• Cannabis Discussion Welcome Guest
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules

Dispensary-Purchased Weed With Expiration Date?

Yeetdruggie

Bluelighter
Joined
May 30, 2019
Messages
125
My partner bought some flower from a dispensary earlier and the package had a “use by” date that stated it expired the day he bought it. When weed packages/containers have use by dates, are they just used as a means to get stuff off the shelf by a certain date or does it mean the weed has been held onto for a long period of time? My guess was that they put those on the packages to keep track of when the packages were made/filled. Then again they could have just used sharpie to mark the date of packaging instead of a “use by” sticker.
 
There has been some suggestion that Health Canada implement not only a ‘packaged on’ date, but an expiration date as well, simply because consumers are tired of purchasing dry, odorless weed. Is it going to make the supply chain any better - well, it puts the impetus for it to improve. If I were able to check an expiration date on the package prior to purchase I definitely would not have bought a lot of what I did.

It also provides incentive to improve packaging and thus extend expiration date. Expired, unsold Cannabis would be absorbed back into the corporate monster and processed into concentrate of some sorts.

Bottom line; the more information a consumer has, the better.

Tom
 
Last edited:
Cannabis can last a long time if stored properly. I've personally stored it more than a year without losing potency and flavor. The date is probably just a fill date as you suggested.
When I was into drugs, I would store weed for multiple years without loss of potency or flavor. Use a canning jar that has a lid that seals. Some people will put it in bags in the freezer. I never did this.
 
I use a PVC pipe with the cap screwed on tight in the freezer. I have had stuff that was around a really long time and rejuvenated just fine when it thawed out. I put a clip in the back of the freezer up high and people never notice it up there. It just looks like part of the freezer.
 
I never seen or heard of that before, I have seen harvest/packed on dates, but never use by/expiration dates. They more than likely did that so they know to sell it before it gets too dry and so it is not sitting on the shelf for 6 months getting banged around, it also could have been freshly picked a couple days prior and they were worried about leaving it sit too long unopened because mold could develop. Properly stored it could last well over a year, though.
 
Did you get it from somewhere that you pay tax at? If not you're ingesting pesticides, heavy metals, and other known carcinogens/dangerous chemicals. Do not buy from the black market, assuming cannabis is at least medically legal where you live.

As far as the date goes, legal manufacturers are required to put the packaged on or manufactured on date on the packaging somewhere, usually where the rest of the test results are labeled. A batch number is sometimes included as well from reputable growers or companies.

^^^^ freezing bud is just wrong IMO. Don't buy so much that you need to freeze it. You can't sit here and tell me that the moisture that goes in and eventually comes back out of the plant, does nothing to impact its potency or flavor. Not to mention, hello mold come on in!

Store it somewhere where no light hits it and room temperature is just fine. Vacuum seal it if you wanna go all the way. Even then, after year(s) time any weed will go somewhat dry if not crumble to the touch.
 
For me, buying as I use it is not an option. My guy is 150 miles away and I am not up there that often so I buy in bulk. It is also a whole lot cheaper that way. I have tried different storage methods over the last 45 years and freezing in a sealed container seems to work best.
 
I'm sure it's still great to smoke. These days, they even put expiration or best before dates on salt and honey.
 
Yea I’m a 3rd generation grower. My family grew up in the swamps of SE USA growing cannabis. People don’t know this but some of the old moonshiners went green, those are my people.

My dad used to talk about how they’d store cannabis in mason jars in the ground and could store that way for 5-10yrs easily so long as it was cured right and dig deep enough.

Although he does have a story of a time they buried some that wasn’t fully sealed or cured and it came out black as hell moldy n shit. They decided to smoke it and to this day he still talks about how high he got from that lol. (That and Columbian gold being like no weed we have today, but that’s for another story.)

As for storing, freezer isn’t ideal because it freezes and breaks off lots of the trichromes. A cool but not super cold temp, in the dark is ideal. A dark cabinet set to 50F would be ideal. Then have the cannabis inside of mason jars, assuming it’s akrrady properly cured. Don’t store multiple strains in the same jar as terpene profiles will meld together.

-GC
 
Assuming that weed has been properly cured, is it okay to vacuum seal it in those food saver bags/vacuum sealer?

That is how the black market weed I buy is packaged; but is something I would consider for storage if I switch my prescription over to cultivation.But I really don’t know?

Tom
 
I don't see anything wrong with using a vacuum sealed bag. I know a couple people who use them and their weed is fine. I've considered getting vacuum self sealing jars but never invested the money into one.
 
Assuming that weed has been properly cured, is it okay to vacuum seal it in those food saver bags/vacuum sealer?

That is how the black market weed I buy is packaged; but is something I would consider for storage if I switch my prescription over to cultivation.But I really don’t know?

Tom

It’s not ideal but it works, again though only if cured properly... Especially with vacuum sealing cuz they’re is no burping once it’s sealed it’s sealed til getting opened up on the other end.

I don’t like vacuum sealing cuz it messes with the integrity of the buds, squishing them and breaking trichs. But that said I’ve had good bud come like that too.

If you gotta do it for any number of reasons that involve safety, definitely go for it.

-GC
 
It’s not ideal but it works, again though only if cured properly... Especially with vacuum sealing cuz they’re is no burping once it’s sealed it’s sealed til getting opened up on the other end.

I don’t like vacuum sealing cuz it messes with the integrity of the buds, squishing them and breaking trichs. But that said I’ve had good bud come like that too.

If you gotta do it for any number of reasons that involve safety, definitely go for it.

-GC

No, no reasons I have to do this; I’m just trying to think of all the things possible in advance of cultivating/harvesting. Is putting a humidity control pack inside of weed to be vacuum sealed a good/bad idea? I don’t want things to get as chaotic and all over the place like when I grew mushrooms.

Was also thinking of vacuum sealing because it’s legal to gift up to 30g to another adult even using Canada Post..
😳 I’m only at the stage of clearing/cleaning out what will be the grow room.

Tom
 
That’s a good question, I’ve seen bud stored in a humidor in a similar fashion so I could see it working for a sealed bag too.. Never tried it personally.

Also try to vacuum seal it lightly if possible, like don’t suck it dry leave a little breathing room.

God damn Canada’s laws are awesome, and I thought I had it good.

-GC
 
Yeah Canada is great. I'm going there on holiday this year so of course I looked up the weed laws. I was amazed when I saw you can legally buy and carry an ounce no problem. Can't wait to try that straight out the dispensary shit.

As for storage, I just keep it in the baggie then put the baggie in a smell-proof jar. It doesn't seem to lose any potency that I can tell.
 
Yeah Canada is great. I'm going there on holiday this year so of course I looked up the weed laws. I was amazed when I saw you can legally buy and carry an ounce no problem. Can't wait to try that straight out the dispensary shit.

As for storage, I just keep it in the baggie then put the baggie in a smell-proof jar. It doesn't seem to lose any potency that I can tell.

Be aware if you are goi g to be in Manitoba, our provincial government passed a law that Cannabis carried in public HAS to be in the purchased container, otherwise $672 fine. And no smoking in public > same fine. Elsewhere in Canada baggies are okay. And you can fly on flights within Canada w/up to 30g weed. I’m going to BC for Curling and am mailing myself weed as well as carrying on the plane.

Tom
 
Be aware if you are goi g to be in Manitoba, our provincial government passed a law that Cannabis carried in public HAS to be in the purchased container, otherwise $672 fine. And no smoking in public > same fine. Elsewhere in Canada baggies are okay. And you can fly on flights within Canada w/up to 30g weed. I’m going to BC for Curling and am mailing myself weed as well as carrying on the plane.

Tom

I'll be in BC and Alberta. But yeah I was warned about the packaging thing. How strict are they on public smoking? Can't really hotbox the hotel.
 
I'll be in BC and Alberta. But yeah I was warned about the packaging thing. How strict are they on public smoking? Can't really hotbox the hotel.

Can’t tell you about BC or Alberta. Here in Manitoba > very strict unless you have a medical prescription. It *might* be the same in BC/Alta but I honestly don’t know if they would recognize a non Canadian prescription. Best thing (opinion only) is to pick up a legal distillate vape.

Tom
 
Top