Vermont Wants To Limit Cannabis Smoke Odor

Vermont is looking to limit the smell of cannabis smoke. A bill under consideration if the Vermont House of Representatives would allow local cities and towns to classify weed smoke as a public nuisance, which is a ticket-able offense.

South Burlington Police Chief Trevor Whipple stated, “I feel as a non-marijuana user, that I should not have somebody else’s use impact my life.”

But Whipple claims he’s never received a complaint about the odor of weed, nor does his department handle many gripes about the smell.

Even though medical cannabis has been legal in VT since 2004, the state’s adult-use cannabis law, which takes effect in July, prohibits people from consuming weed in public places, such as streets, sidewalks, and hotels. The new bill would give localities further latitude to handle complaints that take place on private property. Under Vermont’s legalization structure, landlords may also prohibit tenants from using or growing cannabis unless tenants get written permission from the landlord.  

The House Committee on Government Operations is scheduled to vote on the bill March 9, 2018. Although weed may be legal in certain capacities in Vermont, it seems that certain lawmakers still wish to police it as much as they can.