Why Does My Poop Smell Like Weed?
We all poop and it never smells good. But sometimes, your trip to the bathroom can seem smell like weed. It may freak you out, and you may wonder if you should be concerned.
Don't worry! You’re not alone in this odd predicament. People from various walks of life, weed users and non-users alike, have reported this phenomenon, which has left many scratching their heads.
In this article, I’ll dive into the potential reasons behind why your poop might smell like weed. From the effects of your diet to the role of medications and even certain health conditions.
What does cannabis smell like?
Cannabis has a distinct odor with many different qualities to it depending on the strain and how it was grown.
Classically, cannabis is thought to be on the musky, earthy, dank side of the fragrance spectrum - but, with so many unique cultivars now around, it can also smell floral, fruity, spicy and more.
In addition, Some Cannabis has a unique and rather pungent smell. Some people describe it as skunky, others say it smells like gasoline.
Why does marijuana have such a strong smell?
THC, the cannabinoid primarily responsible for cannabis' psychoactivity, has no odor whatsoever. so does the well-known CBD.
Most of the pungent aromas of cannabis come from a class of chemicals called terpenes, though many of these terpenes actually have pleasant aromas.
Terpenes are among the most common compounds produced by flowering plants and over 60,000 have been identified. They are responsible for the fragrance of nearly all flowers.
Cannabis produces over 140 different terpenes. These terpenes are found in varying concentrations in different cannabis varieties.
The strongest unpleasant aroma of cannabis: the "skunk" smell, doesn’t originate from terpenes. Instead, it's attributed to volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs), particularly 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol, labeled VSC3.
This compound bears a striking resemblance to the defensive spray of skunks, explaining the familiar pungent aroma.
Understanding Poop Odor
Poop isn’t just a simple waste product. It’s a complex mixture of various compounds, each contributing to its unique odor.
Generally, The natural smell of your poop usually comes from the undigested food mixed with the gas produced by the bacteria in your gut.
Hydrogen sulfide, methyl sulfides, and benzopyrrole volatiles are among the most common gases behind that odor.
Why Does My Poop Smell Like Weed?
Poop odor can vary significantly based on several factors, such as what you eat, how much water you drink, your age, health status, and any medications you might be taking.
Generally speaking, Your diet that contain cannabis or sulfur compounds is the most common cause of weed-smelling stool. But it may also be a sign of an underlying disease.
1. Consumption of Cannabis
What goes in, must come out. If you’re eating canabis edibles that is why. If smoking this could possibly be the reason.
As your body processes and breaks down the components present in cannabis, byproducts are excreted in the poop.
Especially when your body is dehydrated or not getting the nutrients it needs, it may struggle to fully metabolize the compounds in weed.
This could result in those compounds being excreted with your stool, lending it a certain “weed-like” aroma.
Some people notice this smell if they use cannabis regularly because the compounds found in it can change the balance of the bacteria in your gut.
This does not necessarily mean there is a problem, but it shows that what you eat or use can affect the odor of your poop.
2. Sulfur-rich foods
if your poop smell like a skunk or a rotten eggs, but you don't consume weed, then you may eat the Sulfur-rich foods.
Rotten egg or skunk smells come from a substance called sulfur. Sulfur odors often come from the diet, including:
Sulfur-containing foods like meat, fish, dairy, eggs, and alcohol, as well as cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.
In addition, Foods that contain sulfite preservatives such as sulfur dioxide, potassium bisulfite, or sodium metabisulfite.
Foods high in sulfur are more difficult to digest. When these foods move undigested into the large intestine, sulfur-metabolizing bacteria try to break it all down.
This process creates odorless hydrogen and carbon dioxide gas (and sometimes methane) as well as odorous hydrogen sulfide—which mix into your poop and add an extra stench.
3. medicine or supplements
Certain medications and supplements that contain added sulfites often cause a potent poop smell.
Medications like antibiotics or hormones can mess with gut bacteria, speed up or slow down how stool moves through your intestines, or cause malabsorption of certain nutrients, thereby causing bad smell.
4. Digestive Issues
Other factor to consider is how your digestive system is functioning.
If you’re experiencing issues like malabsorption or digestive upset, it could result in unusual stool odors.
An imbalance in your gut bacteria might also be contributing to the bad smell.
Conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), celiac disease, or even infections can cause your stool to smell differently.
If your poop smell like weed and are occurring with diarrhea, blood in the stool, abdominal pain, or inability to digest food, it may be a sign of infection.
If the smell continues or makes you feel uneasy, it might be good to talk with a healthcare provider who can help check your diet and gut health.
How to Stop Poop From Smelling Like Weed?
If you find that your poop smells like weed, there are a few tried-and-true ways to reduce the odor and get things back to normal.
1. Drink more water
Feces consists of about 75% water and 25% organic matter. Being dehydrated increases your propensity to be constipated.
Constipated stool tends to have a different smell because it’s been in your colon for so long,.
When you’re properly hydrated, that fluid helps your poop move more easily through the digestive tract and facilitates a healthy bowel movement, helps flush out the stinky smell.
2. Dietary changes
Take a closer look at your diet. If you’ve been eating a lot of Sulfur-rich foods or cannabis edibles lately, that could definitely be the culprit.
You can try weeding out these foods, like cannabis edibles, meat, eggs, broccoli, cauliflower, and asparagus.
3. Consider using a probiotic
Probiotics can help restore the balance of healthy bacteria in your gut and can help settle some GI symptoms if they are minor.
Final Thoughts
Most of the time, a weed smell in poop is caused by something you ate - cannabis edibles or Sulfur-rich foods.
So, if you notice your stool smells more pungent only when you eat certain foods and you have no other symptoms, ignore it, It doesn't matter to your health.
If you don’t use marijuana or Sulfur-rich foods and your feces still smell like pot, I think perhaps, a visit to a Gastrointestinal physician.
That’s especially true when accompanied by other symptoms such as weight loss, new-onset diarrhea, fever, or chills.
So while weed-smelling poop itself is not a reason to get worked up, persistently bad smells coupled with other symptoms warrant a call to your doctor.
Together, you can figure out what’s going on and how to get your poops back to their regular stinky selves.