Best Cigarette, Weed, Cannabis, Vape Detector (for 2024)

Particulate Matter PM2.5 -

Best Cigarette, Weed, Cannabis, Vape Detector (for 2024)

A Weed, Cannabis, Vape and Marajuana Detector is used to measure the presence of marijuana odor or vape in the air of an indoor environment. A sensitive weed particulate detector such as is a perfect low cost method to detector an indoor space to confirm if cannabis or cigarettes where consumed or smoked. Particulate PM2.5 can be considered as a weed detector, marijuana smell detector, weed odor detector, marijuana smoke detector or weed gas meter. Weed detectors are perfect parents, for hotel use, landlord use or for indoor property inspection.

Pros

Cons

  • Marijuana smoke detectors are relatively inexpensive. 
  • Air quality detectors for monitoring the presence of particulate matter in the air are easily found and commercially available.
  • Many detectors that detect the presence of cannabis can also be used to detect the presence of cigarette smoke or vaping.
  • Cannabis consumption is increasing.
  • Cannabis and weed smoke is often undertaken indoors.
  • Rented homes and hotels causing landlords and hotel owners big problems.
  • Limited options to detect marijuana smoke and smells.

Is There a Device That Can Detect the Smell of Marijuana?

Yes.

The best and most affordable device is the FD handheld vape and weed detector. This detector will detect the slightest smoke particles that have been produced from weed, cigarette or vape consumption.

Is There an Alarm That Detects Weed?

Yes, we recommend our Vape, Weed and Marijuana Smoke Detector. These units detect extremely small amounts of smoke. Since smoke is made up of carbon soot particles, a particulate meter can easily detect smoke even many hours after it is visibly not apparent.

Weed detectors can be considered as very sensitive smoke detectors that are effective at detecting smoke that arises as a result of weed consumption. 

Is There a Device to Detect Cannabis Odor?

Yes.

One smells cannabis odor since their nose is actually smelling the floating soot particles produced when the actual consumption of the cannabis occured. The soot are simply, particulate matter in the size of microns. These continue to rest or float and are aromatic, hence their smell. 

Since cannabis describes the same substance as marijuana, the same particulate matter detector can be used to detect the presence of marijuana can also detect the presence of cannabis. These cannabis odor detectors essentially function as very sensitive smoke detectors.

Yes, the cannabis weed detector also detects aerosol coming from vaping. Vaping produces PM2.5 particles that can be detect by a PM2.5 particulate matter scattering laser sensor. 

Fine and ultrafine particles of particulate matter make up e-cigarette vapor.  Vaping produces particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 m or smaller (PM2.5), but compared to cigarette smoke, it is less. The concentrations of particles produced by vaping ranged from 6.6 to 85.0 g/m3. Different studies have different particle-size distributions of particulate matter from vaping.

How to Use a Cannabis Detector?

  • Turn on the weed detector.  
  • Leave it in a "clean" room for 10 minutes.
  • Take a baseline reading of a clean room, a room that you know has not been smoked in. In other words, take note of the PM2.5 level. You will use that baseline reading and your “relative number”.
  • Then move the detector to an area where you believe cigarette or cannabis smoke has entered or been smoked within.
  • Leave the detector again for 10 minutes. Take your reading.
  • If there is an increase, then you have good basis that smoke particles exist and are suspended within the space.
Cannabis detector

What Does Cannabis Smell Like?

Cannabis has different odors depending on when it is being smoked. For instance, when weed is first purchased, people may note scents that are herbal, earthy, or even woody. It is typically described as having a strong scent that may contain faint hints of lemon, plum, or other scents as well.

While it is smoking, the scent of the weed is amplified from the burning. People may also observe scents of ash and the paper.

What Has a Similar Smell to Marijuana?

Hemp plants are organisms that bear a great amount of similarity to marijuana in terms of appearance and scent. In fact, they are so similar that some law enforcement officials have difficulty telling the two plants apart. This similarity has even caused states to evaluate laws and measures related to the growth and sale of hemp.

How Long Does Cannabis Smell Last?

The length of time is associated with the soot particles. So if one smoke in an indoor space, it will take many days for the smell to totally dissipated. The small particulate smoke particles will:

  • penetrate into carpets, drapes, cloth and other typical items in a room like furniture.
  • over time, and depending on the ventilation, air exchange rate of the room, and fresh air circulation, the aromatic weed soot particles will dilute into the fresh air and eventually be drastically reduced.
  • greater ventilation will allow for the smell to dissipate faster than it will in an environment with poor ventilation.
  • if a hotel has a problem with weed smell, the best thing to do is increase ventilation, create air agitation with blowers and over some period of time the smell will dissipate.
weed smell detector

How Does the Cannabis Odor Detector Work?

A cannabis odor detector functions by measuring the amount of particulate matter present in the air. The EPA refers to particulate matter as the liquid droplets and solid particles that reside in the air. As such, detectors measure the amount of these droplets and particles that are in the air and report the value to the user. The cannabis smoke is included in these particles and droplets and thus contributes to greater particulate matter that the detector picks up on.

Cannabis detector

Is This Similar to a Cigarette Smoke Detector?

A cigarette smoke detector works in the same manner as a cannabis odor detector. Both devices take advantage of the presence of particulate matter in the air to assess the presence of smoke. Some devices do this through taking advantage of a photoelectric sensor and light that monitors the disruption of light beams as smoke crosses the plane of the detector.

However, it should be mentioned that a PM2.5 particulate matter detector is much more sensitive then a typical home smoke detector. A PM2.5 detector incorporated a laser with light scattering physics to enable many times more sensitivity than a low cost smoke detector you may have at home.

Does a Cannabis Detector Work With Cigarette Smoke and Vaping?

If the cannabis detector is based on monitoring the presence of particulate matter in a given environment, then it would work with cigarette smoke and vaping as well. However, if this is not the case, users should take extra care to read the description of the product to understand what mechanism it uses to detect cannabis odor and whether that same mechanism would work for cigarette smoke and vaping as well.

Top 3 Best Cannabis Odor Detectors?

There are various innovative solutions and products to detecting weed odor. The top 3 best cannabis detectors are summarized as follows:

    • Cannabis Sensors
      • A multi-gas sensor system is used to detect marijuana smoke using electrochemical sensors.

    How Long Do Air Quality Detectors Last?

    Most air quality detectors that are NON electrochemical based, and have optical components, last over 5 years. On one charge they can last over 24 hours like that done so by Forensics Detectors for Cannabis smoke.

    How Much Does a Cannabis Detector Cost?

    Cannabis detectors are relatively inexpensive pieces of equipment. Many products can be found and purchased for under $400.

    Is My Nose More Sensitive Than a Cannabis Odor Detector?

    Yes it is.

    Humans have the capability to recognize over 1 trillion different scents. The human olfactory system is the best cannabis odor detector. The problem however is that each human nose has different sensitivity, so not one person can deduce an objective conclusion. Hence why one needs to employ an electronic "neutral" detector to offer an objective conclusion.

    Can an Air Quality Test Detect the Presence of Marijuana?

    Yes, a weed detector, it often referred to as an air quality detector or dust detector, or particulate detector will detect weed and cannabis odor.

    Does Marijuana Affect Air Quality?

    Yes.

    Research studies have indicated that growing marijuana plants and consuming marijuana plants can have a negative effect on air quality in a given environment. This is the case for both indoor and outdoor air quality in certain locations.

    Is there a Weed Detector for School Bathrooms?

    Yes. 

    Forensics Detectors has designed and launched its FD-60-SMOKE weed detector for weed detection in school bathrooms, public indoor spaces, hotels, business and hospitality.

    Since these units are meant to be in isolated areas such as bathrooms, it is very important they withstand tampering, prying, meddling, or any intrusive behavior. This wall mount weed detector employs laser scattering sensor technology to detect the slightest airborne particle from a vape or E-cigarette. This technology is very stable and eliminates false positives. This unit was designed with use-case considerations in schools, K-12, restrooms, businesses, hospitality toilets, bathrooms, and confined spaces to detect the slightest vapor, smoke, or aerosol particles.

    Does Marijuana Smoking Produce Carbon Monoxide Gas?

    Yes, grass, weed, tobacco that is smoldering produces carbon monoxide. The question remains, is it enough to be detected in a room? This depends on the ventilation of the room, room size and quantity of actual smoke consumption.

    For example, in one study, twenty volunteers spent average of 78 min in an unventilated smoke-filled room. The smoke was produced by burning or smoking eighty cigarettes and two cigars that produced an average of 38ppm.

    Who Needs a Cannabis Odor Detector?

    Schools to Detect Cannabis Odor

    Cannabis detector

    Hotel to Detect Weed Smell in Rooms and Lobby

    cannabis detector

    Landlords to Detector Cigarette and Weed Odor

    apartment cannabis detector

    Public Indoor Space Managers to Detect Unlawful Smoking

    weed detector

    Final Words

    • A weed detector can easily detector cannabis or weed odor.
    • Smoke and odor produced by marijuana may affect the air quality of various environments, both indoor and outdoor.
    • A cannabis detector may go by many different names including the following: weed smoke detector, weed detector, marijuana detector, cannabis detector, cannabis odor detector, and marijuana smell detector. 
    • Most air quality detectors can monitor the presence of marijuana smoke in the air along with smoke produced through other means such as cigarettes.

    About the Author

    Dr. Kos Galatsis ("Dr.Koz") is the President of FORENSICS DETECTORS, where the company operates from the scenic Palos Verdes Peninsula in Los Angeles, California. He is a subject matter expert on gas sensor technology, gas detectors, gas meters, and gas analyzers. He has been designing, building, manufacturing and testing toxic gas detection systems for over 20 years.

    gas detector expert

    Every day is a blessing for Dr. Koz. He loves to help customers solve their unique problems. Dr. Koz also loves spending time with his wife and his three children going to the beach, grilling burgers, and having a cold beer. 

    Read more about Forensics Detectors here.

    Email:  drkoz@forensicsdetectors.com
    Phone: +1 424-341-3886


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