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Is it halachically possible to use marijuana as B'Samim for Havdallah? I am under the impression that most anything can be used as B'Samim (though the tradition are cloves because they were readily available). So, by this extension, is it conceivable of using marijuana for B'Samim?

Obviously I mean qua havdallah, which does not take into consideration marijuana as being assur for use for reasons like dina d'malchuta dina.

הנער הזה
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rosenjcb
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  • I can't see why it would be a problem qua Havdala. – Double AA Mar 08 '15 at 02:04
  • Mitzvah haba be'aveira? – El Shteiger Mar 08 '15 at 02:23
  • @ElShteiger With the presumption that there is no halachic problems with marijuana. – rosenjcb Mar 08 '15 at 02:25
  • There certainly is a related post about whether or not marijuana is assur or not. – El Shteiger Mar 08 '15 at 02:29
  • If there is a halachic problem with marijuana, I'd say this isn't really a valid question – Daniel Mar 08 '15 at 03:13
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    Does marijuana smell pleasant similar to spices? – Yoni Mar 08 '15 at 03:15
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    Also: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/a/52709/1713 – Daniel Mar 08 '15 at 04:07
  • On permissibility of smoking marijuana: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/10609/is-one-allowed-to-smoke-marijuana – Isaac Moses Mar 08 '15 at 04:58
  • Not going to post this as an answer since I can't bring sources at the moment, but my guess is that this would be acceptable for Ashkenazim (provided you like the smell) but maybe not for all Sephardim. This is because sephardim are makpid to make the specific blessings for different smells during havdalah, and for this reason many prefer to use an actual "minay bsomim" so as to say the usual havdalah blessing on smells. I think marijuana would technically be an isbei b'samim rather than a minay bsamim, so for this reason sketchy. ahem – SAH Mar 08 '15 at 05:37
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    @Daniel I'm inclined to think this question is essentially a duplicate of that one. – Fred Mar 08 '15 at 06:33
  • @Yoni some varieties do - as long as it's not Skunkweed..there are an awful lot of varieties out there nowadays.... – Gary Mar 08 '15 at 14:44
  • @SAH IMHO, no one should make a bracha on marijuana. Therefore, it cannot be used for havdalah. – הנער הזה Mar 08 '15 at 19:40
  • @Matt I disagree with your humble opinion that it cannot be used for havdalah! Your point about tobacco was an interesting one, but some people really do like the smell of marijuana -- as evidenced by the fact that cannabis is a note in perfumery. – SAH Mar 09 '15 at 11:25
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    @SAH Hm... I don't know too many people to ask about the metzius in this case, but I appreciate your point. All I know is that when I smell it coming from my neighbors, I and (I think) all my friends in the area have thought it to be terrible smelling – הנער הזה Mar 09 '15 at 11:36
  • @SAH (besides for the study that I found which compares the smell to burning hair) – הנער הזה Mar 09 '15 at 11:37

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Another question on this site asks about whether or not one makes a bracha of marijuana. Most people who I've spoken to have told me that it smells terrible, or at least the smell is not pleasant in and of itself. (This is also the conclusion of this author , and one paper for the journal of clinical psychology assumes that it's reasonably close to the smell of burning hair, which is terrible). Therefore, smelling marijuana would not warrant a bracha whatsoever (see Aruch Hashulchan O.C. 216:4).

While it's true that any pleasant smelling thing can be used for besamim, it must be something pleasant smelling, and must require a bracha (see Shulchan Aruch O.C. 491:1). This is not true of marijuana, and so, IMHO, it cannot be used for havdalah.

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Shulchan Aruch 216,1 writes that one can make a bracha only on pleasant aromas.

There is some question as to whether the smell of marijuana is particularly pleasant (both fresh or burnt) and this may depend on the particular variety. Many describe it as skunk like or reminiscent of body odor and, if so, it cannot be used for besamim.

If the smell is pleasant there is an additional potential issue whether one can make a beracha of besamim on items that are not produced for smelling. See Chazon Ish 35,5 and Biur Halacha 216,14 ד"ה המריח and earlier ד"ה ולא נתכוון

Yoni
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    Your link implies some people like the smell, actually. – Double AA Mar 08 '15 at 04:25
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    Can you source that things whose smell is "not particularly pleasant" cannot be used for besamim? – Double AA Mar 08 '15 at 04:25
  • I read somewhere that there is an opinion that "kneh bosem" is cannabis (presumably due to similar sound). I don't know whether there is hard evidence one way or the other. 2) At least as far as the ktoret was concerned, there were unpleasant smelling items included.
    • – Epicentre Mar 08 '15 at 04:54
  • Related: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/55737/cant-argue-with-that-says-who – Isaac Moses Mar 08 '15 at 04:55
  • @Epicentre re 1 that was almost certainly meant only as a pun – Double AA Mar 08 '15 at 05:02
  • @Yoni I disagree completely. It is very pleasant, like fine wine. – rosenjcb Mar 08 '15 at 05:31
  • Probably was, but since it grows naturally in the area you never know. A lot of people have picked up on the link however. Of course, kneh bosem was part of the anointing oil (shemen hamishchah) and not the ktoret – Epicentre Mar 08 '15 at 09:20