Smoking cannabis is simple, straightforward, and provides fast-acting effects. However, lighting up also produces a pungent, skunky, instantly recognizable odor.
One component of weed’s characteristic aromas is due to compounds known as terpenes, which also play a role in the scents (and flavors) of all other plants, too. They give cannabis its fruity, citrusy, spicy, or earthy notes and may contribute to the effects of a particular strain.
Why does marijuana smell skunky, though? Recent research found that cannabis contains volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs), some of which have never been seen before. They’re similar to the VSCs that exist in a skunk’s defensive spray, as well as the VSCs in other plants like garlic and hops.
While you might not mind the aroma of weed, you may not want it lingering in your home or on you. Fortunately, we have your handy marijuana education guide to covering up the smell of marijuana.
Covering Up the Scent of Weed: 5 Helpful Tips
Here are a few simple things you can do to cover up the weed smell:
1. Burn Incense or Diffuse Essential Oils
You may be able to mask the smell of weed with some natural scents. Try burning palo santo or sandalwood incense or adding essential oils such as lavender, patchouli, or eucalyptus to a diffuser during and after your smoke sessions. You may also find success with aerosolized air fresheners or odor eliminators.
2. Clean Up After You Smoke
The smell of cannabis sticks to pretty much everything. After you finish smoking, empty your ashtray, ash your pipe, and clean your smoking paraphernalia before you store them. You may also want to clean the surfaces in your home.
3. Practice Good Hygiene
At the very least, brush your teeth to get rid of the cannabis scent on your breath, wash your hands thoroughly, and consider changing clothes. If you have time, take a shower and wash your hair.
4. Cook Something Fragrant
Cooking a meal heavy with ingredients such as onions, garlic, and strong spices can create an even more pungent aroma that may help mask the scent of weed lingering in your home.
5. Brew a Pot of Coffee
Coffee is rich in nitrogen, which can act as a powerful odor neutralizer. Spread some grounds around your home or leave an open container of them in your car to sop up unwanted weed smells.
Can You Avoid the Weed Smell?
One of the easiest ways to avoid the smell of weed is to avoid smoking altogether. If you prefer inhalation, vaping offers an alternative. While you may notice a smell, it’s significantly less pungent than joints. Or you can choose smokeless products such as tinctures, capsules, or edibles, all of which you can find at Harbor House Collective dispensary in Boston.
If you prefer smoking, here are a few tips that may help you avoid the telltale weed scent:
- Store your weed in airtight mason jars.
- Exhale your hit through a cannabis filter or homemade sploof (an empty toilet paper roll with a dryer sheet covering one end).
- Smoke with the windows open and have a fan running. If possible, you might also consider smoking outdoors.
- Pack less weed into your bowl or invest in a one-hitter to produce less smoke.
Further Your Marijuana Education
With these tips in mind, you can cover up and even avoid the smell of weed in your home and on you. If you need additional tips or advice, or you want to find high-quality cannabis products (smokable and smokeless), Harbor House Collective is here for you. Visit us at our dispensary in Boston today!
