Even in states where cannabis is legal for medical and recreational use, smoking weed in an apartment is more problematic than it is for those who maintain a private residence.
Apartment living is one of those necessary evils for a lot of us. It keeps the movers-and-shakers of the planet flexible, able to move around from place to place whenever they want. It also prevents them from having to shell out for costly repairs, pay property taxes, and it offers a plethora of other benefits that homeowners do not enjoy. But there are some downsides to this way of life.
Living in a condensed area where a resident is immediately surrounded by dozens of neighbors has been known to cause its fair share of trouble over the years. It’s the reason apartment dwellers often receive complaints about noise, pets, and, increasingly, the odor of marijuana.
Even in states where cannabis is legal for medical and recreational use, smoking weed in an apartment situation is just more problematic than it is for those who maintain a private residence. In fact, even before you move into most places, being a marijuana user is already stacked against you.
Most leases have policies against the use of illegal drugs, smoking and disturbing other tenants. And most of the time, these leases do not account for legal weed at the state level. So, while it might be perfectly legal next year in Illinois to possess and use marijuana, people who live in apartments are probably not going to be able to smoke freely without the risk of repercussions. Therefore, it is going to be necessary for those people to be somewhat clandestine in their cannabis use to keep the peace and reduce the chances of an eviction.
RELATED: The Essential Guide To Smoke Proofing Your Apartment
Of course, the best way to prevent hardships as a result of using marijuana in an apartment setting is to just refrain from smoking altogether. In legal states, where a person 21 and older can just step inside their neighborhood dispensary and buy retail weed, there are a variety of cannabis products where smoking is not involved. Edibles are always a smart way to go, as these little beauties are completely smoke-free. But for those people who prefer to smoke weed rather than eat it, there are more discreet products available that won’t reek up the entire apartment building like a joint or a bong. Vaporizers offer the smoking experience without the intrusive aroma that sometimes causes neighbors to complain. Even using dabs, which are concentrates, is a better option than burning raw flower. Your neighbors will never even know you smoke weed.
RELATED: These Are The 5 Best Candles For Cannabis Smokers
But if you must smoke marijuana the old fashioned way, you’re going to need to employ a little stoner ingenuity to keep things on the down-low. Remember, unless your lease clearly states that marijuana smoking is allowed on the premises, it’s probably not. And the last thing a renter wants is to start getting complaints that the pungent odor of marijuana keeps wafting into the common areas. These grievances might not get you into trouble with the law — at least not in a legal state — but they could get you kicked out of your home.
So, make use of bathroom and kitchen fans, which will suck up the smoke and reduce the smell of marijuana. If in the bathroom, it also doesn’t hurt to turn on a hot shower, since the steam works to diminish odors. This is not full-proof, however, so you might also want to block the bottom of your doors with a towel to keep as much of the smoke as possible from escaping. If an exhaust fan is not available, try keeping your smoke session as far away from the front of the apartment as possible. It also doesn’t hurt to burn candles to mask the odor. Some longtime marijuana users even swear by a product called Ozium, which is a spray known to effectively eliminate the skunk.
Fortunately, marijuana smoke is not the same as tobacco smoke. So while consuming weed in this fashion goes against the grain of most leases, the odor of marijuana is not going to linger in the apartment long. Not like it would in a room inhabited by a person who uses cigarettes regularly. This is good news, since breaking the rules of a lease, even if the violation does not lead to eviction, can cause a renter to lose his or her security deposit when the time comes to move someplace new. Perhaps then you will be lucky enough to find a property owner who is a bit more weed-friendly.
