It can. Again, it's...really all up to the participants involved? I don't know what "sweet grass" is traditionally supposed to do, but the Casts got one thing right - sage is usually used as a protective component. Wicca is very open ended in the details of most rituals.

But the point of protective components is that you do not fucking push your luck summoning multiple fucking demons on fucking purpose!

Yeah, Hokkaido is screwed.