In a recent review of Syn, a synthesized marijuana substitute that is due to be pulled from shelves in a month, The Pitch mentioned that the substance “tastes sour and smells like halitosis.” The remark is pretty apt, because smoking any sort of marijuana can give you strong, persistent bad breath.
Like tobacco use, smoking marijuana leaves a film of smoke residue on the tongue, teeth, gums and palate. This can contribute not only to immediately sour-smelling breath, but also to tooth decay and gingivitis. Tartar and gum disease can tinge the air you exhale with very strong odor molecules like putrescine and cadaverine, which the nose naturally associates with rotted food and decomposing meat, respectively.
Smoking can also dry the mouth and throat. Without saliva in place to cleanse away food particles and odor-causing microorganisms, your mouth will quickly become a bacteria farm. Oral bacteria in a dry mouth create sulfuric compounds that leave breath smelling very bad.
Finally, marijuana use may encourage you to eat large amounts of salty, fatty or sugary snack foods, which also fuel both bacteria growth and tartar buildup.
The easiest way to dodge cannabis-cause halitosis is simply to not smoke. Furthermore, a healthy brushing and flossing regimen, combined with specialty breath freshening products, may leave your mouth moist, sanitized and free of bad breath.