- Fact-checked by Dr. Desiree Granados
If you have a chronic medical condition, medicinal marijuana may be able to mitigate your symptoms. Many people have regained their independence and daily functioning thanks to cannabis’s beneficial effects.
Cannabis smoke can generate an unpleasant odor. Despite changing societal perceptions of cannabis use and the drug’s evolving legal status, many people do not want to smell like marijuana when they are at home or around others.
But don’t let those worries stop you from getting a marijuana card and using medical marijuana. Planning ahead will allow you to easily cover up or even avoid this odor. This article addresses the reasons why marijuana smells bad and methods for masking the smell.
What Causes the Smell of Weed?
Cannabis plants produce terpenes for defense and pollination, which give them their distinct aroma. The terpenes in cannabis help the user’s body utilize cannabinoids like THC and CBD and induce non-psychoactive effects as well.
Volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) are the source of the pungent aroma of cannabis. When you smoke marijuana, these organic compounds emit an unpleasant smell. Cannabis smoke spreads the compounds, filling the surrounding space. The smoke then dissipates and settles on the walls, furniture, and other surfaces, leaving behind a persistent marijuana odor.
Researchers studying VSCs found that the substance shares a molecular structure with garlic, which has anti-cancer properties. Despite their unpleasant odor, researchers are still looking into whether VSCs in cannabis have any therapeutic advantages that might enhance the drug’s health benefits.
How to Eliminate Weed Smell on You
Utilizing a consumption method that doesn’t produce an odor is the best way to stop cannabis odor from spreading to your body. THC can be delivered odorlessly by edibles, topicals, and vape pens, thereby saving you the trouble of odor removal.
Some people find these methods effective, but smoking offers some people the best health benefits. In that situation, it’s advisable to smoke outside in a well-ventilated area. Before you smoke, make sure it’s acceptable in your neighborhood to do so. Also, check the direction of the wind to make sure the marijuana smoke is blowing away rather than back at you.
Your hair and clothes will become infused with the smoke. Compared to natural fabrics, synthetic fabrics retain more of the weed smell. By allotting time to shower and change after smoking, you can reduce the smell. Body sprays like perfume or cologne and fabric sprays can help cover up this odor. A tried-and-true organic way to mask the smell of weed is patchouli oil.
You can mask the odor of marijuana on your breath by brushing your teeth, gargling with mouthwash, and chewing gum or mints with strong aromas.
How to Prevent the Smell of Weed at Home
If you can’t or don’t want to smoke outside, the best way to keep the marijuana smell out of your house is to smoke close to an open window. Exhaling through the window will prevent the accumulation of smoke in your home as long as the wind doesn’t push the smoke back inside.
The smell of marijuana can also be eliminated naturally with essential oils. The best approach is to use a diffuser, which will continuously release vapor to cover the smell of marijuana. The oils of citrus, eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, and sandalwood are favorites of seasoned smokers. To determine what blends work best for you, you can experiment with each of them.
Another method to hide the smell of marijuana in your house is to burn scented candles and/or incense while you smoke. This technique only masks odors that are present while the fragrance is burning. The smell of marijuana might be discernible after you put out the candle or incense.
Other smells can also be made to help. The smell of marijuana can be replaced by aromatic foods whose scents fill your home, such as stews or slow-cooked roasts. Regardless of the cannabis strain being smoked, the smell of burnt popcorn also overpowers the odor of marijuana. Although it has a strong smell, many people prefer it to the smell of weed. Even scattering baking soda in odorous spaces can work as an odor remover.
Additionally, you can always use white vinegar to remove the smell of cannabis smoke from hard surfaces and air fresheners to eliminate it from the air.
How to Mask the Smell of Weed in an Apartment or Dorm
Because they are smaller, dorms and apartments present a unique challenge that causes more smoke to accumulate. To prevent smoke buildup, open a window and use a fan to ventilate the space. Place the fan so that the air is directed outward. The smoke in your room will be expelled outside. Additionally, air purifiers can minimize the smell in smaller areas.
A spliff is a useful device for filtering marijuana odor. They’re available for purchase, or you can make your own with rubber bands, a dryer sheet, and a paper towel tube. Rubber bands are used to affix the dryer sheet to one end of the cylinder. The smoke can then be exhaled through the open end. As a filter, the dryer sheet will reduce the smell. Make sure to slowly exhale. The sheet can be moved by applying too much force.
Smoke can be isolated if you smoke in your bathroom. Turn on the bathroom fan after closing the door. After that, turn on the shower’s hottest setting. The fan will remove the vapor, and the steam will mitigate the smell of the marijuana.
Conclusion
If you follow the aforementioned tips, you should have no trouble concealing or driving out the smell of marijuana in your home or wherever else you smoke. Don’t let pesky smells prevent you from using medical marijuana to treat any qualifying conditions.
How we reviewed this article:
- Four ways to keep marijuana from smelling up your home
https://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2018/06/21/four-ways-keep-marijuana-from-smelling-your-home/ - How to Get Rid of Weed Smell
https://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Weed-Smell - Get Rid of Marijuana Smoke Smell in Houses
https://www.cannabolish.com/pages/remove-weed-smell-from-your-home
Current Version
July 6, 2023
Written By
Jake Peter
Fact-checked By
Dr. Desiree Granados
Editorial Process
Our Editorial Process
Jake Peter received his journalism degree from Emerson College and has been writing content for the Sanctuary Wellness Institute since 2021. He is passionate about all things cannabis.
