Everyone loves a good hotbox until they’re pulled over and the cop says, “Have you been smoking that damned marijuana?” It’s a lingering odor, one that can get you in serious trouble (if not with the law, then with your mom). To make sure that never happens, I asked Budtender Awards medalist Zulema Lino and the experienced stoners of r/Weed how to get rid of weed smell in a car.
Here’s their advice…
The Classic Approach
Lino says simply “rolling your windows down, airing your car out and keeping an air freshener hanging” is a tried-and-true method used by stoners of yore. For extra coverage, one of the r/Weed lurkers suggests cramming a few dryer sheets into the cracks and crevices of your seats — they’re known for neutralizing odors, so they should help. For similar reasons, you can also try sprinkling baking soda onto your carpets and seats.
The Advanced Method
If you’ve taken your car for a joy ride with the windows down and it still smells like herb, you may need to bring in the big boys. “Use Ozium spray,” one of the people on r/Weed suggests. “It’s air sanitizer, and it’s what landlords and car dealerships use to get the smoke smell out of cars and apartments. Just make sure to not be in there for 20 minutes after you spray.” That’s because Ozium can be toxic if not allowed to dissipate, so you should also roll the windows down well before you get back.
If you’re looking for something less noxious but still effective, Lino says, “I’d get my hands on a Scent Bomb — I highly recommend it. It’s a small spray bottle with different smells to choose from that you can keep in your car.” They’re made solely from fragrance oils, not other chemicals.
There’s also a suite of all-natural odor-removing products called Cannabolish, which promise to do the same thing and could be an equally good bet.
The Nuclear Technique
Crazy as it sounds, one wild dude on r/Weed says, “You’re gonna hate me for this, but cigarettes and the windows up.” It’s a drastic approach, but they say the smell of cigs completely camouflages the scent of weed: “I’ve been saved from countless arrests.”
I guess there is one other method: Not smoking in your car. But we both know that’s not happening.
Ian Lecklitner
Ian Lecklitner is a staff writer at MEL Magazine. He mostly writes about everyone's favorite things: Sex, drugs and food.
