Skunk Smell: How to Get Rid of Weed Smell | Education

While the mainstream consensus on cannabis has sure come a long way over the past few decades, shifting from a black market illicit "gateway drug" to a widely legalized, approved of, and recognized form of natural medicine and recreational fun, there's still a long way to go before it's 100 percent accepted by the general public. The weed smell left behind after sparking up is one of the biggest tells that you're a cannabis smoker, aside from work-mandated drug tests or having obvious cannabis-smoking paraphernalia like bongs or pipes laying around.

While some might enjoy the aromas associated with cannabis, there is a list of reasons why someone might want to eliminate that odor. Some say that weed smells bad or that weed smells like skunk or cheese. Many want to be more discrete about their habits and not have their family or coworkers get a sniff when they walk by. Others might be looking for ways to avoid weed smell in cars or weed smell coming through vents into their neighbors' apartments. Whatever your reason is for wanting to dampen or get rid of the smell of weed, we've got your back here at Where's Weed!

That's why we've put together your one-stop guide to being an effective weed smell eliminator after even the more intense smoke session. We'll go over the tip and tricks you can do to reduce or get rid of the lingering smell of weed, the best ways to store your cannabis without drawing the attention of anyone you don't want to know it's there, and even give some tips on what you can do to still enjoy cannabis without the inevitable smell associated with smoking weed. With that in mind, let's get right into it!

Why Does Weed Smell Like Skunk?

Before we get too in-depth about how to get rid of the smell of weed, let's give a quick breakdown of why weed has the powerful and pungent odor that it does most of the time.

While we don't want to get too deep into the ultra-complicated science of cannabis, the basic answer to why it smells the way it does is its terpene profile. Cannabis strains or products rich in myrcene, a terpene found in plants like bay leaves, mangoes, hops, and thyme, tend to have that classic skunky cannabis odor.

Other strains with lower levels of myrcene tend to be less skunky and odorous, so if you're looking to keep things more discrete while puffing and passing make sure to check the label for myrcene content before sparking up! Another suggestion to keep myrcene-rich cannabis from escaping would be weed smell-proof bags you can easily purchase online.

Tips for Getting Rid of Weed Smell

Now that we have a basic understanding of why loud weed smells the way it does let's break down how to mask or get rid of the weed smell that's leftover after a session. We're going to break this section down into three separate categories; Things you can do before you smoke, stuff you can do during the session, and what to do after to get rid of the smell. Let's get right into it!

What To Do Before Smoking to Reduce Weed Smell

A wise old saying goes that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." That same concept applies to smoking some stinky, dank cannabis. With that in mind, here are some simple and basic tips for how to minimize weed smell where it's not wanted.

Make a Sploof

If you happen to have a dryer sheet, a rubber band, and a toilet paper roll laying around before you spark up, you're in luck! You can make yourself a handy, dandy sploof to exhale your smoke through. While we wouldn't recommend this one if you're trying to stay completely undetected, it's better than just blowing out the smoke around your palace with nothing to filter it. It might not be perfect, but it's better than nothing!

Choose Your Strain Carefully

As we mentioned above, the more myrcene present in a strain, the stinkier and skunkier it will be. So with that in mind, if you need your smoke session to be a bit more low-key, maybe you should grab some low myrcene strains or opt for vape pens instead. Both will be slightly less stinky and dank, more likely to fly under the radar than the typical skunky strains.

What to Do During a Session to Reduce Odor

While it's worth doing some preparation and making sure you have the proper strains and spoof handy, there are some things you can do during the smoke session itself that will reduce and bring down the volume on the loud you're puffing on.

Towel Under the Door

If you're looking to keep the smoke from your session enclosed in a particular space, you'll need to take the proper precautions to do so. One of the best and easiest ways to keep the smoke contained in one room is to dampen a towel and stuff that into the crease under the door of that room. While it's not perfect, that will help contain the odor and keep your sessions as private as possible. You'll also want to make sure to spark up in a room without any vents to keep the weed smell from coming through.

Hawaiian Hotbox

If you're determined to keep your cannabis use a secret, consider a Hawaiian Hotbox. This fun term is when you go into your bathroom, use the wet towel method under the door, and then turn your shower on full blast with hot water. The water vapor will pull the smoke from the cannabis out of the room quicker, thanks to the bathroom's built-in fan. Again, while it's not perfect and will look shady if you're trying to do a group session, it's better than just openly smoking and letting the smoke chill in that room.

What to Do After a Session to Reduce Weed Smell

If you've done all you can before and during your sessions and still need to get rid of the cannabis stink on your clothes, fabrics, or elsewhere in your house, this next section is for you. It's worth noting that the quicker you get on it and start trying the eliminate the odor after your session, the easier it will be to get rid of that smell. After all, the only thing worse than skunky weed smell is a stale skunky weed smell.

Light Some Incense or Diffuse Essential Oils

One of the easiest ways to get rid of a lingering cannabis odor after a session is to mask that odor with another one. Two of the best ways to do so are diffusing essential oils or burning incense. Peppermint, eucalyptus, and lavender are the go-to oils you'll want to use to try and get rid of cannabis odor, while incense like sage, jasmine, or palo santo are the best bets when it comes to incense. Both will do a great job at drowning out and killing the lingering cannabis scents in the air.

Have you tried any of these tricks before? Let us know what you think is the best method for getting rid of weed smell below!