4/2/2011 – My friend lives in a co-op building in Brooklyn, where the tenants dictate how the place is run. During a recent board meeting, they discussed a scent-related issue: pot smoke. A couple that lives in one of the downstairs apartments lights up frequently. Tenants and guests are often greeted, when they enter the lobby, with a strong scent of weed. The collective wasn’t sure how to approach this couple.
My friend, a green-friendly gal who knows the couple, volunteered.
“What am I supposed to say to them? I mean, I smoke weed in my apartment,” she asked me.
“And what do you do?”
“I turn on the overhead fan, burn a little incense, open the window. Plus, I smoke weed from a little one hitter…it’s not like giant bong hits or something.”
“Well, that’s what you may want to convey to them. If they plan on smoking weed in a close quarter building, they may want to consider how to manage their smoke better.”
So here’s some “smoke management” pointers for people living in close quarters (that don’t include blowing smoke into toilet paper rolls and dryer sheets because that’s just weird). If you have any other suggestions, please leave a comment:
- Smoke with awareness. If you want to remain off of the radar, reconsider that bong the size of a small child in the middle of your studio apartment. Unfortunately, it’s still an illegal substance and needs to be treated in that manner. In short, don’t be too casual.
- Revisit how you smoke weed – your smoking accoutrement, in other words. Vaporizers obviously generate less scent. One hitters are less smoky. Bongs might be better left in locations where others are not likely to be affected the smoke it creates.
- Circulation and ventilation is key. Blowing out windows isn’t always such a smart idea (you never know who is downwind). Running a fan and opening windows disperses the smoke in a gradual manner.
- Burn a little sage instead of incense. Most incense is cheaply made crap (other than companies like Fred Soll, who produce amazing, truly all-natural sticks.) Sage dissipates into the air quickly, while removing overpowering scents (and bad mojo, according to Native American tradition). Incense can be noxious and perfumey.
- Create a safe space. Out here in the suburbs, many weed-friendly folk have something akin to a clubhouse for weed. It’s usually in the form of a shed or a garage. Neighbors are none the wiser. (And it fosters a secret kid’s club feeling that many of us appreciate at this juncture of our adult lives.)
- Be considerate. Remember, smoke is smoke. Some people don’t like it. Cigarette smoke is highly offensive to many pot smokers. But for others, any kind of smoke or strong scent can be an annoyance.
My friend spoke with the couple downstairs who now use their overhead fan and place a rolled-up towel under their door when partaking (there’s a substantial amount of space between their front door and the floor). These small changes seem to have made the difference. (Though several people, including myself, have complained that they don’t smell pot smoke in the lobby anymore.)
Sage Stick – Pot Smoke Dissipator and Bad Mojo Lifter
Smoke Rising Photo Source: Guiri R. Reyes
Beth Mann is a popular blogger and writer for Open Salon and Salon. She is also an accomplished actor and director with over 15 years of experience, as well as the president of Hot Buttered Media. She currently resides at the Jersey shore where she can often be seen surfing or singing karaoke at the local dive bar.
Contact: maryjane {at } freedomisgreen.com