Cannabis 101

2023 shopping tip: Check those packaging dates!

Published on March 29, 2023
(David Downs/Leafly)

It’s 2023. At least 21 states have adult-use cannabis legalization. Yet we’re seeing some of the oldest, least fresh weed of our lives. Why? People aren’t shopping by packaging date—yet.

Watch this above video on a key shopping tip for the legalization era: Shop by packaging date!

“I feel like I’m taking crazy pills when I see year-old weed on shelves.”

David Downs,
Senior Editor, Leafly News

Cannabis is agricultural produce. Its freshness peaks from 30 to 90 days after it’s cured. Laws require packaging information like strain name, weight, and potency. But that info matters little if the weed has been sitting on shelves for a year. Watch and learn how to smoke fresh for better terps, taste, and stronger effects. Peace.

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David Downs
David Downs
Leafly Senior Editor David Downs is the former Cannabis Editor of the San Francisco Chronicle. He's appeared on The Today Show, and written for Scientific American, The New York Times, WIRED, Rolling Stone, The Onion A/V Club, High Times, and many more outlets. He is a 2023 judge for The Emerald Cup, and has covered weed since 2009.
View David Downs's articles
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