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Do Pre-Rolled Joints Go Bad?
Pre-rolled joints are one of the easiest ways to enjoy cannabis, offering an instant smoking session whenever you're in the mood. However, it's important to realise that pre-rolls have a finite shelf life. Discover what you can do to keep them fresh, potent, and flavourful.
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They’re one of the most efficient means to get baked, but do pre-rolled joints go bad? Continue reading to find out how long pre-rolls are good for, what reduces their shelf life, and how to keep them fresh for as long as possible.
Do Pre-Rolled Joints Go Bad?
Pre-rolled joints are among the most convenient ways to consume cannabis. Rather than scrambling to piece together a perfectly tapered cone in any given situation, you can instead pull one directly out of your stash jar and skip straight to the smoking. If pre-rolls are one of your preferred means of keeping things herbal, continue reading to find out how to keep them fresher for longer.
Have you ever wondered: do pre-rolls expire? Well, they certainly do. Even the most perfectly rolled joint containing properly processed flowers will degrade in quality eventually. However, several factors can ensure a longer shelf life. Whether you craft your own pre-rolled joints or purchase them from local dispensaries, it’s important to understand the factors that speed up their degradation, and what you can do to make your pre-rolls last as long as possible.
What Causes Pre-Rolled Joints to Go Bad?
So, what causes pre-rolled joints to go bad in the first place? Several factors are responsible for shortening their expiration date, including microbial infections during growing, poor processing, and bad storage. Check out the primary reasons below.
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Microbes Can Infect Pre-Rolled Joints
Microbes are all around us. Their tiny size makes them invisible to the naked eye, but take a peek through a microscope lens and you’ll see what we mean! Now, not every microbe poses a threat to pre-rolled joints. In fact, some of these miniature critters help cannabis plants to thrive. However, several pathogenic species of fungi and bacteria literally rot away cannabis flowers. That said, proper quality control efforts both at home and in commercial facilities should terminate infected plants well before their buds reach the processing stage.
However, should these flowers become host to any of these microbes, they can cause your pre-rolled joints to decompose extremely quickly. Not to mention, smoking these joints can cause health risks. At home, frequent inspections can help you to avoid using moldy buds in your pre-rolls. When purchasing from commercial outlets, you have less control over the quality of the flowers; however, the standard should be high, reducing the odds of moldy or otherwise compensated buds.
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Poor Drying & Curing Practices
Sure, raising a healthy cannabis plant from seed to harvest is an impressive feat. But proper drying and curing are arguably the most important stages of the growing cycle. Go wrong here, and you run the risk of ruining all of your hard work up to this point. Both drying and curing help to remove the moisture within cannabis buds, helping them to last longer and improving their flavor and smoothness.
When growers rush or improperly carry out this process, buds end up containing excess moisture. When rolled into joints, they’ll be difficult to smoke, degrade much quicker, taste harsh, and attract mold.
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Exposure to Air Can Damage Pre-Rolled Joints
Even perfectly dried and cured weed will degrade faster when stored incorrectly. Leaving your pre-rolled joints in the open air will expose their precious constituents—namely cannabinoids and terpenes—to oxygen. Through the process of oxidation, compounds such as THC, CBD, and aromatic terpenes will degrade. Not only will this reduce the potency of your pre-rolled joint, but it also negatively impacts the taste.
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Light Can Degrade Pre-Rolled Joints
Much like air, light also has the potential to quickly degrade the plant material within pre-rolled joints. Of all the different types of light, sunlight degrades cannabinoids and terpenes the quickest. Rather than turning THC into cannabinoid byproducts such as CBN, UV rays break cannabinoid molecules down into small, unstable compounds. Therefore, leaving your pre-rolled joints out in the open, especially exposed to sunlight, will cause them to rapidly break down and make them expire sooner.
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Even Perfectly Stored Pre-Rolled Joints Will Degrade Eventually
How long does a pre-roll last? Much longer if you’re using properly processed and stored flowers! However, even perfectly crafted pre-rolls will expire eventually. Even if you pull out all of the stops, you should still aim to consume your pre-rolled joints within six months. Under good storage conditions, pre-rolls have the potential to last up to around one year. However, expect a loss in both flavor and potency if you wait this long to smoke them.
How to Properly Store Pre-Rolled Joints
You’re now aware that pre-rolled joints do expire. With that fact in mind, there are several ways that you can counter the variables listed above in order to extend the shelf life of your pre-rolled cannabis joints. Choose the right storage location, shield your pre-rolls from light and air, and control humidity, and you’ll increase their shelf life considerably. By the time you reach the end of the page, you’ll know everything you need to keep them crisp and fresh.
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Prepare Your Joints Correctly
You can prevent so many errors by simply getting things right in the beginning, from preparing a high-quality soil mix to caring for your seedlings correctly. The same principle applies when making pre-rolled joints. If you buy your pre-rolls from elsewhere, do research to make sure you’re choosing the right supplier. Look for positive reviews and try a few samples before committing to a bulk buy. If you make your own pre-rolls, use the advice below to keep them in tip-top condition for as long as possible.
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Stash Pre-Rolled Joints in a Cool & Dark Place
Light and excess heat take a serious toll on the chemical content of joints. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to select a storage location that minimises both of these variables. Choose a cool and dark environment that maintains a steady temperature, such as a drawer or cupboard in the coolest room of your house. Avoid storage units in your kitchen, where frequent temperature fluctuations occur during cooking. Keep in mind that some rooms and cupboards are also prone to gathering moisture and becoming a hotbed for mold.
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Use Airtight Containers
Once you’ve selected the perfect cool and dry spot, you’re going to need a storage container with an airtight seal. Mason jars and Tupperware are simple and effective airtight containers that will slow the oxidation process. If you plan on storing your pre-rolled joints for quite some time, consider investing in a vacuum sealer to completely remove any contact with oxygen for long periods of time. This will keep your terpenes and cannabinoids safely out of reach of oxidation.
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Leverage Humidity Control Packs
Moisture Fighters, a type of humidity control pack designed to preserve cannabis flowers, are an excellent option when storing pre-rolled joints for lengthy periods of time. Designed to extend the shelf life of buds and joints, this product features a two-way system to regulate moisture. On the one hand, they pull in moisture from the environment, keeping your cannabis from getting too damp (and therefore helping to prevent mold). On the other hand, they don’t suck excess moisture out of the air, which would make joints too dry and destroy their quality. Available in relative humidity levels of 58% and 62%, simply place Moisture Fighters in your airtight container of choice and you’re good to go.
Can You Save a Partially Smoked Pre-Rolled Joint?
Good news: you absolutely can! Whether you got way too ambitious during the rolling process, or something cropped up mid-smoke, rest assured that you can put a partially smoked joint to the side and resume enjoying it later down the line. First of all, make sure you properly extinguish your joint to prevent the risk of a fire. Next, select one of many different short-term storage options to both conceal the smell and optimise freshness. Saverettes, weed jars, bamboo trays, and old cigar tubes make the perfect temporary home.
Pre-Rolled Joints: Keep Them Fresher for Longer
How long does a pre-rolled joint last? You won’t have to ask this question again! You’re now entirely clued up about how long pre-rolled joints can last, and what factors impact their shelf life. On top of this, you’re equipped with a handful of effective strategies to optimise their freshness for as long as possible. Go forth and enjoy prime flavor and potency every time you fire up a pre-roll!
Promoting Responsible Cannabis UseRQS emphasizes the importance of responsible cannabis consumption.
While many individuals use cannabis frequently without complications, some may be susceptible to developing adverse behaviours. We believe the herb should enhance one’s life, not hinder it.
Responsible use involves limiting consumption to adults only, refusing to operate cars or machinery while under the influence, and making an effort to resist abuse.
Stay Cultivated.
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