How To Store Cannabis Edibles

Whether you're indulging in a batch of homemade weed cookies or savouring store-bought THC-infused gummies, proper storage is crucial to ensure both the longevity of your edibles and the preservation of their cannabinoid content. While many cannabis-infused treats are meant to be enjoyed immediately, larger batches or base ingredients like cannaoil and cannabutter may require longer-term storage.

In this guide, we'll explore the ins and outs of storing cannabis edibles, from understanding the basics of what constitutes an edible to choosing the right containers. Whether you're a culinary cannabis enthusiast or simply seeking to maximise the shelf life of your favourite infused snacks, the key lies in simple yet effective storage practices, not dissimilar to traditional food conservation.

What are cannabis edibles?

Cannabis edibles are anything that you can eat (and successfully digest) which contains cannabinoids. Most commonly, they consist of foods such as weed cookies, brownies, THC or CBD gummies, and more. Edibles may contain mainly THC, mainly CBD, or perhaps some more novel cannabinoid. However, we are probably talking about THC or CBD.

The term edible might also refer to a cannabinoid-containing ingredient, like cannabutter or cannaoil. Whilst you can eat these on their own, they are usually added to meals or baked into sweet, high-inducing treats. Depending on your edible and what it's made from, it might stay fresh for a few days, or a few months. Whatever it is, if you store it correctly, you can be certain that you will extend its lifespan.

Why is it important to store your edibles correctly?

Primarily, you want to store your edibles properly to protect your health. All food, even when it contains weed, can make you sick once it’s gone off. So you mainly want to stop this from happening.

A second reason is to protect the cannabinoid content. Especially when storing base ingredients such as cannabis oil or butter, you want to store them in such a way that they will retain full potency for as long as possible. Ingredients such as these have a very long shelf life, so storing them properly is key to ensuring they continue to work as intended.

Does THC degrade in edibles?

THC will degrade in edibles. But depending on what food type your edible is, THC degradation may not be your biggest concern. Although THC will break down over time due to light and heat exposure, fresh foods will go off before any real THC loss happens.

In foods that naturally last a long time, you will have to store them in such a way that protects the THC/CBD and keeps it stable. But for fresher foods that go off quickly, you should focus on stopping the food from going bad, rather than protecting the cannabinoid content.

The difference between storing homemade edibles and store-bought edibles

If you are lucky enough to be able to buy cannabis edibles in shops, then it should explain how to best store them on the packaging. Furthermore, most will come packaged with an extremely long shelf life until they remain closed. However, always refer to the packaging to see if this is the case.

Homemade edibles won’t tell you how to store them, so you’ll need to figure this out yourself. At first, ignore the cannabis contained in them and store them as you would regular food. If it’s a brownie, store it so it retains moisture. If it’s fresh, store it in the fridge and use it soon.

Only once you know how to look after the food should you think about the cannabinoids. The good news is that, generally, if you stop the food degrading, this should also take care of the cannabinoid content!

Best storage materials for edibles

Storing edibles in the correct containers will help to preserve them for longer. You will require different types of containers depending on the edible, where and how long you intend to store it.

Glass jars

Glass jars are great for short and medium-term storage, and long-term storage of goods that don’t need to be frozen. Since it can shatter, glass should only be used in fridges and cupboards. Also, some glass jars are not airtight whilst others are, so ensure you use the correct type.

Silicone containers

Silicone containers are bomb-proof and often airtight. These are suitable for storing in all spaces, including freezers.

Important note: The solvents in cannabis concentrates can sometimes melt and bind to silicone, so they are not suitable containers for these canna-products. Though concentrates are not edibles, it’s worth mentioning.

Airtight containers

You should always store your edibles in airtight containers, regardless of the material they’re made from. Keeping air and moisture levels stable is critical for all food storage, and will preserve the food and cannabinoids.

Freezer/Fridge

Most edibles will benefit from being kept cool, as this slows the growth of fungi and bacteria. For long-term storage, you should freeze your edibles as this can make them last indefinitely. Even when freezing, ensure storage containers are airtight as freezers are quite moist environments.

Tips for storing cannabis edibles

Below, we’ll talk you through the main considerations when storing cannabis edibles. Specific foods have differing needs, so the guide below will focus on general storage instruction, and specifics (such as temperature) will refer to protecting cannabinoids and not food (although most of these tips will also help with food)!

Keep them airtight and dry

If your edibles are exposed to fresh air, they will degrade more quickly. This is true for both the food and the cannabinoids. So keep all your edibles in an airtight container.

The benefit of these containers is that they also lock in the moisture in the edible. For moist edibles, this keeps them drying out. And for dry edibles, it keeps them from becoming moist!

Store at the correct temperature

If cannabinoids get hot, then they will break down. So, ideally, you want to store your edibles at room temperature (21ºC) or lower.

Of course, this depends on what food type it is as well. It is best to refrigerate most edibles, as this will protect cannabinoids and the food they’re contained in. Just be extra sure to keep them airtight if you put them in the fridge, as these are very moist environments!

Protect from light

Along with heat, light is one of the main degrading forces when it comes to cannabinoids. It is vital to store your edibles in darkness, as this will preserve their potency. Depending on the food, a cupboard, fridge or freezer will do the trick.

Also, it is prolonged exposure to strong light that poses a problem to cannabinoids, so don’t worry about leaving on the side under artificial lights for a short while.

Label your edibles

If you just make one batch and intend to consume it soon, marking your edibles is less important. But if you have multiple, you should label them with at least the date you created them. It can also help to write the dosage on the label so you can figure out how much to take when you return to them.

Even if you make one batch but store it long-term in the freezer, you should consider labelling it with this information. You might be certain you’ll remember all the relevant details when you put it in. But when you come across it six months later, how much will you remember then?

How to tell if edibles are spoiled

No matter how sure you are that you’ve stored your edibles correctly, you should always check to see if they have gone off. Depending on the food type, there are different ways to tell. Obvious ones include:

• Bad smell
• Look wrong
• Growth of life
• Stale
• Too moist
• Discolouration

Storing edibles: Really very simple

Storing edibles is basically the same as storing regular food. Whilst you need to account for the presence of cannabinoids, traditional food storage methods usually protect these anyway. Therefore, when storing edibles, always prioritise protecting the food over the cannabinoids, as this will look after both your health and the preservation of cannabinoids.

Max Sargent

Max has been writing for over a decade, and has come into cannabis and psychedelic journalism in the last few years. Writing for companies such as Zamnesia, Royal Queen Seeds, Cannaconnection, Gorilla Seeds, MushMagic and more, he has experience in a broad spectrum of the industry.

Read full bio