You’re probably having a whole lot of fun growing weed, and once it starts flowering, you’ll really start to see results. When your cannabis plant starts flowering, it will start producing big and colorful buds, which is obviously what you’re going for.
During this time, your weed plants will also start producing a really strong smell, reminiscent of the strain that you chose in the beginning.
Although different strains of weed can have vastly different notes and undertones, they all share that really strong, pungent, and skunky odor that is easily recognizable, even at great distances. Having your cannabis plant stink up the whole neighborhood is probably something you’d like to avoid.
Legal issues aside, if everywhere around your house smells like cannabis, you’ll end up being the talk of the neighborhood, something best avoided. Therefore, we’re about to talk about all of the best ways to avoid having your cannabis plants stink up the whole neighborhood. Marijuana odor control is the name of the game!
Why Does Weed Smell?
The first thing you might be wondering is why weed smells at all. We think that this is an important point for you to know, as it is a part of the science of cannabis cultivation. Cannabis produces a very strong odor, mainly due to the terpenes contained in it.
Terpenes are the aromatic compounds found in many different plants, which includes cannabis. These terpenes are in other words almost like the essential oils that provide cannabis with its odor and flavor. Interesting to note is that terpenes are also primarily responsible for protecting the plant, with odor and flavor production being side effects.
Each strain of cannabis can have a very unique terpene profile that produces varying aromas and flavors. For instance, you might notice that cannabis strains that have a high limonene terpene content have a very citrusy smell, whereas those with high myrcene contents may have a very musky or earthy smell.
Keep in mind that even within the same strain, not all plants will have the same level of aroma. The reason for this is often attributed to environmental factors. This can include nutrient levels, humidity, light, and temperature. In other words, if a cannabis plant is well cared for, it will likely produce higher levels of terpenes and essential oils, and therefore smell even more.
When Do Cannabis Plants Start to Smell?
You might think that the marijuana smell starts to happen as soon as the plant grows, but this really isn’t true. During the seedling stage and the vegetative stage of cannabis growth, you won’t need any kind of weed neutralizer yet. During this time, you won’t smell any kind of pungent odor.
At the very most, what you’ll smell is the odor of plant-life or greenery, not unlike anything else you might find in your garden, such as grass or basic greens. However, it is during the flowering stage that marijuana smell will really start to become prominent.
This is because during the flowering stage is when the cannabis plant starts producing terpenes, which then produce a lingering smell. The smell of actual weed will only become noticeable a couple weeks after flowering has begun.
The further into the flowering. The cannabis plant in question is, the stronger the smell of weed will become, because there will be more and more odor molecules in the air.
Although some people might enjoy this smell, for most people it is an unwanted smell, one which can easily invade a whole house and a neighborhood. The further through the flowering stage You get, the stronger the smell of marijuana becomes, and this is likely something you’ll want to deal with.
How Far Away Can You Smell Cannabis Plants?
The issue here is of course that cannabis plants during their flowering stage won’t just stink up your house, but can very well invade a whole neighborhood. Under the right conditions, the smell of cannabis can travel for many miles or kilometers.
If the weed plants are well into the flowering stage, you have chosen a strain that is very pungent, and the wind is traveling in the right direction, it’s an odor that can be distinguished from great distances.
Therefore, seeing as the smell of weed travels so far, controlling it right at the source is your best bet, and this is what we’re here to talk about today.
Best Ways to Eliminate Weed Smell
Seeing as this cannabis odor can be extremely pronounced, let’s talk about some of the best ways to eliminate weed smell right at the source.
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Using a Weed Smell Neutralizer
One of the best ways to eliminate cannabis odor right at the source is by using a so-called weed smell neutralizer. These often come in the form of liquid, gels, or solid blocks. These are designed to release certain chemicals and molecules into the air.
These chemically based cannabis odor eliminators work by breaking down the odors into less odorous substances or to neutralize the odor molecules. Ona Gel is one great example of this. This is like a little bottle of gel that you unscrew the lid on, and then place it inside of your grow room.
This releases certain molecules into the air which then react with cannabis odor molecules, and other odor molecules as well, to neutralize and eliminate them. This is a great option to consider if you only have a few plants in your grow room. Odor neutralizers like this tend to work best for smaller amounts of cannabis, but don’t necessarily work well for large grow operations.
Generally speaking, you would need at least one bottle or jar of odor eliminator per every plant, which ends up being quite expensive, as these aren’t the cheapest products in the world. That said, if you’re just growing a plant or two, and you need something basic to neutralize the odor, then a weed smell neutralizer will work just fine.
By Using a Carbon Filter
Another great way to eliminate cannabis odor from your growth space and the whole neighborhood is by using what is known as a carbon filter. Carbon filters are generally used in combination with exhaust fans, and these are very effective at reducing or even eliminating the smell of cannabis in both indoor grow rooms and other confined spaces.
This is a special type of filter that works through a process known as adsorption, where odor molecules are trapped and removed from the air as they pass through the filter. Carbon filters work with one main ingredient, known as activated carbon.
This is also known as activated charcoal. This is an extremely porous material with a large surface area. This porous structure with a large surface area provides a lot of surface for gas molecules, which includes odor molecules, to adhere to.
When air that carries odor molecules, such as cannabis molecules cannabis, flows through that activated carbon filter, the porous carbon structure traps the odor molecules, which is a process known as adsorption. Adsorption is when the molecules cling to the surface of the material, but are not absorbed by it.
To be totally effective however, carbon filters need to be installed along with ventilation systems. As air circulates through the grow room and passes through the filters, all of the odor molecules become trapped within the activated carbon. However, the rest of the air still needs somewhere to go, which means that you need to have an exhaust system.
One of the things to keep in mind here however is that these carbon filters will require replacement, specifically the activated charcoal. There’s only so much odor they can deal with before they start losing their efficacy.
Therefore, regular maintenance and replacement is required. You also need to make sure that you choose a carbon filter that is large enough for your grow space.
However, the big bonus here is that there are some pretty big carbon filters out there, and they can be suitable for very large grow rooms. Speaking of the exhaust fan, it’s always a good idea to point this upwards, and not right at your neighbors.
Choose Strains with Limited Odors
As mentioned above, all cannabis strains are different, with some having more terpenes and odors than others. There are special stealth strains or low odor strains that are popular choices for growers who want to be discreet when cultivating cannabis.
These are strains that usually have a much less pronounced and milder odor than other varieties.
However, keep in mind that there will still be a bit of a smell, but not nearly as much. There are various strains that are ideal for this purpose, including, Northern Lights, Blue Mystic, Pineapple Express Auto, Royal Medic, Critical Mass, and a variety of CBD strains.
You may however want to avoid very potent indica strains, with granddaddy purple being one of them, as these can have a very strong scent. There are of course also still other methods of preventing that cannabis odor from invading the whole neighborhood, so let’s move on.
Create a Good Grow Space
One of the very best things that you can do to prevent that cannabis odor from leaving your house and invading the whole neighborhood is to create a good growth space to begin with. Personally, we recommend using a thick grow tent that has reinforced walls, along with a good carbon filter and ventilation system.
This should eliminate virtually all odors from escaping your home. Furthermore, if you happen to be growing your cannabis in a whole room or a closet, this will be much harder to deal with.
If your cannabis has a really strong smell, the odor may very well permeate the walls and doors. Therefore, if the walls and doors are not well insulated, you’ll have a bit of trouble. The solution here is to therefore choose a room that is already well insulated and has thick walls.
However, if that is not possible, do your best to seal all of the doors and windows with weather stripping. Using weather stripping or other sealing methods will at least keep most of the unwanted smells indoors instead of allowing them to waft over to your neighbor’s house.
Use Plug In Air Fresheners
Although plug in air fresheners are often used to mask an unpleasant odor, such as a weed odor, it’s probably not the first choice. If you just have one single cannabis plant, and it’s producing a bit of a smell, using a plug-in air freshener may be a solution.
This may also be the case with scented candles. That said, an air freshener, scented candles, and other such masking agents may just produce additional unwanted smells. For instance, if you have an air freshener that smells like vanilla, you might just end up with vanilla scented cannabis.
Use Ozone Generators
An ozone generator is another option that you have at your disposal. Ozone generators can be used to address cannabis odor issues. Ozone is a molecule composed of three separate oxygen atoms, and ozone generators produce this by converting oxygen through a process known as corona discharge.
Ozone is a great oxidizing agent, which means that it chemically reacts with and breaks down various substances that it comes into contact with, include a cannabis odor molecules.
This is a great way to kill cannabis odors, and it works really well for large grow operations. With that being said, ozone is not safe to breathe in very high concentrations, so you don’t want to expose yourself to too much of it.
Use an Ionizer
The other option you can choose is an ionizer, which is a special device that releases negatively charged ions into the air. These negatively charged ions attached to molecules and particles, including cannabis odor molecules, and cause them to fall down onto the ground or other surfaces.
This is a really interesting option because it doesn’t exactly eliminate the odors, but it does keep them in one place. It causes all of the odor molecules to clump together and fall to the ground, so they don’t go anywhere. This will result in your growth space being really stinky, but it will keep the smell from leaving the area.
Conclusion
There you have it folks, you should now know everything there is to know about how to eliminate the smell of cannabis while growing. Being able to keep the weed smell under control while cultivating cannabis will go a long way in allowing you to maintain a discrete operation.
