As the legal and social acceptance of marijuana spreads across the country, that particular skunky smell is also spreading. Being the toastiest time of year, it’s been especially noticeable in cities like Boston and D.C. where they’ve legalized the happy green plant for medicinal and recreational use. According to the Boston Globe and the Washington Post, those who partake are becoming much less discreet with their smoking habits. The smell is popping up left and right like a weed, and it’s having a profound effect on cities’ scentscapes.
While some people are enjoying the proliferation of the herbal aroma within their public environment, others can’t stand it. Scent preference is highly personal and has a powerful impact on the nervous system. If the marijuana-using half of the population hopes to break down the stigmas surrounding the pungent plant, it’s necessary to counteract the stereotype of the “smelly stoner” and go easy on the nervous systems of other non-users.
This further stigmatizes the marijuana user as dirty and inconsiderate. Not liking a smell can trigger the area of your brain associated with physical pain. If your chosen method of marijuana consumption is to smoke it and you’re not practicing some basic smokers’ hygiene, the odor clinging to your clothes, skin, hair, and breath can potentially deter those who would otherwise be drawn to you. This can negatively affect friendships, as well as romantic and professional relationships.
The marijuana community needs more public support if it hopes to bring legalization through to a federal level. It’s more critical than ever to demonstrate that being a marijuana user absolutely does not make you any less hygienic and socially courteous.
In fact, it can be counterproductive to breaking the prejudices people have concerning what it means to be high. What if an antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication caused its users to give off a distinct odor? Your self-care practices are your own business. If you choose to disclose said practices, it should be at your own discretion. Smelling strongly of marijuana projects the message to everyone you come into contact with that you’re high. This gives those with pre-existing assumptions the unfair opportunity to make judgments about you and your use of the plant.
Pro-legalizers have been trying to integrate marijuana into society under the banner of it being an alternative medicine to many other doctor-prescribed drugs. To continue moving in that direction it’s good to keep in mind that nothing says “health” like “hygiene.” In order for marijuana to be seen by the broader public as a holistic tool for wellbeing, users need to show that it can be used in a self-aware, responsible way. That doesn’t only mean regular showering and thorough tooth brushing, it also means not smoking up public spaces that are physically enclosed or highly populated. Smoking in public isn’t only illegal, but it can also be an irritant to people with respiratory issues. Location, method, and moderation are key.
Although marijuana smokers can help break the “stoner” stigma by practicing good hygiene and social smoking etiquette, inevitably more people are going to be smelling marijuana as more people use it. Luckily for those bothered by the smell, studies show the human brain naturally becomes less bothered by certain odors the more it’s exposed to them. However, it is important to find a middle ground. Each individual should do what they can to weave their personal use of marijuana into the fabric of society in a way that doesn’t feel invasive and insensitive.
Silber, Maia. “It's Summer, and Washington Smells like Weed. Everywhere, All the Time.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 3 July 2017.
Teitell, Beth. “Do You Love the Smell of Marijuana in the Morning?” BostonGlobe.com, Boston Globe Media, 4 July 2017.
White, Amanda. “Smells Ring Bells: How Smell Triggers Memories and Emotions.”Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 12 Jan. 2015.
“Why Does a Smell Seem to Fade after You Get Used to It?” How It Works Magazine, Future Plc, 26 Oct. 2016,