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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

Why cannabis reeks of skunk

Scientists discover sulfurous compounds that help to give pot a rank odour, holding out the promise of fragrance-free bud.
Close-up of a marijuana flower

Sulfur-laden compounds in Cannabis sativa give the plant a musky smell that is both savoured and loathed. Credit: Pablo Porciuncula Brune/AFP/Getty

Add cannabis to the list of pungent plants that get their strong smell from sulfur1.

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Nature 600, 362 (2021)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-03650-9

References

  1. Oswald, I. W. H. et al. ACS Omega 6, 31667–31676 (2021).

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