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Ask a Stoner: Why Does My Weed Smell Like Nothing?

Bland weed could just be really old, or maybe something is wrong with your nose. Or it could be remediated.
Image: Stoner cartoon smokes a joint
Westword
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Dear Stoner: I've been enjoying cheap ounces from a local dispensary, but the last two have literally smelled and tasted like nothing. Not even talking grassy or harsh, just...nothing. What would cause that? I thought this was supposed to be the good stuff.
Benny

Dear Benny: Just because your weed comes from a dispensary doesn't guarantee its quality, and the words "cheap" and "good" rarely go together when describing just about anything. That said, even shitty weed is supposed to smell like something.
click to enlarge A marijuana bud sits in the palm of a hand
Bland weed could just be really old, or maybe something is wrong with your nose. Or it could be remediated.
Unsplash/Thought Catalog
Your bland weed could just be really old, or maybe something is wrong with your nose. But the most likely culprit here is ozone remediation. Used in mold remediation procedures for cannabis, ozone machines essentially remove all aromatic compounds as they kill off contaminants. Growers and dispensaries don't have to tell you if their cannabis has been treated by ozone or other remediation techniques, and a growing number of them are doing it preemptively to avoid testing mishaps. We don't know much about ozone-treated weed's effect on humans, but it has been deemed safe enough by the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division...whatever that means.


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