What's That Smell?

How retailers can turn a stinky situation around...


As expected, legalizing recreational marijuana in Canada was big news. In fact, Canada is only the second country to legalize recreational use (Uruguay was the first). With this major change, a lot had to be done to prepare and educate Canadians on the new laws surrounding marijuana use, how to safely consume cannabis products and on general awareness.


But, what many Canadians may not have been prepared for was the strong odour that would follow. In fact, in a recent survey of over 600 Canadians, 57 per cent of respondents said they either don’t like or hate the smell of cannabis. The numbers are even higher for non-consumers of cannabis, with 72 per cent saying they find the smell offensive. Nearly one quarter of Canadians think the smell of cannabis in public is a major problem.


Laws on where smoking marijuana is permitted vary from province to province. Many provinces, including Ontario, Saskatchewan and the Maritimes (excluding Nova Scotia) only allow smoking marijuana in private residences. However, in Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec, smoking marijuana is allowed in public places under certain conditions.


This is troubling news for retail businesses that can’t stop the smell from nearby smokers from entering their facilities. We’ve put together a few suggestions for how to minimize cannabis odours in your retail space.


How to Tackle Tough Smells:


  1. Educate staff on provincial regulations to help enforce them. Despite where smoking marijuana is, or isn’t legal, there’s a good chance that the smell will become more prevalent, and have a better chance of making its way into your business. Educate your staff on cannabis use laws in your province so they can feel comfortable taking action if someone is smoking nearby.


  2. Ensure good air circulation. When dealing with odours in the air, it’s important to keep air moving to get the smell out. That might include a ventilation system, opening a window or even just turning on a fan.


  3. Use products that specifically eliminate smoke odours. Marijuana smoke has a very distinct, pungent smell, and sometimes you need to use an odour neutralizing product to get the smell out. Air fresheners may help, but many of these systems involve using a perfume to attempt to cover the smell. In comparison, odour neutralizers work by eliminating odours at the molecular level. This is how baking soda eliminates odours in the fridge – it reacts with scent particles in the air and neutralizes them, which eliminates the smell.


Dealing with tough odours in your facility? Contact us and we'll help you turn your stinky situation around...