Do smoke detectors detect weed are a great way to help ensure safety and comply with regulations in environments like commercial establishments or cannabis dispensaries where marijuana smoke is often present. With specialized detection technology, these detectors can distinguish marijuana smoke from other types of smoke in order to prevent any potential hazards or fires. These detectors are also ideal for use in homes where smoking is permitted, as they can reduce secondhand smoke which can cause health issues.

Most smoke detectors work using either an ionization or photoelectric sensor. The ionization sensors create an electrical current within the sensing chamber that is disrupted by the presence of smoke, triggering the alarm. Photoelectric sensors, on the other hand, rely on a beam of light directed at the sensing chamber. When the light is reflected by the smoke, it scatters and the sensor triggers the alarm. Most standard smoke detectors are not designed to detect marijuana smoke, but new weed detectors are coming onto the market that are specifically engineered to distinguish between cigarette and pot smoke.

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Currently, most smoke detectors do not detect weed vapor or cannabis smell because it doesn’t have the same density as cigarette smoke. However, new weed detectors such as the one developed by FreshAir Sensors and Dartmouth p rofessor Joseph J. BelBruno may soon change that.

The weed detector, dubbed the AirGuard, works by using two sensors—one that’s conditioned to recognize nicotine in tobacco smoke and another that identifies a chemical more common in marijuana vapor. Upon sensing these chemicals, the AirGuard alerts hotel owners, landlords or Airbnb hosts that someone is smoking in their rooms.