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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.
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.
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
The halacha depends on whether it is used for consumption ie. Smoked, eaten or sold (if legal) as opposed to smell. The bracha is only said on things that are set aside to be smelled. Thus someone working in a spice store need not make a bracha on the spices that he is selling since those spices are for business and not smell.
