How Long Do CBD Vapes Stay Good?
Nice! You found a vape cartridge that you lost last year hidden in the couch cushions. But wait: Is it safe to vape an old CBD cartridge?
CBD vapes stay good for quite a while, but you can’t use them forever. Learn how long CBD vapes last and how to spot the signs of an expired vape in this guide.
Do CBD vapes expire?
Yes, CBD vapes eventually expire. They take quite a bit longer to expire than you might expect, but there will eventually come a point where it isn’t safe to use an old CBD vape any more.
What is the shelf life of CBD vapes?
The shelf life of a CBD vape is anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. Some CBD vapes will start to recrystallize after a mere 90 days, but others are formulated to resist crystallization and rancidity for 24 months or longer. The shelf life of your CBD vape depends in large part on how you store it.
Factors that affect CBD vape shelf life
What can make a CBD vape expire either faster or slower? Find out below:
— Storage conditions
If you store your vape cartridge upside down in direct sunlight, chances are it will go bad in 24 hours or less. Keep the silicone caps on a completely unused vape cartridge and store it upright in an airtight container in a dark, dry, and cool place, on the other hand, and it might last a full two years.
— Cannabinoid recrystallization
Some CBD vapes are more prone to recrystallization than others. Cannabinoids are inherently crystalline compounds, and especially in high-potency cartridges, they tend to revert to crystalline structures after a period of a few months. CBD carts that are more resistant to crystallization will remain usable longer.
— Additional ingredients
Terpenes may make CBD vapes taste better and offer improved effects, but they’re also highly volatile compounds that have a tendency to break down quickly even under the best conditions. Aside from terpenes, other additives can make CBD vapes go bad even faster.
How long will a CBD vape last once you start using it?
Breaking a vape out of its original packaging will hasten the spoiling process, but the main factor that will affect how long a CBD vape lasts after you open it is how fast you use it. We assume, after all, you didn’t buy that CBD cart just to look at it.
Most users find that a CBD vape lasts them around 7-30 days, which is well within the expiration window for CBD vape extract. Even if it takes you 60-90 days to make your way through a single 1g CBD vape, your chances of encountering expiration issues are extremely low.
Factors that affect how long your vape lasts
Which variables can impact how long you can keep using your CBD vape after you take the first hit? Find out below:
— Use habits
How frequently you hit your CBD vape and the size of your hits are the two biggest factors that will determine how quickly your vape’s tank is depleted. If you take huge hits all day long, for instance, your CBD vape may be rendered unusable within 24 hours or less. On the exact opposite side of the spectrum, not using your CBD vape at all will make it unusable eventually as well since it will expire at some point.
— Tank size
Everyone who has used hemp or cannabis vapes has probably encountered this situation before: You’re scratching your head wondering how you used so much cannabis so fast only to realize the cartridge you just polished off was a 500mg cart, not the 1g style you’re used to. It’s a fact that a smaller tank of CBD extract will run out faster than a larger one.
— Extract type
While experts may dither over the exact degree to which this factor makes a difference, it’s a fact that certain forms of cannabis extract evaporate more easily than others. Viscosity plays a role here — the more liquidy the texture of your CBD vape, the faster it will vaporize.
— Battery temperature
Regardless of the viscosity of the extract inside your cartridge, the temperature to which your vape’s battery is set is guaranteed to make a difference in how long your CBD cart lasts. Higher temps burn extract faster, so set your vape battery to the lowest temperature setting if you want your CBD vape to last as long as possible.
How do you know if a CBD vape has gone bad?
Now for perhaps the most important part: Finding out how to determine if your CBD vape is still good to hit or not. Just follow the three guidelines below, and you’ll be good to go:
— Expiration date
The first place to look is the expiration date for your CBD vape: if you can find it. Some CBD vapes don’t come with expiration dates, at which point it might be necessary to contact the manufacturer to get to the bottom of things. Have your original order number ready, and provide the name and SKU of your product (if available).
In lieu of an official expiration date, simply consult your memory regarding how long ago you bought the vape. Has the vape in question been in your possession longer than 18 months? Then it’s probably a no go.
— Crystallized consistency
It’s often possible to determine if a CBD vape is still good via a simple visual inspection. As we mentioned, CBD vapes have a tendency to recrystallize as they age, and when they do, their texture completely changes. Gone is the translucent, honey-like goo that once filled your vape — in its place is an opaque, beeswax-like mess of clearly unvaporizable gunk.
— Rancid flavor
Even if the appearance of your CBD vape cartridge doesn’t betray whether it has expired or not, its flavor might. Terpenes oxidize and go rancid as they age, and once they do, you certainly won’t like their taste any longer.
The bottom line: How long until my CBD vape goes bad?
From the moment your CBD vape arrives in the mail, you have around 1-2 years to use it before it goes bad. Depending on the type of vape you bought, it might start to recrystallize after just three months, so try to use CBD vapes within 90 days for the best-possible experience.
How long CBD vapes last FAQ
Below, dive deeper into the question of how long CBD vapes last:
1. How often should I puff my CBD vape?
Most users take 1-2 puffs of CBD vape every two hours or so. At this rate, a 1g CBD vape should last you around 7-14 days. There’s no indication that high (but reasonable) doses of CBD should be avoided under most circumstances, though, so feel free to hit your CBD vape as often as you deem appropriate.
2. How long should a 1g disposable vape last?
A disposable vape containing 1g of hemp or cannabis extract should last anywhere from 3-30 days depending on your use habits. If you don’t finish your disposable vape after 30 days, it should stay good for another 3-12 months.
3. How many days does 500 puffs last?
An average person takes around 7-20 vape puffs per day, so a cartridge rated at 500 puffs should last about 25 days even at high usage. Rating a 1g vape cartridge at 500 puffs is an unfair marketing gimmick, though, that treats tiny inhalations as full, satisfying puffs. Realistically speaking, a 1g vape cartridge contains around 200 puffs of vapor.
4. Which vapes last the longest?
Vapes that contain a full 1g of extract and feature batteries set to a low temperature will last the longest when it comes to use. In regards to storage, vapes will stay good longer if they are formulated to resist crystallization and stored in proper conditions.
5. Do disposable vapes spoil?
Yes, just like vape carts, disposable vapes will spoil after a certain period of time. The duration it takes a disposable vape to spoil depends on the properties of the vape in question, but it’s generally appropriate to start questioning the safety of any vape after a year, and you should never try to hit a two-year-old vape — disposable or otherwise.
6. Can you smoke expired CBD?
No, you should not smoke or vape any form of expired CBD product. If a CBD product has expired, that means it is no longer safe to use, so smoking CBD flower or hitting a CBD vape after its expiration point could be dangerous.
7. Do THC vapes go bad?
Yes, just like the CBD equivalent, THC vapes also go bad. The same factors that make CBD vapes go bad also apply to THC vapes, and regardless of the cannabinoid it contains, it’s never safe to hit an expired vape. This reality doesn’t just apply to vapes containing the delta 9 form of THC — delta 8 vapes also go bad after 1-2 years, so keep a close eye on the expiration date of any vapes you haven’t hit in a while.
