Marijuana has been used for many years and in many different ways: for medicine, recreational, and religious purposes. However, one of the most common reasons people use marijuana is because it makes them feel good through its psychoactive effects. But there’s no denying that when you smoke weed, your clothes and living space will soon take on an unmistakable skunky aroma that may be off-putting to others.
So if you find yourself without any air fresheners or other means of getting rid of the odor fast enough before guests arrive, this article will give you some tips on how to get the best out of your pot while making it less smelly in the process.
What Does Marijuana Smell Like?
Marijuana has a very distinct smell which may be caused by the most abundant terpenes, which are myrcene, caryophyllene, and limonene.
The scent of marijuana can change with the amount of heat applied to the cannabis. The heat converts some of the cannabinoid acids into more aromatic terpenes. You can get cannabis that smells like oatmeal cookies when you use heat to it or something more earthy.
When it is smoked or vaporized, marijuana brings its burning taste through the smoke due to the terpenes evaporating at a lower temperature than THC and CBD. The burning taste can vary from very pleasant to harsh depending on the strain you have.
Marijuana should never smell sweet because this indicates chemical-based fertilizers and pesticides.
If you are growing your pot, it is best to produce a pure strain so that the odor will be pleasant even while being harvested. You can also use ripe fruits or some spices to cover up the smell while gathering if you have many plants growing in one place.
Read more: What is Lemon Thai Kush Strain?
How Does Marijuana Smell Before Being Smoked?
Marijuana smells before it is smoked. It doesn’t just smell like a plant, which you might think of as smelling green and earthy. Marijuana has an aroma that varies depending on the type of cannabis plant, how it was grown, and how long it was stored. Still, all will have some kind of odor detectable by humans and animals alike. Some people find this smell pleasant, while others do not.
So, How Should Marijuana Smell?
This depends on the strain and where you’re buying it from. If you want to know what a particular strain smells like, ask an experienced smoker or search online. You can also take a whiff of individual buds to get an idea for yourself. Assuming the marijuana is fresh and not dried out, it will have an earthy aroma to which you can add hints of citrus, mint, or skunk. Marijuana that is harvested early has a citrus flavor, while harvested later has more of a minty taste.
Skunky marijuana smells like the plant itself but with a pungent odor similar to what you would expect from insects sprayed with bug repellant.
Read more: Green Gelato Weed Strain Review
How Does Marijuana Smell After Being Smoked?
Freshly smoked weed has a sharp, earthy fragrance. It’s not uncommon for some people to find this smell very unpleasant or revolting. This is especially true for people who are not accustomed to the smell of marijuana. Marijuana smells even stronger after it has been smoked, although it can be covered up by using cologne or deodorant. On the other hand, Thick weed is less pungent and has an unpleasant sour, almost skunky smell to it. This happens when weed is left in the open and exposed to moisture and humidity.
The Most Common Marijuana Scents
The marijuana scent is the result of the THC that is released into the air when burnt. This can be done in 3 different ways: heat, vaporize, or smoke. The natural cannabis scent is often described as having a skunky smell.
There are some different smells that people pick up, but they can usually be placed into one of the three categories:
- Sweet
- Earthy/skunky
- Woody and pine-like (this is a more complex flavor and can’t easily be put into these two categories)
The heavy, musky scent of Afghani strains is one familiar marijuana scent. This aroma is often described as being earthy with a manure-like overtone.
Resinous and aromatic, the citrus scent from tangy Granddaddy Purps is unmistakable. Hints of chamomile tea are often detectable as well as cures.
Spice up your taste buds with the sweet and spicy nuances of Durban Poison. The flavor has been likened to cloves or ginger snap cookies, but this strain’s most famous note might be its smells: a rich mix of pine and pepper that gets you ready for a long day in class or at work!
As earthy as they come, Northern Lights’ signature berry scent carries hints of sandalwood and pine with a slight herbal essence.
The subtle tuberose-esque fragrance of Blueberry Headband is surprising but popular enough to draw comparisons to cotton candy and bubblegum. The hazy staple taste of this strain follows suit: like biting into the actual blueberry, it’s sweet yet tart at the same time.
A favorite of many, the scent of Grapefruit is most commonly associated with its taste: sweet and sour, just like the fruit itself! Hints of pine are often detectable as well.
This earthy strain is known for its skunky smell that can be difficult to mask if not properly cured. Subtle notes of fruit are sometimes detectable in the background, adding to OG Kush’sKush’s pungent profile.
The combination of Jack Herer and Skunk #1 creates a sweet yet earthy woodsy aroma. Jack Herer’sHerer’s spicy herbs are tempered by the deep muskiness of Skunk #1 for a well-rounded flavor that is similar to its parent strains; it’s a pungent, earthy mix that has an unmistakable herbal note in addition to the skunky sweetness.
When growing and curing buds, in particular, you want to ensure that even when your plants are harvested and dried out, they still carry a pleasant scent. You may also want to make sure that the marijuana smells well smoked, especially if you’re a medical patient who needs to medicate discreetly.
Read more: What is Marijuana Cookies Strain?
5 Tricks To Make Marijuana Smell Better
You want your cannabis to smell great. But if you’ve ever grown marijuana before, you know that it often ends up smelling like the inside of a dumpster. That’sThat’s because most growers are clueless about how to make their marijuana smell better. Lucky for them, there are plenty of tricks they can use to get their plants producing some seriously fragrant nugs. Here are five easy ways self-proclaimed cannabis connoisseurs say will help make your bud more aromatic and flavorful.
1. Keep A Lid On It.
If you’re growing marijuana, keeping a lid on your pot can dramatically reduce odor-causing bacteria that lead to bad smells coming from the cannabis itself. The same goes for storing marijuana or buds after they’ve been harvested – keeping them under airtight lids means no more room for decaying smells and bad odors.
2. Keep It Hot.
The number one reason weed starts to smell is excessive heat, which can degrade buds and release funky scents like ammonia. If your marijuana isn’t dried the right way before storage or transport, it could end up taking on a terrible stench. Prevent this from happening by allowing buds to dry in a cool, dark place for up to 48 hours before tightly sealing them to prevent any smells from seeping out.
3. Use Airtight Containers To Store Weed.
Airtight containers are your best friend when it comes to keeping your marijuana fresh and aromatic without that telltale dank smell. All you have to do is tuck your nugs inside an airtight container, like mason jars or glass food storage containers, and store them in a cool, dark location away from moisture and heat sources. You can also try sealing buds with plastic wrap before putting them in tight freezer bags for extra protection.
4. Keep Humidity Low.
High humidity levels can cause buds to rot and release a sour, wet smell known as “bud rot” or “wet dog syndrome.” The best way to prevent this from happening is by keeping the moisture content in the leaves at a safe level – 70 percent humidity is considered ideal for weed storage. If you’re cultivating marijuana in the wild, try to keep humidity levels below 50 percent to cut down on plant rot or molding.
5. Stop Stressing Out Over Your Harvest.
While it may be hard, try not to stress too much about getting every last ounce of weed out of your crop before starting a new one. If you’re continuously stripping down your plants, chances are they’ll end up dying much earlier than expected from bad smells or rot. Plus, when you put too much pressure on yourself to get the harvest over with quickly, your cannabis won’t grow as much since it doesn’t have time to reach its full potential.
Read more: How to Grow a High CBD Weed Strain
To Wrap It Up
The most important aspect of making cannabis smell good is keeping it under airtight containers and out of high humidity. This will make the marijuana fresher, more aromatic, and less likely to rot or take on bad smells like ammonia.
If you want your buds to be as potent as possible without a stinky after-smell, store them in cool dark places with low humidity levels for up to 48 hours before sealing tightly. Whether you’re growing weed indoors or outdoors, these easy tricks should help keep your plants smelling fresh until harvest time!
If you have any strategies or tricks for making marijuana smell good, feel free to share them in the comment section below.