Editor’s note: While celebrating 4/20, it’s important to remember that there are still thousands of people incarcerated for an activity that continues to build wealth for others. The Last Prisoner Project is working to redress the historic injustices around cannabis and the growing legal industry through “legal intervention, public education, and legislative advocacy.” If you’d like to get involved with the organization, you can find additional information here.
In the last several years, as CBD has proliferated the wellness space and marijuana laws have relaxed, hemp and cannabis have also gained a starring role in fragrances. No longer does the green, incensed smell need to be masked nor does it spark the same stigma. Instead, it bolsters the heart of some charming, soothing fragrances. Below, find a curated roundup of our favorite Cannabis-inspired perfumes that span a range of desired effects, from soothing to stimulating.
Cannabis Eau de Parfum
A classic, this eau de parfum puts its eponymous note front and center. Enhanced by a light squeeze of citrus and made lovely and earthy with sugary magnolia and heaps of smoke, Malin & Goetz’s Cannabis is a crowd-pleasing and uncomplicated scent that’s perfect for anyone who wants to upgrade from patchouli.
Open Sky
For a stimulating, smile-inducing take on the herb, it’s hard to beat Byredo’s Open Sky. Ben Gorham’s scents are moody, particular, and intoxicating. While Open Sky is no exception, it leads with simplicity and juiciness. The eau de parfum kicks off with a bomb of grapefruit and pomelo, and the citrus lasts incredibly long. Underneath the zest is a pretty and mellow base of vetiver, hemp, and palo santo. The light, aromatic woods and gentle expressiveness lends itself to a perfect all-day summertime wear.
Sweet Do Nothing
If 4/20 evokes less of a scent and more of a mood for you, it’s hard to beat Sweet Do Nothing, a perfume from the uber-cool D.S. and Durga. Fresh green pepper, fragrant incense, and musky grasses layer to paint a scene of languid lounging, hot summer days, and an agenda with nothing on it at all. Aptly named, Sweet Do Nothing is like breathing in happy laziness and good times.
Cowboy Kush
Featuring different takes on the cannabis note, the scents in the Boy Smells Kush line range from herbal to heady. Now available in limited quantities, the beloved Cowboy Kush personal fragrance is an intensely mellow and heady experience. Packed with dense, sensual notes, the fragrance is aromatic and addictive. Leather and suede, tonka and saffron, and oud and labdanum all pile in to create a scent that stops just short of too much.
Black Afgano
If you crave intensity and love the resinous, smoky qualities of the herb as much as the peppery and grassy elements, Nasomatto’s gorgeous Black Afgano could be your winning fragrance.. While it opens with spicy green notes, oud, incense, tobacco, and coffee take over to deepen the scent to its most intense conclusion.