So, you’re about to use your favorite CBD tincture, before you remember that it’s been sitting around in your closet for a lot longer than you expected it to.  Is it still good?  Can it still give you the CBD experience you’re looking for?  Is it even safe?

Do CBD Tinctures Actually Expire?

Yes, CBD oils do expire.  All CBD products can expire as cannabidiol is an organic substance that can break down over time.  As a general rule of thumb, hemp extract can last for about two years before it begins to break down.  This shelf life can be reduced further if you do not store your CBD properly, which is why you should always keep it in a cool, dark, and dry place so that it remains fresh for as long as possible.  Light, heat, and even humidity can all speed up the process of oxidization.

Are Expired CBD Tinctures Dangerous?

First, the good news.  Taking an expired CBD tincture isn’t likely to make you sick.  That is because CBD does not go rotten like milk that has been sitting in the refrigerator for too long.  Therefore, if you suspect that you just took a tincture that has expired, there is no need to panic that you just harmed yourself.

Will Expired CBD Tinctures Be as Effective?

However, CBD tinctures that are past their expiration date are likely to lose their potency.  When the compounds in hemp oxidize, they degrade which makes them weaker.  This means that the same tincture that has given you so much satisfaction in the past will be less likely to satisfy your daily hemp-related goals.

Now, this does not necessarily mean that you should throw it out.  It may just mean that you need to take more of the formula to get the same results.  There are too many variables to determine the rate at which a tincture loses its potency but taking twice the regular dose may give you similar results to what you are used to.

How Can a Person Know if Their CBD Tincture Has Expired?

There are a few ways to determine whether or not your tincture has, indeed, expired.

1. The first is by simply being aware of when you first purchased it. If it has been over two years, it has almost certainly expired.
2. Another way is to smell it. If your tincture contains terpenes, which many do, you will notice that they do not smell as potent as they used to, and you’ll end up with a very weak aroma coming off of the product.  This is a good sign that the compounds have degraded considerably.
3. Sometimes, the color can slightly change, which could signal that the cannabidiol inside the bottle has expired.

How to Prevent Ending Up with Expired CBD

If you want to get as much out of your bottle as possible before it expires, try to store it in a cool, dry, and dark place like a closet or drawer in your bedroom.  Additionally, it is good to only buy as much CBD as you’ll be able to use up within a few months.  This way, you will never have a CBD tincture that has been sitting around for way too long.  Also helps to buy from a trusted retailer that is known for selling consistently fresh hemp products.

Adding to that, lab reports, as crazy as it sounds, can also give you a better idea if the product has expired or when it might expire sooner than expected, especially once that tincture bottle has been opened.  It’s basically looking at the chemical composition in order to get a better gage on when that CBD could expire once again sooner than, or after the expiration date.

Don’t Let Expired CBD Get in the Way of Your Overall Hemp Experience

For those who take CBD tinctures regularly, the last thing that they want to happen is that their tincture ends up expiring before they get a chance to use up all of the formula.  Try to store your tincture properly, and only buy as much as you need, so that the chances of ending up with expired hemp are incredibly low.