CBD Gummies: The Expiration Date Is Only A Guideline

Most consumable products are packaged with an expiration date, but studies have found that more than half of shoppers never check that date before buying, and almost half eat food after it’s expired.

CBD gummies are usually packaged with expiration dates as well. It’s required by British law, and it’s standard procedure in America to add the date even though there’s no regulation mandating it.

That date must be no longer than one year after the product’s manufacture in the UK, and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “considers” an acceptable expiration date to be no more than two years after production. Some companies instead provide a “manufactured by” date.

Here’s the big question, though: how accurate are those expiry dates?

To be honest, they’re just a guideline. High-quality CBD products generally last for 1-2 years before they go bad. Gelatin-based gummies, no matter what they contain, are usually good for 12-18 months and those made with pectin may last longer.

That makes a one-year shelf life a reasonable estimate for CBD gummies, particularly since improper storage can shorten the amount of time they can be used.

Of course, the dates are really just a convenience, not a guarantee. Manufacturers can print any expiry date they want on their packages as long as they don’t get “caught.” The real concern is whether the gummies have spoiled, and the best way to be sure is to check them yourself.

If your gummies taste different than usual or simply taste bad, or if they smell odd, or if they’re hard and no longer chewy, or if they’ve changed colour (or grown mold), or if they don’t work as well as they used to, they’ve probably expired. Toss them and replace them.

There’s good news, though. Using expired CBD gummies shouldn’t make you sick enough to go to the doctor. Old CBD won’t hurt you, it just won’t provide its usual effects. Expired gummy candies may give you a stomach ache but nothing more.

Even so, it’s better to be safe. If you need more information to help, read on.

What Are CBD Gummies?

We’ll answer the question in two parts.

All About CBD

Cannabidiol, commonly referred to as CBD, is one of the two most important plant compounds called cannabinoids contained in hemp and cannabis plants. The other is THC, the psychoactive compound that makes cannabis and the marijuana harvested from it psychoactive. CBD, by contrast, is non-intoxicating — as are products like CBD gummies that contain it.

There’s very little cannabidiol in cannabis. Hemp is rich in the cannabinoid, though, so producers extract CBD from hemp plants. That CBD is accompanied by other plant components, like hemp’s small amount of THC, minor cannabinoids, and terpenes; those compounds all work together in an “entourage effect” that boosts cannabidiol’s effectiveness.

(They can also be removed to produce slightly less effective products for users who can’t or don’t want to consume THC or terpenes. Broad-spectrum CBD contains only traces of THC at most, and CBD isolate is pure CBD with no other plant compounds present.)

CBD products have become enormously popular since their legalisation in the late 2010s, and the reason is simple. Even though cannabidiol is only an approved prescription medication for rare types of childhood epilepsy, preliminary research has shown that it appears to be effective against a large number of medical issues.

Among the conditions and diseases that may respond to CBD are stress, anxiety, depression, and more serious mental health disorders; insomnia and sleep quality problems; chronic pain caused by inflammatory and anti-immune diseases; high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels; neurodegenerative diseases; acne; and even some types of cancer.

Cannabidiol doesn’t work well taken by itself, since the body can’t absorb CBD very well. It’s combined with other ingredients like so-called “carrier oils” to boost its availability to the body, and then either sold as CBD oil or infused into products like gummy candies.

All About CBD Gummies

CBD oil is the most popular cannabidiol product because, if dropped under the tongue, it’s one of the two fastest and most effective ways to use the cannabinoid. (The liquid used to vape CBD performs at about the same level).

CBD gummies are the second-most popular product, mostly because they’re easy to dose and simple to use. Side benefit: they’re available in lots of delicious flavours.

There’s nothing mysterious about these candies. They’re similar to the treats that have been popular for decades. More recently, they’ve been infused with vitamins, supplements, or in recent years where it’s legal, cannabis extract. The only difference is that CBD gummies are infused with CBD oil, a combination of cannabidiol and a carrier oil like MCT or coconut oil.

The gummies themselves are usually manufactured from gelatin, although some companies produce them with a vegan alternative like pectin or tapioca syrup. Flavourings and sweeteners (and often, citric acid) contribute the gummies’ taste. Some manufacturers take care to use organic products, but many, of course, do not.

CBD gummies are available in a wide range of pre-measured dosages. Unfortunately, there’s no simple way for consumers to know what dose might provide the benefits they hope to receive. There are no authoritative guidelines since cannabidiol is not an approved medical treatment except for the one issue we’ve mentioned.

The best approach is to speak with your doctor or another healthcare professional for their advice before using CBD gummies or other products. They can consider your physical and medical conditions and the other medications you take, tell you whether CBD is a good idea for your needs, and recommend an appropriate dose.

What’s the Shelf Life of CBD Gummies?

Most people won’t have to worry about their CBD gummies going bad. The products have an estimated shelf life of 12-18 months, so chances are good that they’ll be long gone before they would have expired.

For those who only pop a gummy now and then, or keep multiple bottles for convenience (for example, at home, at work, and in their purse or backpack), here are the specifics.

• High-quality CBD oil contained in gummies should last for 1-2 years from its date of manufacture, as long as the cannabidiol and oil were stored properly by the producer before being infused into the candies.
• Gummies made from gelatin shouldn’t go bad for at least a year. Some are still good for 18 months, and vegan gummies made from pectin or similar alternatives may be fine for as long as two years.
• The other flavourings, sweeteners, and colourings in CBD gummies generally won’t cause spoilage issues, at least for the 1-2 years that the gummies will remain usable.

Bear in mind, however, that those numbers are for products stored in optimal conditions. We’ll discuss those conditions in more detail shortly, but even if purchasers do all they can to preserve the life of their gummies, there’s no way to know whether they’ve been stored properly by the producer and vendor, and in transit between them.

A safe estimate for CBD gummies’ shelf life, then, would be about a year. That’s usually reflected in the expiration date printed on the product label. The printed dates aren’t uniform, though, because laws and regulations vary by country.

For example, in the UK, producers are required to label their CBD gummies with expiry dates no longer than one year after the products were manufactured. In the US, there’s no law mandating expiration dates, but most companies add them as a matter of course, and the government requires that any printed date can be justified by data showing that the date is accurate.

There’s one other twist. American producers often print a “manufactured on” date instead of an expiry date on the label; that allows them to ignore the need for data backing up an expiration date. It’s also better for users, who can decide for themselves how long to wait before replacing their old CBD gummies.

Signs of Expired CBD Gummies

It’s easy to understand why so many buyers never bother to check a product’s expiration date: there’s no way to be certain that the date is accurate.

Fortunately, consuming expired CBD won’t send you to the doctor or the hospital. In most cases, the cannabidiol will simply have lost its power and won’t deliver the effects that you expect. The gummies themselves are more likely to cause minor issues; if the candies have gone bad, they may cause brief stomach distress.

How do you know if your CBD gummies should be tossed? Just use your senses.

• Appearance: If the gummies have changed colour from when you purchased them, they’re probably going bad. If they’re growing mold, naturally, dump them immediately.
• Smell: Expired gummies will usually smell “off” in some way, not fruity and delicious as you’d expect.
• Texture: CBD gummies that are hard and no longer chewy are most likely past their usable date.
• Taste: Gummies that have gone bad usually have lost their flavour. They may even taste nasty.

And needless to say, if you use the gummies and they simply don’t “work” anymore, it’s time to buy another bottle.

How To Maximize the Shelf Life of Your CBD Gummies

Before purchasing a bottle of CBD gummies (if you’re buying them in a store), check the bottle. If there’s not an unbroken protective seal on the top, the gummies it contains may have been exposed to elements that cause them to degrade. Choose a different bottle. Do the same if the gummies haven’t been protected from light by a coloured bottle or a box.

Once you’ve purchased a bottle of CBD gummies, it’s easy to maximize their usefulness. You simply have to store them properly.

All CBD products, including gummies, should be kept in a dry, cool, dark area. A moist or humid environment can encourage mold growth, and heat and light (particularly the sun’s ultraviolet light) can cause the cannabidiol to break down.

CBD gummies will last longest when stored in a dark pantry, closet, or drawer. Don’t make a common mistake, though; many people store things in the cupboards or drawers near kitchen appliances like stoves or ovens, so the temperature inside the storage area can be too high to protect your gummies from degrading. It’s OK to keep them in the fridge, but not the freezer.

Be sure to close the gummy container tightly each time you open it. Oxygen in the air can also cause your CBD products to go bad more quickly than they should.

Finally, do your research and only buy from a reputable producer and/or vendor. The highest-quality CBD gummies will last the longest.

Take care of your CBD gummies, and hopefully, they’ll take care of you.

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