Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
As one resident in Rexburg learned this past weekend, the smell of marijuana and the smell of a skunk can be very similar.
On Saturday, police in the East Idaho town responded to a complaint about the odor of marijuana coming from an apartment complex.
"The area was checked, and it was determined that the smell was coming from a skunk in the area," police said in their report.
However, the Rexburg resident who issued the complaint about the smell is not the only person to confuse marijuana's odor with that of a skunk.
In an article written by Barbara Brotman and published by the Chicago Tribune in 2012, the author describes smelling what she initially thought were skunks in various public locations across the Windy City. The smell was so widespread that she actually thought the city was being overrun by a horde of the small black-and-white animals.
It turned out that it was just people smoking pot.
However, confusing the smells of pot and skunk spray can actually be an honest mistake, according to science.
In an article by Green Rush Daily, a cannabis-oriented website, many popular strains of marijuana emit an odor that closely resembles the unpleasant smell of skunk spray.
The article, which was written by Casey Riley, states that the skunky odor of these strains comes from a group of organic compounds called terpenes.
"A variety of plants produce terpenes, and most of them have an overpowering smell," the article states. "On marijuana, it's the terpenes that give the herb its unique and rich fragrance."
Though some consider the pungent smell of marijuana as just a stinky nuisance, it was actually a focal point in a ruling by the Oregon Court of Appeals in 2015.
In November 2012, Oregon police were called to a triplex where tenants were complaining about the strong odor of marijuana coming from Jared William Lang's apartment. Afterward, a police officer requested a search warrant.
According to an article by Aimee Green for the Oregonian, "The officer asked a Benton County judge for a search warrant of Lang's unit – on the grounds that Lang might have committed second-degree disorderly conduct by creating a 'physically offensive' smell."
The judge granted the warrant, and when officers searched Lang's apartment, they found evidence of an unrelated vandalism crime, which led to multiple charges of misdemeanor second-degree criminal mischief. After a trial, Lang was found guilty on three counts.
However, when reviewing the case, the Oregon Court of Appeals refused to say whether or not the smell of marijuana smoke was inherently "physically offensive" and determined that the marijuana odor coming from Lang's apartment was not enough to justify a search warrant. The court then threw out the Oregon man's three convictions for criminal mischief.
However, as both the Green Rush Daily and the Chicago Tribune articles point out, not all strains of marijuana smell like skunk spray.
"Marijuana entrepreneurs have developed specific strains of marijuana that contain attractive characteristics," Ryan Vandrey, a behavioral pharmacologist, told the Chicago Tribune. "In some cases, they'll breed them to have unique smells and tastes; in other cases, certain potencies or balances of chemicals."
Vandrey also told the Chicago Tribune that some pot strains have fruity aromas with names such as bubble gum, blueberry and grape.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Skunk smell in Rexburg mistaken for marijuana | Local | idahostatejournal.com
Contact: Contact | idahostatejournal.com
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Website: idahostatejournal.com | empowering the community
On Saturday, police in the East Idaho town responded to a complaint about the odor of marijuana coming from an apartment complex.
"The area was checked, and it was determined that the smell was coming from a skunk in the area," police said in their report.
However, the Rexburg resident who issued the complaint about the smell is not the only person to confuse marijuana's odor with that of a skunk.
In an article written by Barbara Brotman and published by the Chicago Tribune in 2012, the author describes smelling what she initially thought were skunks in various public locations across the Windy City. The smell was so widespread that she actually thought the city was being overrun by a horde of the small black-and-white animals.
It turned out that it was just people smoking pot.
However, confusing the smells of pot and skunk spray can actually be an honest mistake, according to science.
In an article by Green Rush Daily, a cannabis-oriented website, many popular strains of marijuana emit an odor that closely resembles the unpleasant smell of skunk spray.
The article, which was written by Casey Riley, states that the skunky odor of these strains comes from a group of organic compounds called terpenes.
"A variety of plants produce terpenes, and most of them have an overpowering smell," the article states. "On marijuana, it's the terpenes that give the herb its unique and rich fragrance."
Though some consider the pungent smell of marijuana as just a stinky nuisance, it was actually a focal point in a ruling by the Oregon Court of Appeals in 2015.
In November 2012, Oregon police were called to a triplex where tenants were complaining about the strong odor of marijuana coming from Jared William Lang's apartment. Afterward, a police officer requested a search warrant.
According to an article by Aimee Green for the Oregonian, "The officer asked a Benton County judge for a search warrant of Lang's unit – on the grounds that Lang might have committed second-degree disorderly conduct by creating a 'physically offensive' smell."
The judge granted the warrant, and when officers searched Lang's apartment, they found evidence of an unrelated vandalism crime, which led to multiple charges of misdemeanor second-degree criminal mischief. After a trial, Lang was found guilty on three counts.
However, when reviewing the case, the Oregon Court of Appeals refused to say whether or not the smell of marijuana smoke was inherently "physically offensive" and determined that the marijuana odor coming from Lang's apartment was not enough to justify a search warrant. The court then threw out the Oregon man's three convictions for criminal mischief.
However, as both the Green Rush Daily and the Chicago Tribune articles point out, not all strains of marijuana smell like skunk spray.
"Marijuana entrepreneurs have developed specific strains of marijuana that contain attractive characteristics," Ryan Vandrey, a behavioral pharmacologist, told the Chicago Tribune. "In some cases, they'll breed them to have unique smells and tastes; in other cases, certain potencies or balances of chemicals."
Vandrey also told the Chicago Tribune that some pot strains have fruity aromas with names such as bubble gum, blueberry and grape.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Skunk smell in Rexburg mistaken for marijuana | Local | idahostatejournal.com
Contact: Contact | idahostatejournal.com
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Website: idahostatejournal.com | empowering the community
