How to Get Rid of Weed Smell

Reading time - 8 minutes - September 29, 2022

Cannabis, or weed, has been a staple across every sector of human development over the space of around 12,000 years. There remain few aspects of our lives that cannabis cannot play a role in: from the construction of housing and the production of clothing to skincare, food, and medicine. Therapeutic, medicinal and recreational use of the plant has been around for millennia, thanks to the incredible versatility of the cannabis crop. In this time, consumption methods have morphed and evolved, with topicals, edibles, and countless other products now widely available.

Nonetheless, the inhalation of cannabis remains the most popular modes of administration. This is probably because smoking and vaping offer the most potent effects when compared to other methods. Despite the benefits, though, consuming cannabis in this way can result in the presence of an undesirable odour – particularly when you want to be discreet about your cannabis consumption for whatever reason. Even if you haven’t smoked or vaped your product yet, it can be difficult to keep the smell of cannabis under wraps if you are storing it in your home or taking it with you on the go. 

So, with this well-known problem in mind, we are looking to answer the frequent question: How to get rid of the weed smell.

Why Does Weed Smell?

Cannabis is an amazing plant that contains a huge number of natural chemicals and compounds – some of which are completely unique to this well-loved crop. From cannabinoids to terpenes to flavonoids, each of these compounds has unique properties that help to make each strain of cannabis different – whether that be in appearance, flavour, effects, or – you guessed it – scent. Of these chemical groups, many people familiar with cannabis will be most excited about cannabinoids. This is the category of chemicals that can boast CBD and THC. Over recent years, our knowledge of these compounds has grown extensively and we now know that these, and others like them, are largely responsible for the most impressive and sought after effects of cannabis. However, it is not these compounds that mainly contribute to create the unique weed smell we have all come to recognise. That pleasure belongs to another type of compound – terpenes.

The Power of Terpenes

Terpenes are actually present in all plants in the world and their unique combination comes together to create the smells we use to distinguish between various plant species. They are largely the reason we enjoy the smell of bouquets of roses and of freshly cut grass. In the case of cannabis, however, we might not always be so happy to showcase the smell so freely. 

As we mentioned, terpenes are present in all plants, so, what gives weed such an easily distinguishable smell? Well, the scent we’re all familiar with might not be quite as unique as you may think. Cannabis is a member of the Cannabaceae family. This is a small family of flowering plants that includes hemp, hackberries, and hops! Have you ever cracked open a cold beer and been greeted by a distinctly weed-y smell? Well, that’s not someone lighting up in your immediate vicinity – it’s the beer!

Nonetheless, this faint skunky smell that might greet your nostrils when sipping a cold one is nothing compared to the vapour that greets you when powering up your trusty dry herb vaporizer. It is highly unlikely you will have to research how to get rid of the smell of hops in your home. So, that brings us back to our initial question…

Why do some cannabis products smell more than others?

If you are a real cannabis connoisseur who likes to try out as many different product types as possible, you will probably notice that, in addition to their appearance, their scents can also vary significantly. You might be surprised to have whipped off the lid of a CBD oil to be greeted once again with that singularly strong aroma of cannabis. You were probably expecting something a little more discrete. Of course, the extent of this smell will depend on what kind of CBD product you have purchased. For example, CBD isolates will likely give off less of a weed smell than full-spectrum products. That’s because the latter category will contain a full array of terpenes that allow the oil to mimic the scent of the source cannabis plant.

On the other hand, you may have dipped your nose right into your favourite hemp cream with the hopes of picking up a trace of cannabis – only to be disappointed. The strength of the weed smell you are looking for will depend not only on the cannabis extract used, but also the ingredients it has been combined with. For example, many hemp skincare products are made using hemp seed oil. While this part of the plant has many natural benefits, it usually contains lower concentration of terpenes and very few cannabinoids. 

When these extracts are utilised for skincare, they are also combined with an array of other ingredients that will further dilute the weed smell you might have been expecting. While that isn’t to say you won’t be able to pick up a faint whiff of cannabis, it is likely to be much weaker than in many other products – particularly weed flowers or buds.

Effectively Storing Your Cannabis Products

We all know that cannabis smells. Whether we enjoy or hate that smell depends on each of us individually; however, whether we love it or loathe it, it is likely we don’t want it to linger around our house or our person. So, what can you do to get rid of that familiar weed smell? 

The best way to start when getting rid of the smell of weed is to do as much as you can to prevent the leakage of the scent in the first place. This might sound like it is easier said than done, but with our wide selection of smell proof storage solutions, including Mylar Bags, it really is a breeze. These versatile storage solutions allow you to effectively store all your cannabis products – from raw buds to accessories like grinders and vaporizers. Furthermore, these products not only prevent scent leakage but also protect your products from outside elements. For example, the strong and durable outer layer of each Mylar Bag acts as a barrier from both air, moisture, and light (particularly our all-black options).

But, while this is a great first step to take to reduce the weed smell in your home or when you’re on the go, it won’t help you all too much when you are actually vaporising or smoking your chosen product. Now that we mention smoking and vaping, you might wonder whether one of these methods of consumption somehow creates more of a ‘weed smell’ than the other. It’s another good question, and one that can also help us to solve our problem of keeping that weed smell to a minimum!

Does Vaporizing Weed Smell More than Smoking?

Smoking and vaporizers both work in essentially the same way – by heating up your weed. However, the extent to which they do this could not be more different. While smoking involves the combustion of plant matter, leading to the release of smoke that contains not only cannabinoids and terpenes, but also harmful toxins and carcinogens that can negatively impact our health.

In comparison, dry herb vaporizers, like our Nectar Platinum Vaporizer, heat up your cannabis without taking it to the point of combustion. This initiates the release of vapour from the natural oils of the plant without releasing that harmful smoke. As a result, you are left a smoother and less harmful vapour that contains more cannabinoids and terpenes. But does this impact the strength of the smell released from your weed?

Well, the vapour released from your vaporising device is not only safer and more nutrient-rich than the smoke given off from a joint; it is also less dense, meaning it won’t linger for as long as that thick plume in the second scenario. So, as long as you are vaping your cannabis in a well-ventilated area, the weed smell you’re worried about will likely fade within a matter of minutes. This vapour also doesn’t cling to things such as clothes and furniture as effectively as smoke, so the chance of a lingering odour sticking around is much smaller! That’s a win-win, right?

For more information on the difference between vaporised and smoked weed, check out our blog: ‘Does Vaporizing Weed Smell More than Smoking it?’

Nonetheless, if you find yourself with a lingering weed smell that just won’t go away on its own, there are some things you can do to address the problem.

How to get rid of the weed smell

If you have just returned home to be hit in the nose with the strong smell of weed from your last vaping session, there are three key areas you should focus on in order to get rid of the scent: the air, furniture, and carpets & floors.

Removing the cannabis smell from the air

To address any weed smell lingering in the air, you should focus on ventilation and circulation as well as absorbing the smell. Start off by opening a window (or as many as you have available if you feel it necessary!) to encourage the circulation of fresh air through your home. This will not only introduce clean air but will, hopefully, also remove any stagnant air that remains.

If you have an extractor fan in the vicinity – for example, if the room of concern is your kitchen or you have an open-plan set-up – it could also be worth cranking this up for a little while. This will draw any smells out of the room and leave you with a fresh-smelling home once more! Finally, it’s time to absorb any scent that is left behind. A good quality spray or plug-in air freshener should help significantly by replacing that weed smell with a more desirable and discrete scent.

Furniture, Carpets & Floors

Aside from lingering in the air, scents can also cling to other things in your home. The most common for smells to take a liking to is furniture, carpets and floors. So how can you get rid of the weed smell from these areas? Don’t worry, just a simple clean and freshen up should help to banish those unwanted odours for good – or at least until your next vaping or smoking session…

Start by dusting any hard surfaces. This might sound too simple to be effective but smells can easily cling to fine particles like dust that can be found all over your home. Any furniture or floors in your home that are made from hard materials such as wood or plastics are easy enough to give a once-over clean – but what about soft furnishings and carpets. Well, for these products, you may be required to put in a little more elbow grease.

For machine washable items like blankets and cushion covers, this isn’t much of a hindrance; however, for sofas and carpets, things can be a little trickier. It is unlikely that the weed smell has gotten so strong that you will have to hire a deep-action carpet cleaner, but a light shampoo of any affected area should be sufficient to rid you of any leftover scents. You can also try a fabric freshener that works to absorb and replace unwanted smells from soft furnishings!

So, there you have it: everything you need to know about dismissing that lingering weed smell and giving your home (and your person) a fresh lease of life!