We’ve all been there. You’re going through your fridge on a Sunday morning and you find an item way at the back that’s been sitting for weeks, maybe months, potentially even years.

For most of us, our first thought is always the same: Is it expired? Sometimes, a smell test will suffice or even a quick visual inspection if you’re lucky. When it comes to refrigerated food you should always err on the side of caution, but the same doesn’t really apply to cannabis.

That’s right, cannabis doesn’t expire!

At Aurora, we like to think of cannabis as just another herb in your kitchen’s spice cabinet. You never think of your oregano as going bad, so why would cannabis? As long as your medical cannabis is just sitting there, its THC isn’t going anywhere.

That being said, cannabis does dry out. Cannabis flowers are like potato chips: once a bag is opened, they can go stale. But there are ways you can prevent this, or at the very least, significantly slow down the process.

First off, humidity control is important.

Boveda packs, which retain optimal moisture levels in plants, will help with overdrying. Just pop one of those into the container in which you store your cannabis; when the pack begins to harden, you’ll know it’s time to replace it. For a homemade alternative, Aurora’s Event Marketing Coordinator Bella Sie suggests tossing in a citrus peel. “Same as the packs, you’ll know it’s time for a new one when the peel hardens”, says Bella.

Another way to keep your cannabis fresh is to make sure it’s being stored at the right temperature.

Health Canada recommends storing your cannabis in a cool and dark place, somewhere between 2 and 6 degrees Celsius. During summer months, that means keeping it away from sunny windows and hot car dashes. We don’t, however, recommend freezing your cannabis – it doesn’t store well at those temperatures, and becomes extremely brittle when you try to break it apart later down the road.