Dealing with Neighbors Who Are Heavy Pot Smokers

[BG2008]

Pot has been decriminalized lately.  I have nothing against cannabis and lots of research shows that it is a lot less addictive than opiates.  However, I am currently dealing with a neighbor who lights up 5-6 nights a week around midnight.  The smell is so strong that it is making it hard to sleep.  I am sure that I am getting a mild case of second hand smoke.  NYC has a smoke free act of 2002 that prohibits smoking in common areas indoors.  Any suggestions for dealing with this?  I have a feeling that WSJ will have an article on this sooner or later.  The same rules that applies to cigarette smoking in terms of distance from building etc should apply here as well.  Again, nothing against pot.  But I shouldn't have to suffer from second hand smoke. 

[gfp]

Interesting.  Is this an apartment / condominium type situation?  Or a home with windows already closed?  Do you know your neighbor?  Sometimes a chat can work wonders

[Mephistopheles]

I suggest speaking with the neighbor directly in a friendly way. Pot smokers tend to be chill, laid back, and he'd probably agree to doing it outdoors or earlier or some compromise. If that doesn't work I go to the landlord and mention the smoke free act. If landlord doesn't help I'd bring it to the NYC Housing and Preservation Dept, the agency responsible for protecting tenant rights, to file a complaint. NYC tends to be very tenant friendly. Unless you own the place, not too familiar with owners rights but if nothing pans out and it is really interfering with your life than litigation is probably that necessary and last resort.

[BG2008]

Apartment Building - Already wrote a fairly passive aggressive public shaming letter.  So the cats kind of out of the bag.  Problem is also, not sure who the pot smoker is. 

[writser]

Have you tried talking to them before writing a passive aggressive shaming letter?

[StubbleJumper]

Isn't this pretty much the same problem that people have had for decades with ethnic cooking?  If you have a multicultural city, you'll have a little bit of everything in your building and every day you will smell different cooking than what you eat.  There's never been much you can do about it, right?

[BG2008]

Have you tried talking to them before writing a passive aggressive shaming letter?

 

Do you think anyone in a NYC apartment building talk to their neighbors or even say hello? I agree that probably should've been a first step. 

[BG2008]

Isn't this pretty much the same problem that people have had for decades with ethnic cooking?  If you have a multicultural city, you'll have a little bit of everything in your building and every day you will smell different cooking than what you eat.  There's never been much you can do about it, right?

 

Probably a little different in that weed has a bit more chemicals in it which is why people smoke it in the first place

[Mephistopheles]

Since the public shaming hasn't worked, try talking to your landlord who may be obliged to help under the smoke free act. If that doesn't work, try filing a complaint with the city. If you really want to be shrewed about it, try calling the cops, isn't pot smoking still illegal in NYC?

[BG2008]

Since the public shaming hasn't worked, try talking to your landlord who may be obliged to help under the smoke free act. If that doesn't work, try filing a complaint with the city. If you really want to be shrewed about it, try calling the cops, isn't pot smoking still illegal in NYC?

 

Thanks for the advice.  Pot smoking is still illegal, but no cop will enforce it.  People smoke out in the open and with the current mayor, they are not enforcing this type of behavior.  Your suggestions are quite helpful.  Not sure if the public shaming hasn't worked yet.  It was posted last night.  So, we will see.  I did suggest using edibles in my letter and heavily apologize for wasting 2 minutes of the non-smokers' time.   

[Castanza]

I would recommend never writing anything defamatory. Something like "Could you please stop smoking so much weed so I can sleep." is probably fine.

 

Always keep it as hearsay. I don't know much about the laws where you are, but you never know how these neighbor spats can spiral to ridiculous levels. Last thing you want is to be sitting in some court where this guy is suing you for harassment and he has a pile of threatening letters as evidence.

[Jurgis]

Sell the appt, buy a house next to Buffett in Omaha. Problem solved.  8)

 

Although you might have complaints about McDs food wrappers being tossed on the sidewalk.

 

And crowds of starry eyed fans once a year.  ::)

[Gregmal]

The suburbs are calling

[BG2008]

I would recommend never writing anything defamatory. Something like "Could you please stop smoking so much weed so I can sleep." is probably fine.

 

Always keep it as hearsay. I don't know much about the laws where you are, but you never know how these neighbor spats can spiral to ridiculous levels. Last thing you want is to be sitting in some court where this guy is suing you for harassment and he has a pile of threatening letters as evidence.

 

This is great advice.  Part of me is extremely resentful that "I have to deal with this" 

[BG2008]

The suburbs are calling

 

Coast/Urban all the way!  JK

[LC]

What the problem? Just spark up next to him  ;D

[hillfronter83]

Isn't this pretty much the same problem that people have had for decades with ethnic cooking?  If you have a multicultural city, you'll have a little bit of everything in your building and every day you will smell different cooking than what you eat.  There's never been much you can do about it, right?

 

Probably a little different in that weed has a bit more chemicals in it which is why people smoke it in the first place

 

Start cook spicy Chongqing hotpot for dinner everyday. Maybe your neighbor will be the one complaining :)

[StubbleJumper]

Isn't this pretty much the same problem that people have had for decades with ethnic cooking?  If you have a multicultural city, you'll have a little bit of everything in your building and every day you will smell different cooking than what you eat.  There's never been much you can do about it, right?

 

Probably a little different in that weed has a bit more chemicals in it which is why people smoke it in the first place

 

 

Yeah the chemicals won't amount to anything unless they are highly concentrated -- you don't even get much of a contact high if you are in the same room when a joint is being smoked, let alone in another apartment.  The odour is definitely a real thing though.  In my neighbourhood, I can smell both the pot smoke and some of the stronger ethnic cooking as I walk down the street, which is a full 50 feet away from houses and apartments.  You can't really get away from it.  If you like it, great, but if you don't like it, there's not much to do about it, other than move. 

[Lakesider]

Cant argue with the excellent, on the ground research that's been put in here. Going long Tilray  :P

[John Hjorth]

Many years ago, I read an ad on Cragslist, going like this:

 

"NAG, NAG, NAG : HD Fat Boy for sale - mint condition - for sale - cheap! - I have to let it go, because of FAT, NAGGING wife... Please call me at at xxx-xxxx to give me an offer." <Picture of the very nice bike attached>.

 

- - - o 0 o - - -

 

Since then, I've always been thinking about what would happen if this guy back then had a subscription to Craigslist laying around in the restroom, if she was reading his stuff in the restroom ...

 

- - - o 0 o - - -

 

Somehow, it's all about peaceful co-existence ... -The higher the local population density is, the more demanding it is!

 

You start with buying a home, and you may end up selling the neighbours. [- to the next greater fool?]

[Spekulatius]

Have you tried talking to them before writing a passive aggressive shaming letter?

 

Do you think anyone in a NYC apartment building talk to their neighbors or even say hello? I agree that probably should've been a first step.

 

This is NYC, so in any case, the neighbor in question will tell you to GFY. Move somewhere, where you own all 4 walls of your place yourself. That solves this and many other problems.

[Aberhound]

Get some good olive oil and an ozone generator. Bubble the ozone into the olive oil. This seems to prevent the harshness on the lungs some people complain about. The ozone will remove the smell from the air. In Vancouver as you walked about in the past you could often smell ozone coming from garages, but almost never the cannabis grow ops. Houses are expensive in my neighbourhood. After a few weeks the olive oil looks white coloured and translucent. Put it in a jar in the fridge. It will heal almost anything on the skin thanks to the high oxygen. Anyone living in Australia can do the same and remove the smoke from the air. If you smell smoke you need more ozone. If you smell ozone or freshness you have enough. Everyone in the parts of the country with forests which might burn like the whole west coast should do the same. Further, in cities oxygen levels are too low causing illness and cancer over time.

[rogermunibond]

Your building and the landlord should have a smoking policy, which may protect you from the issue of secondhand smoke.

 

https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/smoke/smoking-sample-policy-residential.pdf

[muscleman]

Pot has been decriminalized lately.  I have nothing against cannabis and lots of research shows that it is a lot less addictive than opiates.  However, I am currently dealing with a neighbor who lights up 5-6 nights a week around midnight.  The smell is so strong that it is making it hard to sleep.  I am sure that I am getting a mild case of second hand smoke.  NYC has a smoke free act of 2002 that prohibits smoking in common areas indoors.  Any suggestions for dealing with this?  I have a feeling that WSJ will have an article on this sooner or later.  The same rules that applies to cigarette smoking in terms of distance from building etc should apply here as well.  Again, nothing against pot.  But I shouldn't have to suffer from second hand smoke.

 

Have you tried consulting with AOC, the lady with infinite wisdom? Maybe she should propose a law for the pot restrictions

[longlake95]

maybe approach your neighbors with a case of Doritos and one of these:

 

https://www.amazon.ca/Purifier-Washable-Pre-Filters-Particle-Allergens/dp/B073WJDQMN/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?gclid=CjwKCAiAsIDxBRAsEiwAV76N814EJE6qlvximk7X8ivReMlOBb-O3-WkmHgmdmI9jIhOuomzz9BDdRoCvWoQAvD_BwE&hvadid=267144885509&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9000801&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=7793352959613316797&hvtargid=aud-854277239427%3Akwd-297656059159&hydadcr=25028_10278448&keywords=apartment+air+purifier&qid=1579205636&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExMlJOMEc4Q1FGV1RKJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzc1Njk3MUVTNTZWSFlJQUFHUCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMTAwNzc2RTlXWldaMzBCTlo1JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==