Why Do Pot Plants Produce A Smell?

Does the smell they put out benefit them? And if so then how?
Is there another reason the plants release aroma? Is it to attract a stoner?

I was also wondering this same question earlier. Cannabis is wind pollinated so it really doesn't have any need for a smell because it's not attracting anything. (Except as you said stoners ) Maybe some kind of defense? I don't know

Hopefully someone can ring in with the answer

The smell of Cannabis repels many creatures that would otherwise eat it. There are exceptions ... budworms and spider mites are on the most wanted list.
Most of the odor compounds are simple hudrocarbons called mono-and sesquiterpenes. Citrusy piney smells are created by monoterpenes. Think of them as construction debris ... the plant is producing lots of isoprene (the building block of terpenes) to make the diterpene THC. Some of it gets diverted "unfinished", and some of that is finished by enzymatic processes into all that nice smell.
Dead pure THC is almost odorless. When heated it's faintly, vaguely piney. I'm betting that many of the odor chemicals in hash or aged oils are sesquiterpenes.
Monoterpenes are made from 2x isoprene. Sesqui... are made of three, and diterpenes, four.
cn

1. The smells have been selectively bread by humans
2. Humans taste and smell are closely related, if the plants didnt smell they wouldnt be much fun to smoke.

to make u ask questions.....did it work???

The skunk variety of weed plants stops a deer from eating them.

From my point of view it's mother nature's way of saying cannabis is meant to be consumed. I can't think of any other reason why there would be fruity smelling strains and the like.

Ganjuana said:

From my point of view it's mother nature's way of saying cannabis is meant to be consumed.

Click to expand...

by makin it smell like a skunks asshole???

Milovan said:

So your saying hydrocarbons?

Click to expand...

I'm saying that the smellies are a byproduct of the plant's THC-generating machinery. THC is the primary defense, but monoterpene hydrocarbons have a proven feed-deterrent effect. They're a fringe bennie. cn

Jakabok Botch said:

by makin it smell like a skunks asshole???

Click to expand...

You either have some seriously rank bud or some lickable skunks. cn

Ganjuana said:

From my point of view it's mother nature's way of saying cannabis is meant to be consumed. I can't think of any other reason why there would be fruity smelling strains and the like.

Click to expand...

The reason part of me says there's a logical explanation for it but the other part agrees with you

i read that as lickable skunks asshole