How can we integrate weed smokers into society?

[BookkeeperBobby]

Just got back in and as is usual three/four nights a week my hallway and son's bedroom stinks of weed from our neighbour in the flat next door. This is an ongoing issue so I'll send an email to the housing association, they'll send a letter, it'll lay off for a couple of weeks then begin again. This is what's been happening for years now.

But, there must be some other way to tackle it. Obviously this guy isn't going to stop smoking. Christ knows he does fuck all else. And it's all but legal so no real comeback for him.

Or for many other tokers across the country: cannabis is everywhere and probably will be legal v soon. But the use does impact neighbours.

So I think we need to come up with ways of regulating use eg requiring people to use personal/room filters when they toke with fines similar to smoking fines if they don't do this. Obviously we'd need to make it legal but for anyone living near a toke head this would be an improvement imo.

What do you all think?

I think unless you had evidence that the waft of smoke was harmful that would be impossible to implement.

My first thought was make it less stinky.

There have always been similar issues with cooking smells and plain old cigarette smoke, and nobody has managed to pass laws obliging anyone to adopt special filters to deal with those. Obviously LA's and Enviro Health can step in if it's a business being a nuisance, but this is private individuals doing something in their private residence, and while smells alone are a nuisance, they are not a health hazard. I can't see any sort of legislation any time soon. I don't think weed is likely to be legalised, and even if it was, I don't see that leading to a massive uptick in usage anyway.

Or perhaps just an air freshener?

And given a child was strip searched for smelling of weed not spreading the smell to others has taken on new importance.

We had weed stink coming up into the kitchen from the flats below and through the front door from the stairwell when some twonk moved in and smoked.

First time took kids to GP to ask about harm to the children. (Get it on record) second time informed school about the new tenant smoking weed and that it had been reported.

I can smell it so much more recently, is it stinkier than it has been in the past or am I showing my Age?

Well obviously there is secondary harm same as from cigarette smoke and lots of apartment blocks are non smoking for that reason. But cannabis use is now pretty normalised so obviously prohibition isn't working.

There's a lot more grass around now back than when the vast bulk of the stuff smoked was resin, and grass has always stunk to high-heaven by comparison.

I managed to reduce the smell of fags from next door coming through the wall with utilities by sealing around the pipes with decorators caulk. Need to do the bathroom but that is trickier with a hot water tank in the way.

@BookkeeperBobby

Well obviously there is secondary harm same as from cigarette smoke and lots of apartment blocks are non smoking for that reason. But cannabis use is now pretty normalised so obviously prohibition isn't working.

There is only a risk of secondary harm if it's actual smoke that is seeping through your walls and floor, and not just the smell. If you have actual smoke in your house, then your property has other issues that really need looked at.

I live in Canada, cannabis is legal here and has been for a while, we seem to manage alright.
There are designated smoking areas outside of workplaces, areas that are smoke free, like beaches or school yards.
Some buildings are totally smoke free, some don't care.

I live in an apartment block which, like all apartment blocks, does not have hermetically sealed units. We have windows and doors and therefore gaps between residences within the building. The structure of the building is not a problem. This is a normal set up for an apartment block. The problem is that people are smoking weed within it. If they had to use filters etc that problem would cease to exist.

So are you seeing actual smoke in your apartment, or is it just that you can detect the smell?

Well obviously there is secondary harm same as from cigarette smoke and lots of apartment blocks are non smoking for that reason

It's just the smell, not actual smoke though, a smell won't harm you (and I say that as someone that lived with the smell of a decomposing body for a couple of months, it didn't harm me but was unpleasant).

Also ofc people in eg terraced houses with neighbours smoking weed next to them will have weed smoke in their house if the neighbour doesn't use a filter.

If you think living with a decomposing body is normal then we have few common points of reference my friend.

Where did I say I thought it was normal?

My point was that the smell was terribly unpleasant but wasn't actually harmful.

@BlackeyedSusan what did the GP say about possible harm? I know there are guidelines around fag smoking now eg don't be around children if you've had one, make sure you change your clothes and wash yourself prior etc. Is it the same with weed?

@BookkeeperBobby

If you think living with a decomposing body is normal then we have few common points of reference my friend.

That's wildly misrepresenting what she said!!

Maybe vaping weed will take off and become the norm. Obviously vaping has the potential to be a nuisance too, but nothing like actual smoke is. I suppose whilst it does remain illegal the cost (and i guess effectiveness) of it will be more than people are willing or able to pay.

@BookkeeperBobby

If you think living with a decomposing body is normal then we have few common points of reference my friend.

Feel your pain I have no objections apart from the smell and my neighbours are at it all the time. I won't go out in my garden or hang clothes out cause it stinks.
They need to tweak the scent like a vape 🤣

Absolutely vaping could work.

It's frustrating that so many tokers seem to be old school - agree with @MarmiteToTheEdges that the smell is everywhere... but there's really no need. It's never been easier to get high without being stinky and spreading particles.

Smell unharmful, smoke harmful. It was over a decade ago though now.

Interesting. I know that there's been a lot more research into the harms of smoking in that time and now medical professionals are talking about third hand smoke. Presumably that applies to burning weed also.