What are the Best Ways to Mask Cannabis Odor in Your House?

Cannabis, as we’re well aware, is a flower. One of the primary functions of flowers is to create terpenes, odoriferous chemicals designed by nature to attract pollinators and ward off predators. These pungent compounds can be one of the best and worst parts of enjoying cannabis. The rich smell of fresh, sticky bud can be as intoxicating as the perfume of a long-lost lover.

Unfortunately, this odor can also be a dead giveaway that alerts others to your preferably private ritual. And while cannabis may be consumed for medicinal and adult-use purposes throughout the country, federal prohibition continues to govern public perception, which can still trend negative. If you want to be mindful of your neighbors or simply want your cannabis habits to stay under the radar, respect and privacy can be preserved with a few handy tricks to mask the smell of cannabis on your person or in your home.

The Classic Approach: Sai Baba, Satya, Nag Champa, Agarbatti Incense

Nag Champa is an incense commonly burnt in ashrams. The scent is neither masculine or feminine and usually contains a mixture of the following ingredients:

• Champa flower
• Benzoin resinoid (Styrax tonkinensis)
• Henna (Lawsonia inermis)
• Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)
• Indian sandalwood (Santalum album)
• Vanilla
• Honey

The classic aroma was transplanted in the west at the end of the hippie trail and has remained a welcome scent for practitioners of yoga, meditation, and cannabis consumption.

The Hippie Approach: Patchouli Oil

This aromatic oil is a hippie hallmark. Made from the small pink and white flowers of the patchouli plant, this oil is known for its pleasant, lasting scent and supposed antidepressant and aphrodisiac qualities. Certainly makes sense to me: enjoy a doobie, dab some patchouli behind the ears, smell nice, and make love, not war.

The Homemaker Approach: Febreeze

A household staple for many Americans living with gassy pets and gassier spouses or roommates, Febreeze is a trigger-action odor eliminator. This is not the end-all, be-all of cannabis smell reduction, but for a fresh scent in a pinch, it’s a solid option.

The Toilet Bowl Approach: Matches with the Bathroom Fan On

One of the sneakier moves on the list, the toilet bowl is an act of desperation at its core. You can’t go outside but you can’t consume inside; it’s a risky move no matter how you slice it. But if you must, bring along stick matches (preferably) and flip the switch on the fan. The combusting sulfur and wood smoke of the stick matches should cover a hit or two and the fan should take care of the rest.

The Last Resort: Burnt Popcorn

The smell of burning popcorn could make a house fire just smell like another movie night gone wrong. In my experience, few smells mask other odors better and linger in the air longer than an accidentally burnt bag of microwavable popcorn.

But beware! Respect the very delicate balance between burnt for effect and just burning the hell out of it. While the room may no longer smell of cannabis, the fire alarm is literally the loudest signal of domestic failure known to man, and that’s not the perception cannabis needs, either.

Other Suggestions

Air-tight containers are not hard to come by. A good Tupperware, Mason jar, or, if you’re in a pinch, a Ziploc bag inside another Ziploc bag, can really go the distance. There are also other vacuum-sealed containers on the market, like OXO food storage containers, that will work extremely well for storing your pungent cannabis. If you can, get a UV protective airtight container and/or keep all cannabis plant matter out of direct/indirect sunlight to preserve quality over time.

Paper towel/toilet paper roll + rubber band + dryer sheet. It’s that simple—get a toilet paper or paper towel roll, place a fabric softener sheet at the end, and strap it to the roll with a rubber band. The idea is to fill the volume of the roll, so exhale slowly as not to shoot the smoke directly out the other end. Know that smoke will escape either way, but if done correctly, much of the odor will be diffused.

Buy a smoke filter. Manufactured smoke filters are starting to hit the market. You can try Sploofy—this portable carbon filter is an excellent choice for travelers and cannabis consumers that need to conceal their presence. The Sploofy’s replaceable filter system and nearly magical ability to swallow up enormous clouds of smoke make for potent camouflage on the go or in the home.

Alternatively, you can try making your own “Sploof.”

Just go outside. Trust me, it’s good for you.

What are your go-to cannabis camo techniques? We’ll try out the best suggestions and highlight them in a follow-up!