New Yorkers Complain About Unbearable Marijuana Smoke in Apartments
Some residents of New York City are voicing concerns about the overwhelming smell of marijuana smoke in their apartments, claiming that cannabis enthusiasts are essentially smoking them out of their homes.
No One Can Control the MJ Smokers
Delaney, a 25-year-old businesswoman, shared her struggles: “The stench is so strong that sometimes I wake up or can’t relax and fall asleep. Sometimes the concentrated odor makes me nauseous, the smoke stings my eyes, and irritates my throat. The smell appears almost every night between 10:00 PM and 2:00 AM.”
Delaney attended college in Oregon, where cannabis is legal, so she’s no stranger to the smell of marijuana. But after the ban on cannabis was lifted in New York in 2021, things have gotten out of control. The smoke that fills the city streets is now impossible to escape, even at home. Delaney thought she might be exaggerating the problem, but relatives who visited her said her apartment smelled like a smokehouse.
Delaney now sits next to an air purifier. She complained to the building owner and the property management company. They sympathized but couldn’t help, since the law allows New Yorkers to smoke marijuana in their own apartments. Delaney hopes to find out exactly who is smoking cannabis, talk to them, and find a solution. For now, she has to rely on her air purifier.
Cannabis Isn’t Subject to the Same Rules as Tobacco
Claire, 39, who lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two kids, says her neighbors smoke marijuana almost around the clock. The smoke seeps into her children’s bedroom through the ventilation. Allison, who rents an apartment in the upscale DUMBO neighborhood, suffers from a new neighbor whose marijuana smoke has filled her apartment and even the stairwell with its odor.
The paradox is that Allison moved into a non-smoking building, but it turned out the ban only applies to tobacco—smoking marijuana is allowed. She had to file more than 30 complaints before the managers finally sent an email to the cannabis-smoking neighbor. After that, the neighbor started smoking less frequently.
Meanwhile, Claire is afraid to report her neighbors because she lives in a small building and doesn’t want to bring trouble to her family. So she has to put up with the ever-present smell of smoke. She admitted that she and her husband use cannabis themselves, but they make sure not to bother others. In her opinion, cannabis enthusiasts should be more considerate of those around them and show some restraint.