Why Does Weed Smell So Strong?

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Every person that has ever smoked weed, at some point and time, has opened up a fat bag of grass and was blown away by the pungent smell. But what is making weed smell so strong?

One of biggest descriptors of high-quality cannabis is how good the smell is. Think of how most consumers buy their weed in dispensaries. People commonly use the jar appeal of a bud to make their decisions, but it typically all comes down to the smell. Every cannabis strain has its own unique aroma and some strains tend to have a more potent aroma than others. Well, in case you have ever wondered, why does some weed smell so strong? Here is the answer!

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Strain-Specific Terpenes

One of the main factors behind all of the different strong smells of cannabis are the terpenes. Cannabis terpenes are similar to our everyday terpenes in garden flowers, other plants, and even fruit.  The same way oranges and bananas have a distinguished aroma, every strain of cannabis has a specific terpene profile, thereby making a strong-smelling bud over infinite variety.

Take a look at Sour Diesel, for instance, this popular strain has a terpene profile with Linalool and Limonene. This combination of terpenes is specific to Sour Diesel and produces an aroma that is described as being spicy, citrusy, and skunky. One reason as to why cannabis terpenes stick out so much is that we are not used to these aromas. The strain-specific terpenes are a blend of smells that create a profile unlike anything else.

How Terpenes Make Weed Smell Strong

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Even fruit, plants, and foods have a terpene profile that is unique to itself. However, not every fruit or plant has the same pungent smell that cannabis does. While cannabis terpenes are new to us, and that does make them stand out more, there is a scientific explanation as to why cannabis terpenes are stronger than others.

When a cannabis flower is chilling in a jar, plastic bag, or just out in the open, its terpenes begin to evaporate into the air. This secretion of its strain specific terpenes is what makes weed so smelly.

Unlike terpenes from fruit and other plants, cannabis terpenes evaporate faster and release more of an aroma. Think of when you leave your buds in a mason jar and every time you open it up you get a burst of weed smells. That is because the terpenes were trapped in the jar waiting to be released into the air.

Now think of a time where you let your bud sit out on your table. Did you weed smell nearly as strong as before it sat out? Odds are it didn’t, and this is because the terpenes have evaporated into the air. Concentrates like shatter, wax, and live resin are another prime example of how cannabis terpenes are much more potent.

When you first buy a batch of fresh live resin it smells phenomenal, yet, after it has been sitting at room temperature the smell begins to fade. All cannabis terpenes, whether it is buds or cannabis extracts, evaporate over time. This extreme secretion of terpenes is what makes weed so pungent!

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