Pine trees and grapefruit juice, skunk, and diesel fumes, fresh soil and ground pepper — the broad range of aromas given off by cannabis flowers and weed smoke is part of what makes consuming marijuana such an enjoyable, immersive experience.
But there are many times in life when you may not want the unmistakable aroma of marijuana rising off your clothes, or wafting through your living room when you have unexpected house guests.
If you’re looking to be more discreet with your cannabis, and you don’t want to turn heads with an acrid cloud of eau de cannabis trailing you like Pigpen in Peanuts, then there are basically two main things to focus on: how to prevent the smell, and how to mask it when it gets out of control.
Hold your breath, we’re going in.
How to prevent the smell of weed
When smoking cannabis, especially a potent, pungent strain, the aroma can carry a long way and fill up an enclosed space in no time.
If you’re somewhere that you don’t want to reek of cannabis, say, a hotel room or your home office, make sure that the space is well ventilated. Open a window and if you can, a door to help the air circulate. Try to smoke as close as possible to the open window, exhaling outside as much as possible. If you have a small fan, prop it up facing out the window as an exhaust fan of sorts, and try to blow through the blades from behind.
When you’re finished smoking, leave the window open and turn on a ceiling fan if possible, allowing the room to ventilate for at least half an hour.
For cannabis flowers, the same principle applies — the aroma of pungent flowers can hang in the air in a closed space, so make sure to keep a window cracked when you open your stash.
Cover your tracks
The smell of marijuana smoke doesn’t always dissipate the moment the smoke has cleared. Paraphernalia like pipes, bongs, or ashtrays can give off a powerful aroma for some time, so make sure to clear them and store them away after you’re done smoking. Also, the singed joint filter or roach left over after you smoke can reek as well, so make sure to toss it out along with any ashes that may have fallen around the room.
If you’re smoking inside your house, make sure to close any closet doors, otherwise the smoke can get in and leave an aroma on your clothes.
Find a low key spot
A tried and true trick for people wanting to keep their weed smoke discreet is to seek out an underused spot for a smoke break.
At home, this could mean stepping out to the back porch instead of fogging up the living room, or if you’re at work or a social function, heading out to the parking lot or for a quick “run to the store.” Your sudden absence may cause suspicion, but in the absence of any nearby weed smoke, you could be in the clear.
Smoking next to the bathroom window with the exhaust fan on and the shower running to create steam can also help mask the scent, though you may also have to actually take a shower to pull off the ruse.
Does vaping weed smell?
Because vaporization heats up cannabis without combusting it, it doesn’t produce any smoke — only vapor. Not only can this make it much easier on your lung and throat, but it also means you don’t need to contend with plumes of acrid weed smoke. That said, vaping does produce a distinctive odor, though it’s not nearly as strong as cannabis smoke and it dissipates quite quickly.
How to get rid of the smell of weed
The other main form of weed odor management is masking the smell after it’s already in the air.
Source: Cannigma
Image: Unsplashed
