House smells of weed... but no one smokes it?

[Tau]

We are trying to sell our house, which isn't going well at all, and since a few days we have an added problem: the house smells very strongly of weed (aka pot, marihuana, cannabis). The smell comes and goes, and is currently the strongest in the main bedroom. Sometimes it can be smelled outside too.
We've had this happen every year, but I can't remember if it was always the same time of the year.

No one in our house smokes or grows it (Yes, I am sure my son is not the culprit - the smell is worst when he is in school anyway.)

I doubt it's the next door neighbours because the current neighbours are the third set we've had and they can't ALL have been heavy pot smokers! They don't seem the type anyway.

I've read that a plant called phlox can smell like that, but we don't have that plant and so far I cannot see it in any of the neighbours' gardens either.
To be honest it didn't bother us before, but now I fear that if we eventually get viewers this may put them off...

So, what could be causing this smell?

[CeriseClementine]

I discovered inside of my oldest ds's wardrobe was absolutely stinking of 'weed' recently and was fairly horrified seeing as he's 12!

I then realised that it was his new wetsuit which was folded in the bottom - it absolutely reeks of it, it's awful!

[Ireoluwa]

Why am l smelling weeds smells in my room without being a smoker. I have spent money to clean my hot water tank and furnace. My tenants claimed that they don't smoke. Any idea of what to do?.

[earsup]

if grown outside, it wont be smelling as not warm enough or sunny for the plants to flower and bud which is the stinky part....so mabe an inside grow....when i lived in spain the neighbours had a few plants on the terrace as its allowed !!

[SylvanianFrenemies]

If you can both smell it when out I'd look into the previous suggestion about your baskets. Maybe the smell is transferring onto clothes.

[LauraLovesLemons]

I still think your teenage son has some stashed or has in the past had some stashed. The smell comes off it even when it's not being smoked. At times, I have had a whiff every time I put DD's laundry away. Was an old handbag which had previously had weed in it but still stunk.

[brieandbacon]

We had this in last house. Expensive wool carpet in hallway and stairs. When the heating was on it wasn't as bad as when it was off (or was it the other way round ? 😂 🤨). I used shake and vac when it really was bad.

[jackmonroestincan]

Have you got cat mint in the garden or nearby? Smells very strongly of something like weed. My own cat has just staggered in delighted and stinking to high heaven after a good roll in it. Also known as Nepeta, has tall thin purple flower spikes and small hairy leaves....

[mewkins]

There are several shrubs that smell of weed. If it smells like that at around the same time each year then it is probably when it blossoms or something? Or when you have the windows open. Or at certain times of day. You need a good sniff around.
Phlox, catnip, euphorbia, etc

[whataboutbob]

Our late downstairs neighbour was a stoner. I now recognise that smell all over town. Does your DS have a vivarium? DS2 had a gecko and that could get pretty smelly, I think it was the crickets he feasted on 🤢.

[Suegoold]

We’ve just bought a house and one bedroom stinks of it, we know the previous occupant smoked drugs. We’ve decorated, papered and cleaned the carpet and cannot get rid of it. It’s for a baby too, so upset.