If You Smoke Marijuana for a Long Time, Does Your Body Start to Smell Like Weed?

The smell of smoke from marijuana can linger long after you’ve stopped smoking due to the residue that is left behind. That can cause some people to wonder: will my body start to smell like marijuana if I smoke it too much? Usually this isn’t what happens.

When thinking about the possibility of a lingering cannabis smell, explore the Canna City range to compare flowers, vapes and weed edibles that differ in smoke exposure, aroma and how noticeable they are during everyday use.

Where Does the Smell of Weed Really Come From?

Marijuana has a very distinct odor because of the wide variety of volatile chemicals found in the plant. When a marijuana flower is burned, these chemicals become part of the smoke. Those chemicals then get deposited on anything that has pores (like fabric, wood, etc.). This is why a regular user might notice a lingering smell after using.

There are several reasons why a regular user might notice a lingering smell from their own use.

How Often Do You Smoke Weed? How Can It Be So Bad?

The frequency of use plays a huge role here. Some people smoke every now and again outside and therefore only smell bad for a limited amount of time. On the other hand, frequent indoor users will continually expose themselves, their hair, clothing and other items to smoke. In addition to having one scent fade before another begins, they will have layers of residue build up in their environment.

Researchers have identified third-hand cannabis smoke (smoke residues remaining in environments after cannabis has been smoked/vaped). Third-hand cannabis smoke contains cannabis related compounds which stay on indoor surfaces after smoking/vaping has ended. THC has even been located on surfaces in areas where cannabis had been vaporized.

Therefore, the most potent smelling cannabis can originate from:

• A coat or jacket that is worn repeatedly while smoking
• Hair that has been exposed to smoke
• A bedroom, living area or vehicle where cannabis is frequently used
• Containers/bags/grinders that contain particularly fragrant flowers

Will Cannabinoids Be Excreted via Sweat?

THC is lipophilic and can remain traceable in the body for significantly longer than psychoactive effects. Researchers have proven that THC can be released via sweat. In one study of daily cannabis consumers THC was measurable in sweat samples collected via sweat pads for at least seven days post cessation for all participants (with one participant continuing beyond that).

While THC’s presence in sweat does not confirm that sweat releases a strong weed smell, the defining odor associated with “pot” is primarily derived from secondary compounds found in marijuana plants, not THC alone.

If a person thinks they are emitting a strong cannabis odor from their sweat, it is still possible that it’s simply smoke trapped in clothing/hair becoming more apparent due to heat/moisture, rather than actual release of the smell of marijuana from their body.

Are There Different Ways to Use Cannabis Regarding Odor?

Yes. The method you use to consume cannabis greatly affects the strength of any environmental odor associated with that cannabis.

Using flowers to burn generally produces the greatest environmental odor because burning produces massive amounts of aromatic smoke. Vapors produce less pronounced odors compared to flowers and also tend to produce less lasting odors since vapor tends to be less sticky and easier to clean off of surfaces. Edibles don’t produce any smoke. As such, they won’t coat your hair, clothing, home or vehicles with smoke. Therefore two people consuming cannabis at similar frequencies could experience drastically different levels of lingering odor based upon their individual methods of consumption.

Methods to Minimize Environmental Cannabis Odor

If your concern is with lingering odors caused by cannabis use rather than with the act of using cannabis itself, it’s helpful to focus on removing residues from your immediate environment.

Air fresheners/perfumes may mask odors for a short period of time but cannot eliminate existing odors absorbed into materials/furniture/surfaces.

Explore the full Canna City catalogue to compare cannabis products learn how different formats affect aroma and experience, and find the option that best suits your preferences.