Key Takeaways
- You can avoid the smell of weed altogether by trying discreet options like vaping or edibles.
- But if smoking a joint is your preference, try being outdoors or next to a window in a ventilated room. Using a sploof or a smoke buddy is a good solution, as is storing your stash in odor-proof bags.
- Remember to change your clothes afterwards and brush your teeth to mask the smell on your person.
There’s nothing more uncomfortable than heading out to run errands or grab a meal knowing you reek of weed. It can amplify any anxiety you already feel about being high in public, acting counterintuitively to why you smoked up in the first place.
We’ll show you how to avoid smelling like weed, from smoking outside and using sploofs to odor-control solutions that actually work, and more. Some may say that the best way to avoid the smell of weed is to prevent the aroma altogether.
What Gives Weed Its Smell?
Among other factors, that distinct cannabis scent comes mostly from terpenes. These are volatile oils that give the plant its pine, citrus, skunky, and earthy notes. Smoking a joint involves burning these terpenes and plant material, which produces that unique earthy smell.
But if the odor has a chemical-like quality, there is a chance that your weed could be laced. That’s why it’s best to vet brands and only shop lab-tested THC.
During combustion, burned particles and tar are released, along with pungent smoke that can cling to surrounding surfaces, such as fabric, hair, and skin. So, even a quick session indoors can leave curtains and upholstery smelling for days.
That’s why masking the smell after smoking rarely works. Air fresheners only cover it temporarily, and perfume can clash with the skunky undertone. So the best cure is to prevent the smell from surfacing at all.
Vapes & Gummies: Discreet Options to Try
If the smell of weed is giving away your favorite downtime activity, consider switching to consumption methods that produce little to no lingering odor. Vapes and edibles are ideal for these purposes.
Vape pens heat concentrated oil below combustion temperature, releasing vapor that disperses quickly and carries less scent than smoke. Edibles avoid inhalation entirely, delivering precise doses of THC or other cannabinoids without any smell.
You don’t have to give up THCA flower completely, but there’s a time and place for it. Trying alternative methods not only helps you avoid awkward moments spent explaining that “weed smell”, but it also supports harm reduction and more consistent dosing.
7 Tips to Avoid Smelling Like Weed
If you’ve already smoked and need quick fixes, try these odor-reducing strategies.
1. Smoke Outside Whenever Possible
Lighting up outdoors is the simplest way to keep your clothes and space smoke-free, ergo odor-free. A light breeze helps disperse the scent quickly. Just exhale downwind so the smoke doesn’t blow back onto you.
2. Use a Sploof Indoors, and Blow Out the Window
If weather or living situations are making outdoor smoking impossible, you could also smoke near an open window and exhale outside. It’s a good idea to use a homemade or store-bought sploof.
You can try to make a sploof yourself with cardboard from an empty toilet paper roll. Either stuff it with dryer sheets or stick them on one end to filter out the smoke. Replace the sheets regularly to maintain effectiveness.
3. Smoke in a Well-Ventilated Space
Select a room that’s easy to ventilate. For example, rooms with ceiling fans, open windows, or exhaust vents tend to clear smoke faster. You can use fans to direct air out of the room instead of letting it swirl and settle.
4. Protect Your Clothes and Hair
It’s helpful to wear a dedicated “smoking outfit” that you can wash or air out afterward. Tie back your hair or cover it with a hat or a bandana to reduce odor absorption.
5. Mask Residual Odor on Your Person
- Hands and Skin: Wash your hands thoroughly with a fragrance-free soap, and then apply a lightly scented lotion or hand oil.
- Breath: Brush your teeth, rinse with mouthwash, or chew minty-flavored gum after smoking.
- Clothes: Spray a light fabric refresher and hang your clothes in the fresh air for 10-15 minutes while you change into something else.
6. Clean the Environment After a Session
- Open all the windows and doors for proper cross-ventilation.
- Run an air purifier with a HEPA or carbon filter near the area where you smoked.
- Wipe down all surfaces with a damp cloth to remove any sticky residue.
- Place odor-absorbing ingredients like baking soda or activated charcoal to neutralize any lingering smells.
7. Consider Using Smoke-Reducing Tools
- Smoke Buddy
This device filters any exhaled smoke through a layer of activated carbon for major odor reduction. It works thanks to a process called ‘adsorption’, where odor-producing molecules and terpenes end up sticking to the surface of porous carbon.
- Vapor Blunt
A vapor blunt burns much slower than a regular joint and smolders less than typical papers. It’s essentially a cigar or wrap with no tobacco. But rather than smoking it, like a traditional joint, it’s vaporized and inhaled. Not only does this release minimal odor, but it may even be safer than smoking for you.
- Odor-Proof Bags
Store cannabis gear in resealable, carbon-lined smell-proof bags to contain the tell-tale smell from even the strongest, self-announcing strains.If you still notice a lingering odor and it’s keeping you from relaxing when you light up, it might be time to switch to a low-odor method entirely. Vape pens and edibles deliver cannabinoids without burning plant material, offering a discreet, smoke-free experience.
Keeping It Under Wraps
How you choose to unwind is your business, and smoking weed recreationally should never invoke judgment from any quarters. Knowing how to mask the smell of weed can be handy to avoid attracting the ire of onlookers or housemates.
That’s why smoking with proper ventilation, using sploofs, and maintaining good hygiene overall can go a long way in helping you mask the smell of weed. But for the overly anxious, you can quell worries about getting found out by skipping the smoke altogether.
This means trying more discreet options like vape pens and edibles to enjoy cannabis anywhere and anytime, without the stress of lingering odors.
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