{"id":3407,"date":"2021-01-08T21:04:42","date_gmt":"2021-01-08T21:04:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/?p=3407"},"modified":"2026-02-22T13:51:06","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T13:51:06","slug":"what-does-marijuana-smell-like","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/products-and-how-to-consume\/what-does-marijuana-smell-like","title":{"rendered":"What does marijuana smell like?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? Weed is often said to have a scent similar to its namesake \u2014 earthy, pungent, and herbal. The odor of cannabis acts as its calling card, alerting nearby noses to its presence. In many jurisdictions, police have grounds to search a vehicle by simply claiming they smell marijuana<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What gives weed its unmistakable smell? Most importantly, what can the odor of cannabis reveal about its quality and potency?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\tWhy weed smells the way it does<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cannabis is often touted as having a signature scent. Although some believe that indica and sativa plants emit distinctive odors, there's no hard evidence to support this. According to experts<\/a>, aromatic terpenes form the basis for the odor profile of cannabis. Terpenes are highly aromatic botanical compounds found in flowers and plants. As many as 140 terpenes have been identified in marijuana<\/a>, of which 17 are common.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t

\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"weed\n\t\t\t<\/a>Photo by: Gina Coleman\/Weedmaps<\/cite>
Aromatic terpenes form the basis for the odor profile of cannabis.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\t\t\t