If you’re familiar with cannabis, you may also be familiar with how quickly it can degrade. If you don’t have it in an airtight container, it can get stale — fast. But what about Delta-8? We want to get into the details in this guide. Specifically, let’s take a look at the best practices for storing vape cartridges and facts about the shelf life of our vape cartridges that you should be aware of.
As it stands, the Delta-9 in cannabis naturally degrades into CBN, literally converting into a different cannabinoid. CBN is a minor cannabinoid that is believed to make users relaxed but likely not high. For recreational users, this can be a big bummer when consuming cannabis.
So, does Delta-8 degrade in the same way? Well, not exactly. Here’s everything you need to know!
What’s the Typical Vape Cartridge Shelf Life?
The typical Delta-8 vape cartridge shelf life is about 18 months. That’s a whopping year and a half you have to enjoy each cartridge! If you buy in bulk, that means the taste, aroma, and potency will stay good for at least 18 months, which sounds like a win-win to us.
Of course, 18 months is the shelf life when your vape cartridges are stored properly. If your products are exposed to heat, sunlight, humidity, or tampering, the expiration date is likely to hit sooner.
We try to recommend storing vape cartridges and disposables the right way to ensure they’re good until the last puff, but a high-quality cart will only get you so far if you don’t treat it with care.
How to Improve Your Vape Cartridge’s Shelf Life
We know that the Delta-9 degrades into CBN over time, but this process is sped up when the cannabis is exposed to oxygen, warm conditions, and sunlight. These variables are part of the reason storing vape cartridges and cannabis material in proper containers is so important.
Fortunately, Delta-8 and Delta-9 are similar in many ways, they’re not identical. Delta-8 is actually much more shelf-stable than the traditional THC, and less sensitive to outside variables overall.
While we have other guides on storing Delta-8, this guide is specific to storing vape cartridges and disposable vapes. Since we provide a variety of products, we feel it’s only fair to offer in-depth guides specific to each of them. For now, let’s check out some of our best tips for storing our carts and disposables.
1. Avoid Direct Sunlight
The cannabis plant is sensitive to light, so it makes sense that derivative cannabinoids would have similar sensitivities. Delta-8, in particular, is especially reactive to sunlight. Exposure to harmful UV rays and other aspects of the sun will lessen any hemp product’s potency. They simply weren’t made to withstand such factors!
This one’s an easy fix, though — just keep ‘em out of the sun! When storing vape cartridges or disposables, it’s best to keep them in a drawer, glovebox (just not during summer), your fridge, or somewhere else away from the light. These products deteriorate quickly when exposed to these direct light, making them far less effective.
2. Keep Them in a Cool, Dark Place
That brings us to our next point: storing vape cartridges in a cool, dark place! The options listed above are good examples, but notice how we said you shouldn’t store your vape in your glovebox during the summer? It’ll probably be too hot in your car for most of that season. Ideally, you’ll want to find a drawer or somewhere away from any heat or humidity.
Upgrade: to the Fridge!
We did also mention the fridge, for those that don’t mind practicing patience. The payoff is cold, potent puffs every time you take a hit! Your vape cartridge’s shelf life, when placed in the fridge, is sure to impress. The cool environment helps you retain as much of the Delta-8 THC, terpenes, and other precious compounds as possible!
3. Keep it Upright
This piece of advice comes in handy mainly for storing vape cartridges. Disposables are fully enclosed, meaning you can put them through more wear and tear with less of a risk of the contents leaking out.
If you happen to have a vape cartridge on you, you should see a metal coil in the middle with holes at the bottom. That’s where the “wick” of the cartridge collects and vaporizes the product for you to inhale. Laying it horizontally can cause the cartridge to become backed up. Worse, if any of the wicks get dry, you’re more likely to burn the coil. This gives every puff a burnt, charred sort of flavor. Do yourself a favor by ensuring the bottom of your cartridge always stays saturated.
The Correct Way to Store Vapes
There are hidden advantages to utilizing our tips and storing vape cartridges and Delta-8 disposables correctly. First, you’re optimizing the vape cartridge’s shelf life. Talk about cost-effectiveness! By following our advice, you can ensure you’re truly making the most of your Delta-8 vape cartridges and disposables.
Plus, you’re maximizing the potency. Keeping your carts upright ensures you’re not losing any product from the top, and keeping them cool — even in the fridge — and away from sunlight will help them stay as fresh as possible!
Like we said before, exposure to heat or sunlight means you’re losing valuable, precious components. They won’t taste as good, smell as fragrant, or feel as strong unless you keep them in prime condition.
Also, you want to ensure you use caution when storing vape cartridges or Delta-8 disposables. Remember, they’re often made from fragile materials like glass. While some can be durable, others are easier to damage. This risk increases when they’re exposed to pressure, heat, humidity, and more.
A damaged vape cartridge can ruin your Delta-8 experience, causing leaks or leading to a completely unusable vape. Avoid having to get replacements by always storing your vapes the right way!
What if You Weren’t Storing Them Correctly?
Okay, you’ve gotten to this part of our guide and realized… you’ve been storing vape cartridges in not-so-ideal conditions. Fortunately, not all is lost!
First, it depends on what factors your vape cartridge or disposable may have been exposed to. Was it out in the heat? If it wasn’t out for too long, the shelf life probably wasn’t altered significantly. Did you forget to store it away from sunlight? While that can sap terpenes and other compounds from it, it doesn’t have to be the end.
In these cases, we recommend giving your cart a smell. Does it still smell the same as it did when you first got it? If you don’t remember, that’s okay. It shouldn’t still smell “good” if it’s not expired. The other way to test it is to give it a small puff. Does it still taste the same? Does it still cause the same effects? The product is likely still active, if so.
It’s never too late to course-correct for products in the future. Make sure you’re storing vape cartridges and disposables the right way and it’ll pay off in cost, potency, and so much more.
How to Tell if a Delta-8 Vape is Expired
Maybe it’s been a while since you purchased your last Delta-8 vape cartridge. You might not even remember how long ago it was. That’s okay! With an approximate 18-month shelf life, it’s likely that it’s not past its prime just yet. There are a few other clues you can use to find out if the vape cartridge’s shelf life is still in effect.
Sometimes, the smell or taste can be all you need to know that your cart’s gone bad. Technically, a vape cartridge will never spoil, but it won’t taste very good anymore. It also probably won’t produce any effects, so there’s no real benefit to puffing on an expired product.
However, if taste or aroma don’t give it away, maybe the appearance will. As cannabis oil sits in a vape cartridge, it changes in texture and color. Is the color clear or close to clear? It could very well still be good, especially compared to a dark yellow or even brown cartridge.
In terms of texture, Delta-8 distillate is more of a viscous, gelatinous product. Expired forms will take on a thick, syrup-like texture. It may be harder to see this for a Delta-8 disposable, but its effect should be a clear indicator if it’s still good otherwise.
Final Thoughts on Proper Storage
We hope this guide will teach you the proper ways to store vape cartridges. If you were curious about the shelf life of a Delta-8 vape cartridge, we were able to uncover the answers here. Now, it just takes finding a Delta-8 vape cartridge or disposable flavor that you truly enjoy.
Look through our carts and disposables today to see which flavor calls out to you!
