Cannabis consumers have long contended with the problem of unwanted odors from their cannabis flower products. If you’ve consumed dry flower in any capacity, you’ll recognize that telltale weed smell almost right away. While cannabis smoke can only linger in the air for a few minutes, its pungent odor can linger and stick to surfaces, such as your furniture and clothing, for days at a time, which makes knowing how to get rid of weed smell a valuable skill and asset.

Whether you’re a seasoned consumer or just a beginner, you’re likely to come face to face with a situation where knowing how to get rid of the smell of weed will come in handy. 

Still, learning how to get rid of weed smell will take some time and effort, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing or if you’re in a rush. Not to worry, though! We’re here to help. Continue reading to find out why cannabis smells so strongly in the first place, as well as five easy ways you can eliminate cannabis’ pungent odor.

Why Does Cannabis Smell So Strongly?

Cannabis contains natural compounds and essential oils known as terpenes.

Terpenes, also found in flowers, fruits, and vegetables, are aromatic compounds that give plants and some insects their distinct odor and aromas.

Scientists have theorized that a cannabis strain’s unique terpene profile, combined with cannabinoids such as THC and CBD, contributes to their psychoactive effects through a phenomenon known as the entourage effect.

When cannabis flower is heated or decarboxylated, the plant’s fibres, as well as its terpenes, lipids and other compounds, begin to burn and smoke. Any marijuana smoke that isn’t inhaled will discharge slowly into the environment, creating that distinct marijuana smell that we’ll learn to get rid of in the following section.

How to Get Rid of Weed Smell – 5 Foolproof Ways

Air it Out

The best way to prevent weed smell from taking root on your clothes and in your dwelling is by consuming outside. Consuming outdoors allows the skunky scent, fumes, and particulate matter from the weed smoke to evaporate and drift away instead of collecting onto your clothes.

If you’re consuming indoors, the easiest way to get rid of the cannabis odor is to allow fresh air to circulate and transport the fumes outside of your dwelling.

Opening up your windows and doors to increase the ventilation in your home or using fans to improve airflow can speed up this process.

While this technique should remove most of the weed smell and smoke, you might need to employ additional deodorizing methods to remove any lingering odors.

Air Fresheners and Scented Products

Air fresheners and scented products won’t eliminate cannabis odor, but they can be extremely effective in masking it. While weed odor is strong, incense, air fresheners, and other scented products are often formulated to be even stronger and can cover the weed smell by overpowering and out-competing it.

A strategically placed bottle of body spray or perfume can also do wonders in preventing others from picking up on the odour of cannabis after consumption.

If you don’t want your house to smell like lavender and patchouli oil, you can whip up a serving of microwave popcorn instead!

Take a Shower

Even if you’re consuming outside to minimize or prevent odour, the smell of cannabis can still linger on your clothes, breath, and even your hair, especially if the wind is blowing against you.

Even if you don’t smoke weed inside, the smell of the smoke can still cling to you, especially if you blow your smoke in the direction of the wind. 

With this in mind, if you’re able and have the time to do so, taking a shower to cleanse your body thoroughly can eliminate any essential oils accumulated on your person—washing your hair, placing your clothing in the wash, and brushing your teeth will completely any odour of cannabis on your person beyond the shadow of a doubt.

Store Your Cannabis Properly

If cannabis flower and products aren’t stored properly, cannabis consumers not only risk exposing their immediate surroundings to the odour of cannabis but can also ruin the quality and integrity of the products themselves too.

Health Canada has implemented several guidelines to control the humidity, temperature and oxygen levels of cannabis before, during, and after its processing period; these controls become ineffective once the package is opened. If cannabis is improperly stored, excess humidity and moisture can penetrate the packaging and cause mould to develop, which can be dangerous to your health.

If you’re not sure how to properly store your cannabis products, check out our guide on “cannabis storage” for our guide.

Use a Sploof or an Air Filter

If you prefer to consume indoors but can’t do it by a window or on a balcony, exhaling the smoke into a sploof or an air filter can prevent weed smell from escaping into your dwelling. A sploof, also known as a smoke buddy or smoke filter, is a cylindrical device filled with odor filtering material to filter and eliminate weed smoke.

A sploof or smoke filter can be easily made at home with just a few household items.

To make a sploof, all you’ll need is a hollow, cylindrical-shaped vessel, some dryer sheets, and a rubber band or piece of tape. To make your sploof, fill your cylindrical-shaped vessel with three to four dryer sheets until it’s densely packed. After the vessel is loaded, wrap one final dryer sheet over one end of the vessel and seal it with either a rubber band or a piece of tape.

To use your sploof, bring the end without a dryer sheet attached to your mouth to form a seal and exhale lightly. The dryer sheets within your sploof won’t completely eliminate the odors, but they’ll help mitigate the smell.

Can Vinegar Get Rid of Weed Smell?

Vinegar is a mildly acidic liquid created by fermenting alcohol. A household staple and an ingredient in many household cleaners, vinegar’s acidic properties are powerful enough to dissolve dirt, grease, and grime, as well as kill bacteria.

With a pungent odour itself, vinegar is also an excellent deodorizer. Water and white vinegar together in a spray bottle can help get rid of unwanted smells in your dwelling and on your clothes.

Bringing a cup of vinegar to a boil in a saucepan or small pot can also be effective in preventing weed smell from collecting on your surfaces and counters.

Can Baking Soda Get Rid of Weed Smell?

Baking soda is an alkaline baking ingredient and leavening agent that has been extensively used as a natural deodorizer. A small, open container of baking soda can help control unwanted smells and odours by absorbing them with its low pH properties. Baking soda can also be spread thinly on fabric and textile surfaces to remove weed smell quickly.

How to Get Rid of the Smell of Weed – Responsible and Respectful Consumption

While current cannabis regulations allow for the consumption of cannabis in some indoor and outdoor settings, knowing how to not disturb others with secondhand cannabis smoke prevents further stigmatization of cannabis and its consumers. Whether you’re consuming cannabis for recreational or medicinal purposes, cannabis consumers should always practice responsible and respectful consumption practices.

We hope this article illustrates how accessible and painless odor control for cannabis can be. We implore cannabis consumers to follow these tips if they’re worried about exposing others to secondhand cannabis smoke and odors or simply want to be more considerate of others around them.