Dimethyl trisulphide: Aroma, Smell and Safety | PatientsCann UK Skip to main content Back to Sulphur Compounds Guide SDMTS Dimethyl trisulphide dimethyl trisulphide, DMTS pronounced: dy-METH-il try-SUL-fide Three sulphur atoms in a row. A savoury, oniony smell found in cooked foods. Everyday sulphurFormula: C2H6S3Very potent Aroma familyEveryday FormulaC2H6S3 Mass126.31 g/mol Main noteSavoury Dimethyl trisulphide · 126.31 g/mol The molecule Chemical structure This is the accurate skeletal structure of Dimethyl trisulphide, drawn from PubChem data. Each corner and line-end is a carbon atom. The yellow S marks sulphur, the atom that gives this whole family its powerful smell. SavouryOnionCookedMeaty About What is Dimethyl trisulphide? Dimethyl trisulphide, or DMTS, has three sulphur atoms joined in a row. That gives it a strong, savoury, oniony smell. It is common in cooked foods, from fried onions to aged cheese. In cannabis it adds a savoury, cooked depth to the overall aroma. What the research says The Science Like DMS, DMTS is found widely in food, so its smell is well known. It is far more powerful than DMS thanks to those extra sulphur atoms. In cannabis it is one of several savoury sulphur notes that sit beneath the brighter skunk and fruit smells. Aroma snapshot How Dimethyl trisulphide Smells Everyday sulphur family SavouryOnionCookedMeaty Smell strength: Very potent Powerful and savoury; a little reads as onion or cooked meat. You might also smell it in: Cooked onion, aged cheese, cooked cabbage and some cooked meats. Its role in the smell Part of the Whole Deepens the savoury base of the aroma, adding a cooked, oniony richness under the sharper top-notes. Good to know A Note on Safety Dimethyl trisulphide is an aroma compound, present in cannabis in trace amounts. It is not a medicine and has no dose of its own. What matters for you is the whole product and how it is prescribed. Always choose and adjust your medicine with your prescriber and pharmacist, never by smell alone. Questions Dimethyl trisulphide: Common Questions Why does some cannabis smell savoury or oniony? Compounds like dimethyl trisulphide, also found in cooked onions and cheese, add a savoury, cooked depth. They sit under the sharper skunk and fruity smells. Is DMTS stronger than DMS? Yes. The extra sulphur atoms make dimethyl trisulphide much more powerful, which is why even a little smells strongly savoury. PreviousDimethyl sulphide Next3-Methyl-2-butene-1-thiol Back to full Sulphur Compounds Guide Important: This page is for education only. It is not medical advice. Research into cannabis sulphur compounds is very new, and most work so far is about smell, not treatment. The garlic comparison is about chemistry, not proven health effects. Always speak to your prescriber before changing your treatment. PatientsCann UK does not recommend any specific cannabis product. References Oswald, I.W.H., Ojeda, M.A., Pobanz, R.J., Koby, K.A., Buchanan, A.J., Del Rosso, J., Guzman, M.A. and Martin, T.J. (2021) ‘Identification of a new family of prenylated volatile sulfur compounds in cannabis revealed by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography’, ACS Omega, 6(47), pp. 31667-31676. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.1c04196. Russo, E.B. (2011) ‘Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects’, British Journal of Pharmacology, 163(7), pp. 1344-1364. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01238.x. National Center for Biotechnology Information (2025) PubChem Compound Database. Bethesda: U.S. National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (Accessed: 3 August 2026).
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