Alan Baker September 15, 2025

Get Rid of Weed Smell: Know the Causes and Practical Ways

The lingering smell of cannabis on your hands is considered to be a minor inconvenience. But in professional and social settings, it could attract the attention you would want to avoid. Even after the smoke has cleared, that weed smell often persists, especially on your hands. Here, you need to maintain discretion. For this, understand why your hands smell like weed cannabis in the first place.

Weed Smell On Your Hand: The Reasons

The primary reason your hands will carry this scent is due to terpenes, which is the naturally occurring compounds responsible for the distinctive aroma of the plant. These are highly volatile and easily absorbed into the oils on your skin. This is more relevant in the context of handling dried flower, rolling or grinding. Terpenes are fat-soluble. They are not easily removed with water alone. Moreover, cannabis smoke particles might settle on your skin even without direct contact. This results in the same persistent odour.

Here is Why You May Not Notice It

Frequent cannabis users mostly experience a temporary loss of sensitivity to familiar scents. You may still believe that smell has faded but non-users can detect it immediately. Therefore, it is essential to take necessary steps to cleanse instead of relying on your own sense of smell.

Easy and Effective Ways to Get Rid of Weed Smell

Citrus Peel Rinse

Oranges and lemons contain limonene which is a terpene known to cut through skunky scents. Rub this peel directly on your hands, let it sit briefly and then wash it with cool water and then mild soap.

 Coffee Grounds Scrubs

There are used coffee grounds which work as a natural exfoliant. Rub a small amount between damp hands and then rinse them thoroughly.

White Vinegar Solution

Mix white vinegar and water in equal parts. Then, soak your hands briefly and follow with a comprehensive wash during dish soap. Vinegar will break down residual compounds in an effective manner.

Baking Soda Paste

Combine baking soda with some water to create a paste. Apply to hands and then scrub gently and then rinse. Baking soda will work as a mild abrasive.

Heavy-Duty Soaps

Soaps having activated charcoal or degreasers are effective in removing terpene-based residues.

Essential Oils Application

A few drops of peppermint, eucalyptus and tea tree oil will help dissolve lingering compounds. They will also replace that weed smell with a more acceptable natural scent.  

Stainless Steel Method

Rub your hands over stainless steel with cold water. This could neutralize sulphur-based compounds related to cannabis.

Handling More Sticky Cannabis Substances

Some cannabis products like wax, oils and resin are more adhesive than others. In case of Cannabis oils and wax, apply olive oil or coconut oil to dry hands and then wipe with a paper towel. Follow up with grease-cutting dish soap.

In case of Resin, use isopropyl alcohol on a cotton pad. You can mix it with salt for added abrasion. Then, rinse thoroughly.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Starting with hot water will allows pores to open and compounds to absorb.
  • Depending on hand sanitizer alone may trap rather than remove smell.
  • Applying strong fragrances that blend with cannabis smell unpleasantly.
  • Ignoring the underside of fingernails.

The most effective way to avoid odour in the first place is to minimize contact. Use tools which are crafted for handling, packing and cleaning flower without skin contact.  

Final Thoughts

Cannabis on hands is obvious to you even though it may not be obvious to others. With the right approach and some reliable techniques, you could maintain a discreet experience. Experience more practical cannabis advice on how to get rid of weed smell and buy quality cannabis products at BudsAndBeyond online.

back to blog
Free Canada Shipping

On all orders above $150

Securely Delivered

Control of accepting the delivery.

Privacy

Records are stored on a secured servers

100% Secure Checkout

MasterCard / Visa/ Email Money Transfer/ Bitcoin

Trustpilot
Excellent
★★★★★
TrustScore 4.7 | 194 reviews
Trustpilot
Excellent
★★★★★
TrustScore 4.7 | 194 reviews

Copyright 2019-2025 © BudsAndBeyond