Officials in San Francisco, California have decided to approve a ban on smoking and vaping tobacco in apartment complexes, but will still allow cannabis consumption.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted a near-unanimous 10-1 at a meeting on December 1 to protect residents in apartment buildings that have three or more units. While smoking and vaping tobacco inside apartment units would be prohibited, cannabis consumption does not apply to the ban. San Francisco is now one of the largest cities in the United States to implement such a ban.
Cannabis advocates in the area were vocal about their opposition to the ban, especially since smoking cannabis outside is already prohibited. As a result, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman implemented an exemption that the board approved in an 8-3 vote. “Cigarette smokers or tobacco smokers and cannabis smokers are fundamentally in a different position under state law,” Mandelman said, according to San Francisco Weekly. “Tobacco smokers unable to smoke in their apartment building can go out to the curb or find other public space where they are allowed to smoke. Cannabis smokers don’t have that alternative. So I think it is important that we fully exempt cannabis from this legislation.”
The Board was not unanimous in agreeing with making cannabis exempt from the law. Supervisor Norman Yee stated his concerns at the meeting that cannabis is not 100 percent safe either. “While there are great benefits to cannabis, there are still health risks and exposure to secondhand cannabis smoke,” Yee said. “Secondhand cannabis smoke contains carcinogens like cadmium, chromium, benzene, and more than 33 identified toxins that were identified by research. Children exposed to secondhand cannabis smoke have detectable levels of THC in their bloodstream and make more visits to emergency rooms for breathing issues, ear infections, and asthma.”
Those caught in violation of the new law would face up to $1,000 per day for each offense. The law won’t become official until Mayor London Breed signs the bill. If he does, the ban is expected to go into effect in January 2021.
