When Do CBD Gummies Expire?

Just like all other CBD products, CBD gummies expire eventually. Most CBD gummies expire a year after the manufacture date, but some might be designed to last longer. Plus, there are tricks you can use to extend the life of your CBD gummies, beating the expiration date.

When will your CBD gummies expire? Find out in this guide.

What are CBD gummies?

CBD gummies are fruity, chewy edibles that often feature pectin or tapioca syrup as a base. Gummies are usually made to be as tasty and attractive as possible, and CBD gummies are no exception. The one difference you’ll note is a slight bitter aftertaste — that’s the natural flavor of CBD, providing evidence that your CBD gummies are genuine.

What do CBD gummies do?

Like other orally ingested CBD products, CBD gummies provide relaxing effects starting around 30 minutes after ingestion that last approximately 3-6 hours. Unlike the effects of THC, the CBD experience cannot be described as “getting high.” Instead, CBD is just mildly relaxing — whether in the form of a gummy or any other product type.

Do CBD gummies expire?

Yes, CBD gummies expire. The ingredients used to make CBD gummies break down and lose their edibility over time, and CBD extract itself gradually loses potency as it ages. With these factors in mind, it’s only natural to expect your CBD gummies to expire eventually.

How long do CBD gummies last?

Most CBD gummies stay good for around one year. If you store them correctly, CBD gummies can stay food for two years or more. After around 24 months, though, the safety and utility of any CBD gummy product should be questioned regardless of how well it was stored.

It’s important to make a distinction here between “how long CBD gummies last on the shelf” and “how long the effects of CBD gummies last.” For clarity, the effects of CBD gummies usually last around 3-6 hours, but the gummies themselves expire after around 12 months.

How soon do CBD gummies expire?

CBD gummies expire around one year after their manufacture date. If a CBD gummy product you purchased does not have an expiration date stamped on the label, you may be able to find a date of manufacture instead.

Barring that possibility, contact the company’s customer service staff with your original order number. It might be possible to determine when your CBD gummies were produced based on the date when you placed your order.

How can you tell if CBD gummies have expired?

We can think of at least five simple ways you can tell if CBD gummies in your possession have passed their prime:

1. The expiration date has passed

This is the most obvious tell. Search the entire outer surface of your CBD gummy container for an expiration date. Depending on the packaging, it might be embossed, stamped, or inked on the side.

Then, compare the date on the packaging to today’s date. Make sure the date is labeled “EXP” or something similar to signify “expiration” rather than “MFG,” which means “date of manufacture.” If the expiration date is before today’s date, that means your CBD gummies have expired. 

2. You don’t remember when you bought the gummies

If you have no idea how long you’ve had a container of CBD gummies, chances are that you bought them more than a year ago. It’s common to have a basic idea of everything that you bought in the last year, but the average consumer’s memory stops there. Feel like you’ve had some CBD gummies forever? It’s probably time to let them go, then.

3. The gummies are hard

Feel the gummies between your fingers. Fresh CBD gummies will feel supple and juicy when you squeeze them. If the gummies don’t give at least a little bit when squeezed, that means they’ve dried out to the point of being inedible — in short, they’ve expired. Don’t gamble on chewing a hard CBD gummy since its ingredients might have dangerously changed over time.

4. There is an off taste

CBD gummies will taste dusty or not quite as strong if they are expired. Don’t expect to taste anything rotten or extremely off-putting. A hardened texture or a reduced flavor, however, can be signs that the best days of your CBD gummies are behind them.

5. The effects are weak

CBD and other cannabinoids degrade slowly over time, reducing their potency. After around a year, CBD gummies will have lost close to 50% of their potency, making their experienced effects noticeably weaker compared to fresh gummies.

What happens if you eat expired CBD gummies?

It’s very unlikely you’ll experience any severe negative consequences if you accidentally eat expired CBD gummies. Unless they are more than a few years old, the components in CBD gummies shouldn’t degrade to the extent that they become dangerous.

It’s possible that CBD gummies might accumulate mold if stored incorrectly, though. Eating moldy, expired CBD gummies could cause acute mycotoxin poisoning. Before they hit their expiration date, CBD gummies shouldn’t stand any chance of growing mold.

How can you keep CBD gummies fresh longer?

There are a few simple ways you can keep your CBD gummies fresh for as long as possible, which we’ll discuss below:

Fully close the cap

When closing it, turn the cap of your CBD gummies completely until it won’t turn anymore. In the case of child-proof caps, this might be until the lid turns freely instead. 

Keep in a cool, dark place

Keep your CBD gummies in a cool, dark place out of direct sunlight. A desk drawer is one great option, as is a closed medicine cabinet.

Consider refrigeration

Refrigeration might make your CBD gummies last longer, but it might also make them more likely to grow mold due to increased moisture content. Most CBD gummy users simply opt to keep their gummies in a cool, dark place — not necessarily the fridge.

How can you make sure CBD gummies are fresh?

You can take some simple precautions to make sure the CBD gummies you buy are as fresh as possible. Here’s how:

Ask for the newest batch

When making your order, ask that your item or items be from the newest batch of products available. This can sometimes be accomplished by leaving a note with your online order, but the most surefire way is to call customer service just after you’re sure your order has gone through. Provide your order number, and make your special request.

Check the expiration date

It might be possible to determine the expiration date of a particular batch of CBD gummy products prior to purchase. In most cases, it will be necessary to contact customer service to acquire this information since expiration dates of specific batches of CBD gummies are not usually posted online.

Be skeptical of clearance items

If a CBD gummy product is being offered as part of a clearance sale, you have every reason to be skeptical. Clearance items are usually about to reach the end of their usable lifetimes — in the case of CBD gummies, this means that gummy products on clearance are likely just about to expire if they haven’t expired already.

Keeping CBD gummies fresh: The bottom line

In the end, there’s just one piece of information worth remembering: CBD gummies usually expire in about a year. There’s a lot more to it than just that, but if your CBD gummies are less than a year old, they’re probably safe, while the opposite is the case for gummies that were made more than a year ago.

Take proper precautions to protect the freshness of your CBD gummies, and you’ll be able to enjoy them for at least a year if not longer. Keep in mind that this is usually a moot point, though, since the average user goes through a container of CBD gummies within 30-60 days at most.

CBD gummies expiration FAQs

Deepen your understanding CBD gummy expiration in the FAQ section below:

How long do CBD gummies stay in your system?

Like other CBD products, the cannabinoids in CBD gummies can stay in your system for up to 30 days after ingestion. There’s nothing in particular about CBD gummies that will make the CBD they contain stay in your system any longer than other product types. The more CBD gummies you use and the more frequently you use them, the longer the cannabinoids they contain will remain detectable in urinalysis and other forms of drug testing.

How many CBD gummies should I eat?

Most people eat 1-3 CBD gummies at a time, but the ideal dose depends on the potency of the gummies and the particularities of the person using them. CBD gummies usually contain around 25mg CBD each, but if a gummy contained 50mg CBD instead, one might be enough per dose instead of your customary two. Make sure to take a close look at the dosage information on the package before you decide how many CBD gummies to eat.

How do I tell if CBD oil is expired?

Like CBD gummies, CBD oil products are usually equipped with expiration dates, often found on the bottom of the package. If no date is visible, contact the producer of the CBD oil to determine when it expires. You may be asked to provide the UPC code or batch number for the product in question.

How long do CBD gummies keep?

CBD gummies generally keep or stay good for around 1 year after they were manufactured. Gummies stop tasting quite as good after around six months or so, and it’s natural to expect 1-year-old gummies to be quite hard and leathery. Overall, it’s best to eat your CBD gummies within the first three months you receive them to ensure the best experience.

How long do CBD gummies stay in date?

Most CBD gummies stay in date, meaning within their expiration date, for around 1 year. Realistically, it simply isn’t possible to keep a gummy perfectly preserved for more than a year. CBD gummies actually harden and start to lose potency after around six months, but it’s only after around a year that it becomes dangerous to take them. Always check the expiration date on the bottle of CBD gummies you’re taking to ensure you don’t eat expired gummies.

What is the shelf life of CBD gummies?

Under normal conditions, CBD gummies will have a shelf life of around 9 months to a year. That means the time from when a CBD gummy package is put on the shelf to when it becomes dangerous to eat is usually just under 12 months. If improperly preserved, CBD gummies can go bad within just a few weeks.

Can expired CBD gummies make you sick?

Yes, it’s possible for expired CBD gummies to make you sick if you eat them. The CBD in the gummies shouldn’t be a problem, but all of the other ingredients are a different matter. Pectin, cane sugar, and various other ingredients commonly found in CBD gummies putrefy over time and can become host to mold and bacteria. Instead of testing this one out for yourself, carefully check the expiration date of any CBD gummies you’re planning to try, and don’t eat CBD gummies if they’re expired.

Can freezing CBD gummies improve their shelf life?

Freezing CBD gummies isn’t a good idea since doing so may damage certain common ingredients. The CBD extract in the gummies shouldn’t be considerably damaged by freezing, but any freezer-burned parts will no longer have any potency. Rather than choosing the freezer, try putting your CBD gummies in the fridge as a way of extending their shelf life.

Do CBD gummies lose potency over time?

Yes, the CBD extract present in CBD gummies degrades over time, leading to a reduction in potency. On average, CBD extract loses around half its potency over the course of six months, so by the time a year has passed, CBD gummies will be almost entirely lacking in potency. That’s one of the main reasons it’s highly recommended that you use CBD gummies within around 90 days.

Do CBD gummies contain preservatives?

Some CBD gummies might contain preservatives, but this is far from the norm in the industry. Overall, the CBD industry overlaps with the larger natural food market, which shies away from dangerous, synthetic ingredients like common food preservatives. Always check the ingredients label of any CBD product you’re using to make sure, but expect your CBD gummies not to contain any preservatives.