How to Hide Weed Smell: Top 10 Tips to Smoke Weed Secretly
Even with all the innovations in the cannabis space, there isn’t quite like smoking weed.
But, what do you do when you’re with non-users? Or if you have some nosy neighbors who will definitely give you the side-eye?
Even with recreational marijuana being legalized in some places, you still need to be CAREFUL around those who are not fond of inhaling second-hand smoke from weed.
This article will give you the best tips for hiding weed smell or how to prevent it altogether. Let’s dive right in!
Tips for Hiding the Smell of Cannabis
Just finished a smoking session and realized that you need to get rid of the smell of weed?
We’re here to help!
In this section, we’ll tell you the best tips to hide the smell of cannabis. Let’s get right into it!
1. Ventilate
Nothing beats a good natural airflow when it comes to making sure you cover up that weed smell. The same goes when you are cooking edibles.
Just to be sure, open a window, open a door, or turn on the vent; anything that will keep the air moving, to be honest.
A well-ventilated area will keep the smell of weed from staying in one place. But, setting up a fan would also be a nice alternative if you live in a pretty enclosed area.
But, if having a fan in the room is impossible, the bathroom fan is another option for you.
Here’s what you’ll do.
- Put a damp towel under the bathroom door to stop the smell of weed from seeping into another room. After that, run the hot water from the shower until you get some steam.
- Turn on the bathroom fan, and then you can start smoking your cannabis.
Note – this method will not mean you can smoke and no one directly next door will know. But, if your smoking a joint and have some time before someone else comes back, this might work for you.
If smoking indoors is not an option, you can always try out the next solution!
2. Smoke Weed Outside
If you think the smell of weed will irk someone you’re sharing a room with or your parents, it might be worth considering doing it outside.
And, the good thing is, you don’t even have to go far if you have a balcony, terrace, an open yard, or a garden where air flows well.
Especially for those who live in an area or a state where cannabis is illegal, taking a short trip outside will surely prevent that marijuana smell.
Just be mindful that the wind is not carrying the smoke towards your neighbor’s lounge!
3. Store Your Cannabis Properly
Properly storing your weed is an effective way of preventing that marijuana smell from lingering.
This can be in the form of an airtight container or dedicated stash boxes.
It’s a WIN-WIN situation as putting your weed into proper storage will ultimately preserve its flavor and aroma and protect it from mold.
If you are growing your own marijuana plants indoors, we advise that you place them in a confined space with adequate ventilation, like your storage room.
Another thing you can do is to cover your cannabis plants with plastic if you have some people over. This keeps the lingering smell from coming out.
4. Smoke Filters
The moment a country legalized marijuana, you can guarantee that a lot of tools are coming out to ensure that you can experience smoking weed on a different level.
Also called SPLOOFS, a smoke filter contains a carbon filter inside that does one of two things: filters the cannabis smoke or covers it with a flavored essence.
The good news is, if you can’t find a commercial sploof, you can easily build one from home. You will need the following:
- Washcloth
- A paper towel
- Toilet paper
- Dryer sheet,
- And a rubber band
Simply place the dryer sheet over the end of the toilet paper roll or a cardboard cylinder and secure it with a rubber band, and you have your own DIY sploof.
Need some visual guides? You can follow along with this Youtube video.
5. Air Fresheners
If you can’t smoke outdoors and still want to remove the smell of weed, your next best option is to spray air fresheners around your home.
Brands such as Febreze and Ozium are one of the most effective ways to mask the smell of weed. But, these are not always 100% effective.
To make sure you’re getting the desired result that you want, make sure to follow the instructions on the packaging of the air freshener that you used.
6. Use Scented Candles, Incense Smoke, or Essential Oils
One good alternative to an air freshener is other things that produce pleasant smells, such as strong-scented candles, potent essential oils, or incense.
Let us tell you a secret. A regular room deodorizer won’t hide the smell of weed because they would just mix with it.
Since the goal is to hide the smell of weed, you will achieve that by dropping some potent essential oils such as eucalyptus, lavender, citrus or patchouli oil.
If you have an aroma lamp, that will make the job easier as it will help the scent of the essential oils circulate in the room more.
To burn incense, you can opt for natural incense such as sandalwood, white sage, and palo santo.
Your last resort will be the candles, as there are limited scents that can actually hide the smell of weed smoke.
Whether it be candles, incense, or essential oils, you will achieve the best results when you air out the area for an hour or two, then completely shut the room.
7. Use Pipes/One-Hitters
Smoking cannabis can produce a lot of smoke, especially if you have a smoke session with other Mary Jane enthusiasts.
But, if you are conscious of the smell of weed, look into PIPES!
They are a great alternative as they produce noticeably less smoke.
One-hitters are also a good option. They are named as such because they are slim pipes with a tiny bowl that is enough for one hit or so of cannabis.
Some one-hitters are even shaped like normal cigarettes, so cannabis users get that extra stealth point of blending in with traditional smoking.
8. Personal Hygiene
Maybe the smell of weed is not coming from your surroundings but from you. In this case, you also need to make sure that you clean yourself up after smoking weed.
While it’s a pain in the ass, you might want to shower after smoking. We recommend that you use a powerful body wash to be able to hide the smell of cannabis.
Brushing your teeth will also do wonders as it smells like weed. You can also use any over-the-counter eye drops to mask the redness in your eyes.
As for your clothes, you will also need to hide the smell altogether with pungent perfume. You can also use your body spray for a quick fix after spontaneous marijuana use.
We advise that you have some sort of fabric freshener with you, as some strains of cannabis are too overpowering even for pungent perfumes.
9. Vaporize or Dab
Most cannabis users would rather just do it the usual way during a smoking session. However, there are other ways to keep it lowkey.
One of the best ways to be stealthy about smoking weed is to invest in a vaporizer. Vape pens would help you get the most out of your weed and also produce less smell.
You might be thinking, “How do vape pens work?”
Well, vaporizers do not burn cannabis. Instead, they heat weed to just the right temperature.
This process extracts the maximum amount of cannabinoids, which is a win for you since you’ll be able to get most without the lingering smell of smoke.
The same thing can be said for portable dab pens, which essentially vape concentrates.
10. Cook Some Strong Smelling Food
When you run out of some natural scents, or you cannot get an air purifier that quickly, you can always resort to cooking some food with a strong smell.
Garlic, spices, and onions are some ingredients you need to add to your food. These have a strong scent enough to mask the smell of weed.
If you are really in a rush and need to cook something quickly, you can also throw a bag of microwave popcorn.
Here’s the trick. Keep the popcorn in the microwave for a bit too long. The smell of burnt popcorn will help hide the smell of cannabis smoke.
However, keep in mind that the smell of burnt popcorn can take a couple of days to get rid of.
Make sure to VENTILATE and let some air in after your goal is accomplished!
How to Prevent the Smell of Cannabis Permeating
As the age-old adage goes, “prevention is better than cure.” The best way to remove the smell of weeds is to not have it in the first place.
Here are some tips to prevent weed smell before smoking.
#1 Burning Incense
When you burn some type of incense before smoking, you can prevent the smell of marijuana from taking over.
Make sure that the incense is strong enough to hide the smell, as some strains of Mary Jane are particularly pungent.
#2 Smoke Where There Is Proper Ventilation
A place with good natural airflow is another one of the best ways to prevent the smell of weed.
With the smoke freely being eliminated by the wind, you won’t have to worry about the smell sticking around.
Always smoke outside, especially if it is not legal in your area or you have a valid medical marijuana card.
#3 Smoke Neutralizers
A smoke neutralizer or an air purifier that absorbs the smoke and neutralizes all odors in the room will surely come in handy before a smoke session.
In fact, it is better to turn on the air purifier before you start smoking, as it can prevent the smell of weed from attaching to your furniture and upholstery.
Another alternative would be using an activated carbon filter. They are also called carbon scrubbers and absorb any cannabis smell in your grow room.
If you don’t have the time, there is always a ready-made carbon filter that you can buy. But, you can easily make one for yourself.
What Other Plants Smell Like Cannabis?
Did you know that many accidents have been linked to mistaking the smell of weed from another plant?
Well, let us tell you all about them. This section will enumerate the plants that give off the same scent as cannabis.
Caucasian Crosswort
Phuopsis stylosa is a low-growing, aromatic perennial plant that narrow leaves and terminal clusters of tubular pink flowers.
This plant has led to a particularly bewildering event happening to a couple from Bristol, United Kingdom.
Some gang members broke into their house, demanding they give up their stash!
The Caucasian crossword was planted in their front garden, which gave off a scent similar to marijuana. A horticulturist pinpointed the plant as the source of the scent.
Creeping Phlox
Scientifically named Phlox subulata, this evergreen perennial has pinkish-crimson flowers with dark red center eyes.
In December 2011, police arrived at the home of a couple from Warwickshire Village of Bidford-on-Avon after a dog picked up the scent of the phlox.
The couple also mentioned that several teenagers had knocked on their house and asked if they had any ganja.
According to the Daily Mail, the scent the phlox gave off was so potent that drug dogs berserk whenever they were near their backyard.
Mugwort
Mugwort plants are commonly used to repel insects, especially mosquitoes.
It is also considered a “dream herb” as it is used to intensify and increase dreaming.
Many people have noted its bittersweet-smelling leaves, likening it to cannabis. The weed’s very memorable scent can cause some trouble, especially during its peak.
Wrapping Up
We hope you learned a thing or two from this article!
Learning these tips would save you a lot of trouble, especially when stereotypes against marijuana use exist.
Please smoke responsibly and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
There are so many things to learn about cannabis, and this section will be dedicated to addressing your questions.
What Does Cannabis Smell Like?
The scent of cannabis mainly depends on its strain. It has a distinct skunky or musky odor, especially when smoking it.
The dried leaves and cannabis flowers also have some notes of being earthy or sweet. Some users may even describe it as woody and floral.
Some would also say that the smoke from marijuana has some herbal undertones.
Where Do You Keep Weed Smell Proof?
To keep the marijuana smell from leaking, you must store them properly in airtight containers. You must place dried leaves in a Ziploc bag to keep the scent from going out.
A mason jar will also be a good alternative if you don’t want your family to discover that you smoke marijuana.
Containers that are effective in sealing air, such as mason jars, Ziploc bags, and Rubbermaid containers, would be great materials to ensure that your marijuana’s scent is secret.
How Far Does Weed Smell Travel?
As a general rule, the scent of weed can be smelled by anyone within at least a couple of hundred meters.
But, there are also some other things we need to consider.
The scent of weed can travel far and wide depending on several factors. This involves wind direction, the strain’s pungency, and the keenness of people around you.
As for the wind direction, those located in the downwind direction of your smoke are much more likely to pick up the scent than those who are located upwind.
Some strains are also more pungent than others. The classic Skunk, for example, is bred to be noticeably intense and obvious.
Lastly, some people who are sensitive to secondhand smoke would quickly pick up the scent of marijuana, especially if they are prone to health risks.
Can Cats and Dogs Smell Marijuana?
Detection dogs in the airports and other security checkpoints are trained to sniff marijuana.
Because of some bad effects of marijuana, such as its intoxicating effects and capacity to impair concentration, it remains one of the famous substances dogs are trained to sniff.
As for cats, some feline enthusiasts say their cats enjoy the scent of weed, but there is no solid evidence yet.
