In common with the majority of organic products, CBD has a limited shelf life. It is generally between one and two years but every CBD product will come clearly marked with an expiry date. You should observe this not because it's dangerous to use a product that has exceeded its expiry date but because its effectiveness will have been reduced - often significantly - by natural deterioration or a number of environmental factors. You'll probably notice a change in odour, a darkening of colour or simply the fact that it doesn't work as well as it used to. Even if you don't see any of these changes the effectiveness of the product may still have been compromised.
CBD products are not cheap so it's unwise to treat them casually or think of them as disposable. Ideally, you will purchase products as you need them so as to ensure they are always fresh, but often this is impractical and the only sensible course is to buy in bulk. If you decide to do this then you need to pay attention to two issues. The first is the expiry date marked on the packaging, and the second is how you store your products.
The shelf life as stated on the product has been calculated on the assumption that you will store it in the appropriate conditions. Anything that can adversely affect it such as excessive heat or sunlight will shorten this life, so it is very important to understand the basics of correct storage.
How to Ensure Good CBD Storage
As we have mentioned, exposure to extreme heat and strong direct sunlight can actually break down CBD oils and the CBD component of other products, thus causing its quality to degrade. In extreme cases, it can cause them to lose their cannabinoid content completely. This is the simple reason why CBD products come in bottles made of dark glass. Hot and bright is bad, cool and dark is good. To be specific, you should always store CBD products below 23 degrees and never leave them in your car which even on cold days can heat up beyond this.
Refrigeration might seem a good solution and it certainly will eliminate the risks of both heat and light. However, if you're storing CBD oil, remember that one effect of extreme cold is to thicken it, making it potentially harder to use. If this should occur you can reverse the effect by standing the bottle in a bowl of warm water or simply letting it sit at room temperature for as long as necessary.
Unless oil is nearing its expiry date or you live in a particularly hot or humid climate, there is little to be gained by putting it in the fridge. CBD edibles, on the other hand, can be safely frozen without risk of deterioration.
Moisture can also damage CBD products, so it's unwise to store them in the bathroom or in a part of the kitchen that is near to taps or sources of steam.
Even air can harm the chemical balance of CBD. The process is called oxidative stress and has a similar detrimental effect to heat and light. It is essential to keep products secured in airtight bottles or containers both for protection against the effects of air and also to prevent the chance of leakage. Open your bottles and containers only when necessary and once you have finished using a product, replace the lid and double-check that it is fully tightened.
Wherever possible, you should store your CBD products in the manufacturer's original receptacle as it has been chosen specifically for the purpose. Never decant it into a plastic bottle or container.
CBD Products with Shorter Shelf Lives
CBD cooking oil and CBD butter have much shorter lives than many other products so will benefit from being refrigerated and butter can even be frozen, which will keep it in good condition for six months.
CBD edibles can also be safely frozen, as we've already mentioned, but you should also pay close attention to their expiry dates because they will be shorter than pure CBD oil. This is because any ingredients in addition to the CBD component will have their own limited life which is likely to be shorter than that of CBD. As soon as they are added to the edible, they reduce its shelf life to their own, so your CBD edibles will last only as long as the fastest perishing ingredient.
How is the Expiry Date Determined?
One of the major factors is the method of extraction used in its production. CO2 extraction is generally accepted as the best method as it preserves the integrity and stability of the plant. This means its chemical compounds take longer to break down.
Solvent extraction involves the addition of a substance like butane to separate the oil from the plant, but the introduction of the solvent can create harmful by-products, the resultant product is of inferior quality and it won't last as long as CO2 extracted products.
Steam extraction is a much more natural method that causes the cell walls of the plant to break down and release the oil. Products created using this method are generally stable and will keep better than those using solvents.
Another factor is the presence of a flavouring because any additive will have its own shelf life, which, if shorter than that of the CBD element, will hasten the expiry of the whole product.
Finally, it's not uncommon for CBD oil to sit on a manufacturer's shelf for months before it is used in a product or sold as it is, which means the clock started counting down long before you bought it.
Common Sense
It may sound as if there is a lot to consider but many of the fundamentals of correct storage come down to common sense. CBD products are not medicines but you should store them as if they are. There's no danger in using a CBD product that has lost its potency but it's a waste of time and money. Cool, dark, dry, airtight and no plastic. Simple rules for good results.