Smoke, Vape or Eat: What to Do With Old Weed

Are you wondering what to do with old weed? It might be dry, crispy, or unsmokable, but there are ways to use it before tossing it. 

It might be daunting to discover that stash of aged weed left in the corner of your closet for a long time. Whether you want to smoke, vape, or make food, it’s still possible to make the most of it. 

Let’s explore the signs of old weed and how to turn it into something useful.

Signs of bad old weed

How can you know that your nugs are old? Weed deteriorates, crumbles, and loses color, scent, and potency if you leave it for a long time. Store weed in an airtight receptacle away from excess light and heat to lower the chance of issues.

Moisture or dampness usually cause mold, mildew, and other problems. Avoid marijuana buds with fungus growing on them, as they’re hazardous to consume.

Bad old weed may contain higher amounts of bacteria, leading to respiratory problems or infections. Consuming it may subject you to harmful chemicals as the plant material degrades. 

Fresh nugs should have a distinct aroma; if your buds don’t, it usually indicates low-quality or expired weed.

Here are some other signs of bad weed buds: 

• They emit a musty or damp odor, signaling mold or mildew growth.

• They have a dusty or powdery feel due to being dried out or exposed to too much heat.

• There are differences in the texture and look of the buds compared to fresh ones.

• They have an unpleasant flavor.

• They develop a brown hue, signaling mold or aging.

• They turn yellow or discolored due to being stored in a clear container with excess light exposure.

• They develop mold or experience mildew growth due to condensation or moisture buildup from plastic bag storage.

• The ash is a dark color, suggesting the buds didn’t receive adequate flushing or curing and are harmful to ingest.

• The effects may be weak upon consumption, indicating the weed has lost its potency over time.

• Coughing, throat discomfort, or headaches typically occur after ingesting bad cannabis.

• You feel a burning or bitter taste and a harsh throat hit when smoking old marijuana.

• The high from bad weed may be uncomfortable, causing anxiety, paranoia, or other unwanted side effects.

What to do with old weed: 7 great ideas

Let’s jump in.

Smoke your old-buds

Can you smoke old weed? If no signs of mold, fungus, or deterioration exist, it’s smokeable. Unfortunately, it won’t be as potent or smell as good as when it’s fresh. 

THC levels usually drop by 16–26% after one year of storage and up to 34% after two. If you leave the buds too long, you may need to smoke more to achieve the desired effect.

Are you unsure of what to do with old dry weed? Revive it by placing a piece of bread or orange peel in the same container. Leave it overnight to add some moisture back into the buds, then use them as filler material in joints or blunts. 

Vape it to make the most of old nugs

Vaping allows you to extract more cannabinoids and terpenes from weed, providing a more potent experience. This method is perfect for buds with degraded THC levels.

Get a vaporizer compatible with dry herbs, then grind the buds and pack them into the chamber. Heat it to the desired temperature and inhale the vapor. 

Use old cannabis to make edibles

An excellent option for what to do with old weed is correctly preparing it and using it in various foods. Baking a weed cake is a fun and tasty way to make the most of your aged buds.

To use old buds in dishes, you must decarboxylate them first. This method involves heating the nugs at a low temperature to activate the THC and restore some potency. After decarbing weed, grind it and soak it in butter or oil to use in homemade edibles.

Amsterdam space cakes are delicious and allow for simple portioning. Make them by infusing butter with weed and adding other ingredients.

Turn old stuff into kief

Kief is a powdery substance made from trichomes, the resin glands on the cannabis plant. They contain the primary compounds in the plant, THC and CBD.

Trichomes accumulate over time on cannabis plants, so the longer you store them, the more kief you can collect. Grind your old weed finely, then sift it through a mesh screen to separate the kief from the plant matter.

Making kief is an efficient way to extract the most potent parts of the plant. Sprinkle it over your food, mix it into edibles using weed cooking recipes, or press it into hash.

Rehydrate old weed to bring moisture back

Rehydration is an efficient solution for what to do with old weed. There are several effective methods to bring moisture back to your buds if they dry out too much. Here are our top tips:

• Soak a terracotta disc in water. Leave it for around 30 minutes, then place it in an airtight container with your weed buds until they become moist again.

• Use a damp paper towel or cotton balls to rehydrate your weed for a quick and easy solution. Place the moist materials in a container with your dry buds. Let them sit for a few hours or up to a full day until you’re satisfied. Be careful not to make the cotton balls or paper towel too wet, as it can increase the risk of mold growth. 

• Use citrus fruit peels from oranges and limes or bananas and apples. Put them inside a container with your buds. This method can also enhance the flavor of your weed nugs, making them taste more fruity. 

• Add fresh weed with good moisture content to your dried-out stash to help revive it.

• Bring a large pot to a boil, then remove it from the heat. Place your stash on a cloth over the pot and let the vapor do the work. Keep rotating the buds with tongs for equal distribution, and don’t leave them for too long, or you risk cooking them.

• Use cannabis silicone gel humidity control packs. Store one with your buds to regulate humidity and keep them adequately moist.

Use aged weed to make concentrates

If you’re wondering what to do with two-year-old weed, one option is to make weed concentrate.

Separate the THC from the buds using ice water extraction, pressure and heating, or a solvent like alcohol or butane. 

• Make hash by separating the trichomes from the plant by hand or with freezing water. After that, dry the mixture and press it into a firm block.

• Make wax by blasting the plant material with a solvent like butane or propane to extract the THC. The resulting mix is then heated to remove the solvent, leaving a highly concentrated wax behind.

• Tinctures require steeping the plant material in alcohol or glycerin to extract the THC. Use resultant liquid orally as a discreet and simple way to consume cannabis.

• Rosin is an extract that doesn’t use any solvents. Prepare it by heating and pressing plant material, forcing the THC-rich trichomes to separate from the rest of the plant. Consume the sticky, sap-like material in dab rigs, joints, or bowls. Another alternative to rosin is resin (both live and cured one). The key distinction between live resin and cured resin is that live resin is made from flash-frozen, freshly harvested plants, preserving the plant’s natural terpene profile, while cured resin is derived from cannabis that has undergone drying and curing, resulting in different flavors and characteristics. Both types of resin offer unique experiences and are favored by different cannabis enthusiasts.

Use the finished concentrate in vaporizers or food, including sauces or weed brownies. Because of natural THC degradation over time, you may need to use more old weed than you would do with fresh buds.

Reviving your old stash

Don’t stress about what to do with old dry weed; reviving your precious buds is possible. Using the proper techniques, you can smoke, vape, or even eat aged weed. 

Use your forgotten stash to make kief or concentrate. Inspect it for signs of deterioration like mold or fungus, then preserve it correctly to maintain its quality. 

Don’t toss aged weed the next time you come across it. Give it a new life by following one of the approaches on this page. Check out our store for high quality cannabis seeds to buy.

FAQs

Got any left-over concerns about old marijuana? Explore the most frequently asked questions with expert answers below.

Does old weed make you high?

Old weed can still make you high, but the potency may be reduced due to natural THC degradation over time. The effects of old weed may also change, since the strain’s cannabinoids and terpenes have probably deteriorated. 

Is all brown weed rotten?

Brown weed can be a sign of old age or excess exposure to light, but it doesn’t mean it’s no longer suitable to use. Some strains naturally become brown as they age.

Avoid brown marijuana that has a musty, moldy odor or feels moist and spongy. It’s most likely rotten, so you shouldn’t consume it. If you’re unsure about the quality of your weed, it’s always better to err on the side of caution and dispose of it rather than risk your health.

Can you smoke old moldy weed?

You shouldn’t smoke moldy marijuana. Mold can be dangerous to inhale and may cause respiratory problems, allergic reactions, or even infections.

If your cannabis buds have mold, throw them out. Disinfect any surfaces or containers that may have come into contact with them. Mold can spread quickly and contaminate other items in your stash, so prevent it from spreading.