Since Washington State authorized recreational marijuana sales and pot assets in the passing of Initiative 502, several individuals have been actually whining– but not about what you ‘d think. It appears that neighbors of marijuana tobacco smokers have had their olfactory receptors offended by pungent pot smoke, and they say it’s stepping on their civil rights.
In a recent headlines, an unnamed Vancouver lady revealed to media reporters that she felt that her rights as a non-smoker have been disregarded due to the all new pot possession laws, stating, “This is something that needs to be talked about, people’s rights are being violated by the people who have been given the right to smoke pot.”
The unhappy lady even took to Facebook to “air out” her issues about pot possession and outdoor smoking in a post saying: “I just have to say that it really sucks that I have such a nice backyard that I cannot fully enjoy because when the neighbors start smoking their “legal” pot it always ends up in my backyard. It stinks so bad. I am not pleased right now at all.”
Marijuana lovers argue that the law now declares that anyone over the age of 21 can consume marijuana in any area where alcohol is permitted. She firmly disagrees, saying “Some people equate smoking pot to alcohol, but I can sit out here on my back deck and have a beer, and nobody knows the difference. You can smell the difference with pot.”
Despite the fact that marijuana sellers are sympathetic that not every individual finds marijuana to have a pleasing smell, they attribute her complaints to nothing more than societal growing pains.
“I understand it’s a new smell, and some people will be a little uncomfortable with it,” Kyle Stetler, with Main Street Marijuana explained. “There will be some people who are down on it, but eventually I think people will calm down and get used to it.”
As revolting as it is for some, they have no choice but to deal with the situation. Presently, there is nothing in Washington’s legislations or any city statutes on the books that deal with the concern of second-hand smoking cigarette and even the odor of marijuana.
Things are looking good for any non-user with marijuana-friendly neighbors. Marijuana breeders in Vancouver recently began manipulating the DNA of hundreds of strains of marijuana to create a new kind of odorless weed for consumers suffering from cancer, multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy. Otherwise, with enough complaints from residents, cities all across Washington could develop ordinances against outdoor marijuana smoking.
“With any new law there are always gray areas, always evolution, things that come up that need to be addressed, questions that weren’t asked until after the law was passed,” said Vancouver police representative Kim Kapp. “We just go by the only law we have, and that’s ‘don’t smoke in public and don’t drive under the influence’.”
