Even though the aroma of marijuana is appealing to most cannabis users, that doesn’t mean smelling like you just smoked a joint is the best option for your social life or workplace.

There could be any number of reasons that smelling like cannabis would be less than ideal, such as meeting your parents, co-workers, persons of authority, or just wanting to respect other people’s noses. Whatever the reason, if you’re looking for tips on how to stay smell-free after smoking pot, you’ve come to the right place.

To help you avoid knowing looks or awkward stares, follow this guide and learn how to disguise your cannabis use.

Proper storage of cannabis while on the go

Fresh cannabis can smell just as strongly, if not more so, than when it has been smoked. We’ve all had that bag of weed which made the whole room smell like a skunk moved in, so if that’s something you want to avoid – store your pot properly. This means in an airtight container or smell proof bag, and if you’re really worried about odour, keep a small air freshener in your bag alongside your sealed cannabis.

Items to have on hand

If you’re going to smoke cannabis, no matter how careful you are, most-likely some of the scent is going to absorb into your clothes on your skin. This means being prepared to de-odourise afterward is your best bet.

Keep some of the following items on hand to aid you in your task:

Hand sanitizer

Toothpaste

Facial cleansing pads

Scented moisturizer

Deodorant

Perfume or cologne

Gum

Mouthwash

Water

Eyedrops

Clothing

Preparing to smoke

Preparing your cannabis to smoke typically means breaking up the buds and rolling a joint or blunt. Staying smell free dictates that it is best to use a grinder and rolling machine to avoid getting the sticky and aroma-heavy oils on your fingers. Better yet, just let one of your friends roll it for you.

Wear a sweater or bring extra clothing

Wear gloves

Wear a hat or tie back any long hair

Use a grinder and rolling machine

Let a friend roll

Your smoking location

Choose your smoking location wisely. You’ll definitely want somewhere well ventilated, ideally with a predictable air current and do not hotbox. This way you can keep the smoke moving downwind away from you and off of your clothing. Tilting your head upwards and exhaling powerfully will also help direct the smoke away or walking and smoking can work well too in this regard.

If you’re smoking indoors make sure to turn on ceiling fans, air vents, and consider blowing smoke up a chimney if one is available.

Also, using a “sploof” can help neutralize the smell. A sploof is a container filled with odour absorbing material that you exhale into to change the smell of weed. A homemade version consists of nothing more than a toilet paper roll stuffed with dryer sheets.

The scent of cannabis indoors can also be masked by burning incense and candles, or by spraying the room with an air freshener.

Smoke outdoors

Blow smoke up and downwind

Walk while smoking

Smoke only in ventilated rooms indoors

Exhale through a sploof

Incense, candles, air fresheners

Post smoke routine

After you’ve finished, it’s time to get rid of as much smell as you can before people notice. This is where the items you’ve brought with you for this task come into play.

As your fingers will usually be the smelliest part of your person, your first step after smoking should always be washing or sanitizing your hands. Soap and water are ideal, but hand sanitizers also pack a powerful odour fighting punch. Then, if necessary, cover any lingering odour with scented lotion or perfume. Don’t go overboard with perfumes or it could end up being worse than smelling like weed.

Pro tip, toothpaste is killer for covering up smells, so even if you aren’t in a position to brush your teeth, using toothpaste on your smelly fingers can really help leave them odour free.

Next up is your face and mouth. Rinse and wash your face, or use a facial cleansing cloth to remove odour. Then drink some water, eat food and chew gum to help with any cannabis on your breath. Drinking water will help cleanse your throat and moisten your mouth as dry-mouth is common after smoking cannabis.

Now that you’ve cleaned up, it’s time to change into fresh clothes if you brought them. This is an ideal way to ensure that you won’t smell like weed.

If you haven’t brought a change of clothing, then make sure you have plenty of time to air out. Do NOT smoke and then rush inside immediately as this is a sure way to have a cloud of skunk stank follow you in.

Wash your hands and face

Use scented lotion of perfume

Use mouthwash

Eat something and drink water

Chew gum

Change clothes

Air out

Additional considerations

There are a few other methods that can help you stay odour-free and avoid giving away that you just smoked cannabis.

First, a great way not to smell like weed is to not smoke it. Eat it instead! Edibles, pills, tinctures and other concentrates are incredibly effective ways of using cannabis, and should not be overlooked if smelling like weed isn’t an option. It should be noted that edibles and some other products are not yet legal, so make educated choices in your consumption methods.

Vaporizing cannabis is also a great way to significantly reduce the smell while still providing the type of effects associated with smoking.

Use edibles, pills, or tinctures instead of smoking

Vaporize instead

Do not save or carry roaches

Thankfully, as legalization across Canada commences, the smell of cannabis will be more commonplace, so the social stigma related to the cannabis smell will be somewhat normalized. But if you follow these tips, people should be none-the-wiser either way.