Neutralizing Cannabis Odors in Spaces Big and Small

You remember “that guy?” You know, the guy whose apartment, house, car, and dorm room always smelled like weed. No matter how much that guy tried to mask it with incense, candles, essential oils, baking cookies, big ass fans or opening the windows, his spot smelled like weed.

It’s a part of the deal, weed stinks. Do you know why it stinks? No, it’s not because your roommate grew it in his basement. The smell of marijuana is created by organic compounds found in the essential oils of plants. 

The scent molecule that is responsible for the skunky smell of marijuana is Prenylthiol, otherwise known as 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol, and has the molecular formula C5H10S. That is 5 carbon atoms, 10 hydrogen atoms, and one sulfur atom. Sulfur is only stinky when it is in certain compounds, like Prenylthiol.

You may have never heard of Aroma Retail, but odds are you have smelled their work. They are one of the top “aroma companies” in the country designing branded smells for Vegas casinos, stadiums, resorts, and corporate clients around the world. 

These aromas aren’t an oversight, but well thought out and crafted by the team at Aroma Retail utilizing chemists, research, focus groups, and artisans to make sure every one of their signature scents are unique but also support the brands they are working with.

CEO Jim Reding and his team recognized a growing problem when it came to cannabis consumption and smell.

As we all know, marijuana cultivation and consumption is a rapidly growing industry, with nearly every state having legalized marijuana for medical or recreational use. Many people, however, find the smell of marijuana unpleasant and intrusive, see New York as an example.

The smell of cannabis can seep through walls and windows, making it difficult for those nearby to avoid its presence. Even worse, marijuana’s very specific odor lingers in the air for a long time and the smell clings easily to surfaces, especially fabrics, skin, and hair (we all know “that other guy” as well).

As consumption lounges begin to pop up around the country and not just in your neighbor’s garage, the risk/reward of enjoying cannabis on site and leaving smelling like you just walked out of a van at Burning Man becomes an issue. This is something Reding and his team have taken on using their expertise, science, and innovative thinking.

Reding shares, “For businesses, it is important to have a good smelling environment because the way a business smells can have powerful effects on customers and employees. Good scents can even improve focus and productivity in the workplace while reducing stress levels. Interestingly, studies have indicated that certain scents may even help to reduce errors and increase sales. A good scent can also create an inviting atmosphere that customers and employees will appreciate.”

What Aroma Retail created was Canna-Less Marijuana Abatement Fragrances, an innovative solution that neutralizes the skunky smell of marijuana rather than just another product that merely covers it up like many other offerings in the market.

Canna-Less stays focused on Aroma Retail’s mission that’s true to their pure grade fragrance standard, which means no synthetic toxins and no volatile organic compounds. Volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) are natural, organic ingredients that are still harmful to people and pets, like pollen that causes allergic reactions.

The pure grade fragrance standard is important to Aroma Retail because many of their customers are businesses, including resorts, where the fragrance oil is being diffused into public spaces and has to be effective without causing irritation.

More than just throwing a bunch of potpourri into a bowl to see how it smells, the fragrance development team at Canna-Less worked on hundreds of potential solutions and landed on three that change the way they smell when exposed to the cannabis “stinky molecules,” (I am a writer not a chemist) this only happens when the scent molecules are combining rather than just competing with each other. So their peach scent goes from the room smelling like peaches to smelling like fresh peaches, the smell evolves.

Currently there are three different scent options with more are in development. Peach By The Gram, MatchaJuana, and Reefresh are three scents launching in early March that offer evolving smells like ripe peaches, freshly brewed matcha tea, and a floral scent with a light ripe citrus background. 

From the $5 Blotter Pack to the $600 Professional Scent Machine that covers 15,000 square feet, to the $20 Neutralizing Spray Bottle that makes a writer’s home office smell like peaches, there is something for every price point.

Now if they can move on to something for youth hockey bags, my life will be in perfect olfactory order.