What Are The Best Smell Proof Bags For Weed?

Anyone who carries weed should have a smell proof bag of some type. This is especially true if you’re in a location where it isn’t legal yet, but even if your state has gone full recreational, the sticky icky can be quite stanky danky. That aroma can get everywhere and let’s face it: who wants to walk around broadcasting the valuable cannabis in their pocket to everyone else on the train? Have you even thought of the smell?

The best smell-proof container for you depends on how you plan to use it. If you need something to store a half-ounce plus a small pipe at home, your needs are different than someone traveling with a bong, dab rig, or vaporizer. Anything you use to smoke out of should be cleaned before you travel with it and your weed should be in a sealed container, but then life gets in the way and before you know it, your car smells like the back of the Mystery Machine. Ruh-roh, Raggy! 

weed buds in zip lock bags photo

Why Do I Need A Smell Proof Bag For Cannabis?

Even if you’re in a legal state, you don’t want your car to smell like copious amounts of weed if you get pulled over. They still regularly look for dealer amounts of cannabis and even if all you have on you is a bong and a half ounce, nobody wants to get searched by the cops on the side of the road. 

For example, in California, it’s illegal to have an opened container of cannabis in the vehicle unless it’s in the trunk. The only time it’s legal to have a previously opened container in the passenger compartment in California is when you have a legal medical marijuana card. Before you travel within a legal state, you should know the law concerning how you need to carry your weed.

Since it’s been recreationally legalized in 15 states and medically legalized in 33 states, the number of people who regularly carry some amount of weed on them has grown substantially. The market for smell-proof bags has significantly increased as a result, but how do you know what bag to buy and at what price?

Let’s start with dispelling some info you may have heard in the past. 

Are Ziploc or Plastic Bags Smell Proof?

Nope! 

Even though plastic sandwich bags have long been used to carry weed, they’re nowhere near as smell proof as you need them to be. Anyone who’s gotten weed from their dealer in a grocery bag that’s been tied up and burnt shut knows you can smell straight through it. 

This happens because the bags are not airtight. But even if a plastic bag is airtight, the molecules of the odor can either be absorbed by the plastic or simply pass straight through them. It may take a while or it may not; this is why you’ll smell it immediately through a plastic shopping bag but not as quickly through a plastic sandwich bag. The plastic of the sandwich bag is thicker, so it takes longer for the smell to permeate. It's science!

Are Glass And Jars Smell Proof?

They do as long as the lid forms an airtight seal. They’re great for home storage if they’re kept in a cool, dark place. Just a cool place is sufficient if the glass can’t be seen through, such as black glass jars. 

The main problem traveling with glass jars is their fragility. They’re also not very discreet. Unless you have a compartment in your vehicle or a bag to put them in, they’re going to be pretty conspicuous.

Another problem with glass containers is that when you’re opening and closing them regularly, you’re bound to get weed resin from your hands onto the outside of the jar. You need to wipe the outside of the glass with 91% isopropyl alcohol regularly to keep the smell down. 

Do Smell Proof Bags Work?

Smell proof bags absolutely work when they’re used correctly. Correct usage includes not getting the weed resin on the outside of the bag. 

Disposable plastic gloves can be a great thing to have around if you’re traveling regularly. Put them on, load your cannabis into the bag, be careful to not touch the outer surface of the bag, and throw the gloves away before you close it. 

What Are Smell Proof Bags Made Of?

The best smell proof bags are made up of several layers of different materials. 

The exterior of the bag should be water resistant. This is typically made of canvas.

A layer of foil will help maintain the internal temperature of the bag.

Another common layer is one made of foam to give the bag some cushion and provide another complicated obstacle for smells to travel through. 

The most important layer is made up of activated carbon felt. Activated carbon is often found in air purifiers and air conditioning filters to help reduce odors and absorb bacteria. In a smell proof bag, it’s serving largely the same purpose: it will absorb the chemicals causing the smell and lock them into the fabric. 

Fortunately, it’s easy to reactivate activated carbon. As long as the other materials in your bag are heat safe, you can toss the bag in your clothes dryer. The heat will break down the compounds of the odor and your bag will be just like it was before. In the case of bags that have protective netting over the carbon felt, you can turn those bags inside out and use a hairdryer on it for about 10 minutes. 

What Are The Best Dog Tested Smell Proof Bags?

Sorry, bud, there aren’t any. You’re not going to hide weed from a trained drug dog in any bag on the market. We already know that drug dogs can be taught to signal on command, but that doesn’t change the fact that the dogs are legitimately trained to find drugs of various types. If you get searched by a drug dog, you’re caught and that’s all there is to it. 

In episode 148 of Mythbusters, “Hair of the Dog”, they tested various “tricks” commonly repeated in stoner circles about how to fool drug dogs, and every single one of them was busted. Better pack some Snausages in your pocket if you're holding, eh?

Long story short, if you're looking for the best smell-proof bag to store your weed in, you're going to want something with multiple layers, with an activated charcoal layer being the most important one of them. You get what you pay for, especially if you're carrying a large amount of weed or equipment like bongs, dab rigs, or vaporizers. But you're only gonna be able to hide it from fellow humans such as Ted Cruz, who is definitely just one carbon-based being and not a legion of nano-demons sharing the aborted carcass of a pig-man hybrid.