Why Do My Farts Smell Like Weed?

Why do my farts smell like weed, you ask yourself after a whiff. You are probably too embarrassed to ask your other stoner friends if their farts smell like weed too. So you decided to Google it. The truth is, it probably does too! Here are some reasons why your farts smell like weed and some tips on changing that. 

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Why Does My Fart Smell Like Weed?

Smelling like weed is not uncommon for stoners. Some stoners notice their poop smells like weed and others notice their armpits smell like weed. 

What you consume affects how you smell. So, chances are your farts smell like weed simply because you’ve consumed weed. There isn’t much information about why exactly farts smell like weed, but we have an idea. 

Have you noticed a weed smell from your farts after consuming edibles? Well, here’s a possible explanation. 

After you’ve consumed an edible (and any other food), according to Healthline, your body breaks down the food, and gas collected in your digestive tract is released as farts. The type of food you eat determines the smell of the fart. For example, Healthline notes that whole grain, wheat, dairy products, and milk may cause you to fart more frequently. Therefore, you may fart more after having an edible.

Let’s look at how farts get their smell. Dr. Myron Brand, a gastroenterologist, told Thrillist that the scent depends on what you eat. Farts are a result of fermentation that takes place in your digestive system. Brand said, “The end product of fermentation in our gastrointestinal tract is gas — carbon dioxide, hydrogen, or methane. And it’s all made from bacteria fermentation.”

Your fart smelling like weed isn’t a cause for concern. If you have very smelly farts, you probably don’t have to worry either. The truth is, smelly farts are also normal. Thrillist says the healthier you eat, the worse your farts can smell. 

However, sometimes, farts are a sign of something more serious such as diabetes or autoimmune pancreatitis. See your doctor if you’re having terrible cramps, blood in your stool, or unintentional weight loss. But just having farts that smell like weed are fine. 

Why Does My Weed Smell Like Farts?

Now that you’ve learned why your farts smell like weed, you may wonder why some weed smells like farts.

To provide some context, some farts have a rotten egg smell. That smell is also associated with skunk weed. 

If your weed is unsmoked and well preserved, it may smell like skunk. In addition to that, weed that usually smells strongly of sulfur is often called “skunk weed.”

According to BBC, “Skunk is made from unpollinated cannabis plants which naturally contain higher levels of THC.” 

Amber Wise, an analytical chemist, told Live Science, “The skunky smell, you know, egg smell, if you want to call it ‘fart smell’ — those are all sulfur compounds, like that’s known, at least to chemists,”

According to Live Science, the sulfur compounds belong to a family of prenylated volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs). However, Iain Oswald, an analytical chemist, told Live Science that cannabis doesn’t necessarily have many of these compounds. 

Oswald said, “The amount actually in the plant is very low, even though it has a very strong effect on the odor itself. And that’s just because the human nose is very sensitive to these types of compounds, so it doesn’t take a lot to go a long way.”

Can I Change the Smell of My Farts?

If you hate the smell of your weed farts or are afraid someone else may smell it, you may be wondering if you can change the smell of your flatulence.

The good news is, you can!

Thrillist says, “You have the power to control your own gruesome odor by what you eat.”

Therefore, cut down or eliminate edibles if you don’t want your flatulence to smell like weed. It’s improbable that smoking weed could cause your farts to smell like weed. However, smoking could make you fart more. According to Healthline, activities that cause you to swallow air, such as chewing gum and smoking, can cause farting. 

If your farts smell like skunk weed, that could mean you’re eating sulfur-rich foods. Brand told Thrillist, “When we feed the bacteria in our gut high-protein foods, they produce a sulfur gas, which makes your farts noxious.” High protein foods include red meat, milk, and eggs. Therefore, you can try eating less of these foods to reduce this fart smell. Even though it may be unpleasant, it’s likely harmless.

If you don’t want to change your diet, maybe you can try to fart less. To do that, Healthline suggests:

• Over-the-counter medication such as Gas-X and Pepto-Bismol
• Exercising
• Eating ginger
• Taking probiotics

If none of these methods work or you’re not interested in them, you can try a charcoal fart pad. Healthline says, “Lining your underwear with a “fart pad” made of charcoal could help reduce odor in some cases of excessive flatulence.”

Conclusion 

Farts smell like weed because what you eat impacts your body odor and flatulence. Therefore, if you eat edibles, it’s totally normal that your farts can smell like weed. However, sulfur is likely the culprit if you wonder why your farts smell like skunk weed. You can avoid edibles or sulfur-containing food if you don’t want your farts to smell like weed. You can reduce the number of times you fart by exercising, among other things. However, farting is entirely normal and harmless.