{"id":587,"date":"2021-05-24T14:00:36","date_gmt":"2021-05-24T14:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bloomnews.wpenginepowered.com\/?p=587"},"modified":"2025-11-12T20:32:54","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T20:32:54","slug":"why-does-my-vape-cartridge-oil-turn-dark-brown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.bloommarijuana.com\/education\/why-does-my-vape-cartridge-oil-turn-dark-brown\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Weed Carts Expire? Why Your Weed Cart is Brown"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever had the cannabis oil in your vape cartridge turn dark brown? If so, do you know why that happened and what it means? Can cannabis oil go bad? In this article I will address these questions, will discuss how your vape cartridge works, and will provide tips on how to maintain your cartridge to increase its longevity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is Inside Your Cannabis Vape Cartridge?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Contained within the glass or plastic tube in your vape cartridge is approximately one gram of cannabis concentrate oil full of cannabinoids and terpenes. At the bottom of the cartridge, there is a metal plate that is heated by the battery located at one end of the vape pen. The oil is vaporized and inhaled through the mouthpiece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flower can lose its potency fairly quickly over time as it dries out, leading to the degradation of terpenes. While vape cartridges have a longer shelf-life, they do not last forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How The Oil in Cartridges Changes Over Time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In case you weren\u2019t aware, your cannabis oil is made up of lipids and molecules in complex chains whose bonds are not terribly strong. The heating of the oil on a regular basis results in the breakdown of these molecular bonds. It is important to note that THC molecules in cannabis will degrade into CBN no matter what delivery method you use. For those unfamiliar with CBN, when cannabis ages, the THC breaks down into CBN which has only mild psychotropic effects. The rate of THC degradation in your vape cartridge depends on the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heat Inside and Outside the Cartridge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Exposure to high temperatures over a period of time will increase the degradation of both the oil and the THC. Not only does the heat come from within the cartridge, it also comes from outside the cartridge. Because vape manufacturers choose to make their cartridges as cheaply as possible, this means that the tubes are not very effective at keeping out the heat from external sources. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n