The Chemistry Behind Marijuana’s Skunky Scent
Odiferous compounds create the plant’s distinctive scent—and in some strains, growers are experimenting with new combinations to create unexpected aromas.
April 20, 2022
4 minute read
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The smell of marijuana has long been demonized as “skunky”—linking the typically negative connotations of being high with the indelible disaster that is sprayed from a skunk’s behind. Skunkiness has no pleasant olfactory associations; it’s described as smelling like rotten eggs, burnt rubber, and farts. It’s no wonder that, for many years, to be accused of smelling like a pothead was a grave insult.
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