I believe this happens through oxygen molecules being released as the other compounds in the mix break down and possibly create new oxidative compounds, allowing for the oxidation of THC even in an airtight container. The chemistry is probably a bit more complicated than that, so someone correct me if I'm mistaken.

Air tight and below 65F in the dark should be enough to preserve the bulk for a fair amount of time. Not sure how long exactly, but probably close to a year without significant change. Might get a slight oxidation ring at the top which usually goes away/blends in once used, kinda weird.

As far as THC goes, the colder the better. Air tight and in the dark should be a given.

 

[Lysergaman]

yes, the fats/lipids/waxes/dyes/pigments/compounds(even terpenes) will degrade themselves, speeding up the process of the degradation of the thc. I believe this happens through oxygen molecules being released as the other compounds in the mix break down and possibly create new oxidative compounds, allowing for the oxidation of THC even in an airtight container. The chemistry is probably a bit more complicated than that, so someone correct me if I'm mistaken.

Air tight and below 65F in the dark should be enough to preserve the bulk for a fair amount of time. Not sure how long exactly, but probably close to a year without significant change. Might get a slight oxidation ring at the top which usually goes away/blends in once used, kinda weird.

As far as THC goes, the colder the better. Air tight and in the dark should be a given.

Thanks, good to know! Should I put the airtight bag in the fridge? One user said that oil in the cartridge may separate or something from refrigeration. Has anyone had that problem?