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Shelf Life Guide: How Long Does Cannabutter Last?

It’s all in the name – cannabutter is what you get when you combine butter with cannabis.

Cannabis, otherwise also known as weed or marijuana, has been used for centuries.

This ‘drug’ comes from one of the two – the cannabis Indica plant or cannabis Sativa plant.

Both these plants have been used by people for centuries now, either for recreational or medicinal purposes.

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There are many ways to consume cannabis. Some people enjoy smoking or vaping it. Others prefer taking cannabis as edibles.

Most of these edibles contain cannabutter. You can purchase cannabutter at a local cannabis store, or you can make it at home.

Cannabutter that contains just CBD isn’t psychoactive, but if it contains both CBD and THC, it can have mind-altering properties.

In the following article, we’re going to be addressing frequently asked questions, such as, how long does cannabutter last?

Or how do you know when your batch of cannabutter has gone bad?

How to Tell if Cannabutter is Bad? Cannabutter Shelf Life!

As with all food, cannabutter comes with its own set of storage needs.

Ignore them, and your batch of cannabutter stands the risk of spoiling before its time.

Listed below are a few risk factors that could promote fast spoiling of cannabutter:

  • Being exposed to unnecessary light and heat (much like lard).
  • Exposure to moisture, mold, or mildew.
  • Contamination caused by bacteria or bugs.
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These ‘risk factors’ can cause total spoilage or result in compromising the taste and quality of cannabutter.

If you want to use a bit of stored cannabutter for making edibles, carefully break a portion of it off using a dry knife or spoon.

Avoid biting into the block of cannabutter or using a dirty spoon/knife at all costs. Doing so puts the entire jar of cannabutter at risk of spoiling.

Spoiled cannabutter has a distinct smell. It takes on a scent that is similar to fermented fruit. Unusable cannabutter also tends to develop mold.

Sometimes, the butter in itself can appear to be edible, but if it tastes rancid, you may want to dispose of it.

The shelf life of cannabutter depends largely on how carefully it is stored.

However, there are some other factors that also play a role in this regard.

Some of them are the ingredients used to make the cannabutter, the preparation method, and the temperatures at which the butter was processed.

If your cannabutter is store-bought, be sure to check for its expiry date.

With store-bought cannabutter, how it is packaged and its packaging material affects its shelf life.

How Long Does Cannabutter Last? Does Cannabutter Go Bad?

If you’re wondering whether cannabutter spoils, the answer is most definitely yes. Normally, this type of butter lasts for a few weeks.

But if you store it right, you can use a batch of cannabutter for up to six months. It’s all about taking care to ensure proper storage measures.

Another commonly asked question is, does cannabis butter lose its potency over time? The answer to this question is no.

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As long as cannabutter or cannabis edibles are correctly stored, they are not likely to lose their potency.

It is advisable to freeze any food items that contain cannabis if you want to extend their shelf life.

The fridge is your best friend when it comes to storing cannabutter.

Freezing cannabis-infused edibles or cannabutter is known to prolong their expiry date.

Also, ensure that you store the butter in opaque, airtight containers because unnecessary exposure to light isn’t ideal for cannabutter.

Cannabutter also lasts longer when you store it in airtight containers – you want to prevent condensation from taking its toll on the butter when it is in the freezer.

One effective way to seal your cannabutter is to wrap it in parchment paper and store them in a glass jar.

Then, wrap the jar in an opaque bag. Be careful to leave a little space at the top of the jar to allow room for when the butter expands when frozen.

Conclusion

You can put cannabutter to as many uses as you do regular butter.

Cannabis-infused butter is great for making edibles like cakes, cookies, chocolates, muffins, banana bread, pasta sauces, and classic brownies.

Many consumers today prefer edibles made with cannabutter to smoking because the former offers intense effects and has a long latency period.

With edibles, the effects set in about 30-90 minutes after their consumption and last for about 4-12 hours.

How ‘strong’ the effects of cannabutter is depends on its THC level, your body weight, the number of edibles consumed, and your metabolic rate.

Edibles that contain cannabutter can spoil if they are not stored properly or if they are exposed to contamination.

It is crucial that your stock of cannabutter and edibles are both stored in a dry and hygienic manner.

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How Long Does Cannabutter Last? Does Cannabutter Go Bad?

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Shelf Life
Servings 1 Serving

Ingredients
  

  • Cannabutter
  • Air-tight containers or Ziplock bags
  • Labels and markers

Instructions
 

  • Read the guide thoroughly to learn how long it lasts.
  • Label your container with the content and date and keep track of how much you’re using!
  • Make sure to store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place (pantry or fridge).
  • If frozen, thaw in the fridge before use. Always check for signs of spoilage before using.
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