There are some ground spices that change flavour with time. Fenugreek comes to mind. I find the smell of stale fenugreek to be nauseating. It's a regular ingredient in "curry powder". It took a while to figure out what it was about store bought curry powder that I found nauseating. But, freshly ground fenugreek doesn't have that smell, even if it is freshly ground from old seeds. I think cumin may do something similar. I find freshly ground or whole cumin to be a delightful spice. I'm not sure if it's stale cumin that I find objectionable in most commercial chili powder.
So, that's a consideration. While old, ground spices are safe to eat, they will fade in flavour and can develop some off flavours. Whole spices keep their flavours for much longer.