Is marijuana losing its power?

As certified medical marijuana doctors, we are often asked, “Is marijuana losing its effectiveness?” Over time, cannabinoids are broken down and marijuana loses its effectiveness, reducing both its psychoactive and therapeutic effects. Patients must carefully ensure that their cannabis is properly stored and used within the recommended time frame. The key is understanding As to store it properly and how quickly to use it.

Why is marijuana losing its power?

Not only does marijuana magically get you up and help you feel less anxious. The effects are the result of compounds called cannabinoids. Cannabis contains more than 100 cannabinoids in total, including the well-known THC and CBD, as well as lesser-known compounds like CBG and CBN.

Most of the cannabinoids are found in the trichomes, the thin and sticky growths that surround the plant. Because the trichomes cover the outside of your cannabis, your cannabinoids are constantly exposed to air, light, and other environmental factors. This can be bad news as cannabinoids are extremely vulnerable to heat, oxygen, UV light, and excess moisture.

Even in the best of conditions, your cannabinoids are constantly under attack from external factors. Even if you can find a humidity-controlled room and keep your cannabis away from sunlight, CFL lights, and LED lights (all of which give off UV light), the air you breathe is still a problem for your stored cannabis. With the Over time, the cannabinoids break down, become less effective and finally break off completely.

They can slow down the breakdown process with proper storage, but even the best protected cannabis will eventually lose its effectiveness.

How long does marijuana stay strong?

Under normal conditions, your cannabis should maintain most or all of its effectiveness for 6 months to a year. This means that you do your best to keep your cannabis in a relatively dark area at room temperature. If you go beyond that, e.g. B. By investing in a quality, temperature-controlled cannabis storage container, you can potentially maintain most of your potency for two years or more.

Research from the University of Mississippi has shown that under normal circumstances:

Marijuana loses about 16.6% of its THC after a year.
Marijuana loses about 26.8% of its THC after two years.
Marijuana loses about 34.5% of its THC after three years.
Marijuana loses about 41.4% of its THC after four years.

While these numbers may seem low, keep in mind that even a 20% reduction in potency can have a significant impact on the psychoactive and therapeutic effects of marijuana.

Does marijuana expire?

Marijuana doesn’t work in the traditional sense. If you’re using two year old marijuana, you are unlikely to get sick. You just won’t be able to enjoy it that much. Degraded marijuana won’t get you as high or have the same therapeutic effects. Dehydrated marijuana can burn your throat and leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Old or degraded marijuana should only harm your health if mold has grown on the surface. If you spot a flaky, powdery, white substance growing on the plant, or if the marijuana smells musty, remove it immediately. Inhaling mold can cause serious shortness of breath and even endanger the lives of people with a mold allergy or immunity compromised. Learn how to identify and prevent mold on medical marijuana.

How To Know If Marijuana Is Fresh

When buying marijuana from a licensed pharmacy, you will often see a date on the packaging. For example, states like Arizona require one Harvest date To be published while states like California require a “Manufacture Date”. If you don’t see this date, you can ask your budtender for more information about the harvest. You always want to know when your cannabis was harvested.

With that in mind, it is very important to avoid buying marijuana off the street. If you can’t trace the exact origin of your product, you don’t know when it was harvested, whether it’s effective or even safe.

Eleven states and the District of Columbia have already legalized marijuana for recreational use. In addition, 33 states have an active medical marijuana program. So if you have a qualifying medical condition, you may be able to obtain legal medical cannabis in your state.

With Green Health Docs, it’s easy to get your doctor’s recommendation. If we can’t certify you, you will get your money back. You may even be able to get your medical marijuana card online, depending on where you live. If you would like to make an appointment, call us at 1-877-242-0362 or use our website.

How to keep your marijuana fresh longer

To keep your marijuana working for as long as possible, there are four factors you need to control: heat, light, humidity, and air.

Heat: The ideal temperature for marijuana is 21 degrees Celsius. It’s okay to keep it a little cooler or warmer, but you don’t want your cannabis to stay excessively cold or hot. If you can’t keep it at exactly 70 degrees, it’s better to get a little cooler than a little warmer.
Light: Always keep your cannabis away from direct sunlight and artificial light. Although traditional lightbulbs and sunlight give off limited UV radiation, this is more than enough to negatively affect the cannabinoids and terpenes stored in these trichomes.
Humidity: Marijuana needs a certain amount of moisture to maintain its consistency, but too much moisture can lead to mold growth, microbial contamination, and premature deterioration. Always keep your cannabis in an environment with no more than 65% relative humidity.
Air: Obviously, you won’t be keeping all traces of oxygen out of your cannabis, but you should be careful with environments with excessive air circulation. Pharmacies usually store cannabis in airtight containers because they keep it fresh. You should consider doing the same at home.

For best results, you should store your cannabis in an airtight container and in a cool, dark place. You can also invest in a cannabis humidor or other container. This will help you maintain maximum potency for much longer.

When is it time to replace old cannabis?

As long as your cannabis still has most of its potency, it should be safe and pleasant to consume. However, consider discarding and replacing your marijuana if: