San Francisco Won’t Include Marijuana In Apartment Smoking Ban
Although the law may say that it’s perfectly acceptable to possess and use marijuana, rental properties have their own rules a lot of times that make smoking weed a serious violation.
Although San Francisco’s tobacco users are being forced to take it outside, the same rules do not apply to those who smoke marijuana. City officials recently voted to ban smoking inside apartments and other rental properties but stopped short of lumping cannabis in the mix. Smoking weed in apartments is still permitted under the new city ordinance, according to a report from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Earlier this week, the Board of Supervisors passed a measure that made it illegal for renters to light up at home. Initially, the proposal’s intentions were to outlaw marijuana smoking in apartments, which many landlords and property managers have tried to accomplish. But after hearing how the ban would strip away the one and only place that cannabis users have to consume, the supervisors opted to exclude it from the final ordinance. It passed Tuesday in a vote of 10-1.
Protecting the rights of the cannabis user to smoke freely in a rented dwelling was not appreciated by all. Several people felt the measure should have only applied to those who need it for medicinal purposes. Others believed that second-hand weed smoke should be treated no differently than tobacco omissions. Some argued that allowing marijuana to be smoked in apartments would expose more children to it and put them at risk of a variety of respiratory issues.
But in the end, the Board of Supervisors felt it wasn’t going to be as easy for cannabis users to find alternative places to smoke.
“Unlike tobacco smokers who could still leave their apartments to step out to the curb or smoke in other permitted outdoor smoking areas, cannabis users would have no such legal alternatives,” Supervisor Rafael Mandelman told the Associated Press.
More than 60 California cities have passed similar measures — a testament to just how lucky cannabis consumers are in some places. Most leases do not allow renters to smoke, and they almost always come with a provision that prohibits the use of marijuana. Yes, even in states where it is legal.
Although the law may say that it’s perfectly acceptable to possess and use marijuana, rental properties have their own rules a lot of times that make smoking weed a serious violation. And that can lead to eviction.
It’s not so much that a property manager wants to give a renter a hard time for using cannabis; it’s the smoke they have a problem with. Many still equate weed smoke with cigarettes and do not want to be left shelling out thousands of dollars cleaning the place after the tenant moves out.
It might take a while before there is widespread acceptance in the rental community. Therefore, it is often in the renter’s best interest to use vaporizers, edibles, and other cannabis products that do not fill rooms with smoke or leave behind odors.
There are also more properties these days that are becoming weed friendly in states where it is legal. Always ask about a property’s pot policies before signing a new lease. Trust us, it will save you loads of hassles down the road.
