Bill Allowing California Landlords to Ban Medical Cannabis is Dropped

The proposal in California that would have officially allowed landlords to ban cannabis smoking by tenants with medical permission has been dropped.

According to LA Times, Assemblyman Jim Wood was unable to figure out how to meet the needs of people relying on medical cannabis for relief.

Wood originally felt that the bill was needed because second-hand smoke can travel in apartment buildings, getting into the ventilation systems and hallway and affecting people in other apartments. His concern was that children or people who did not want anything to do with cannabis would end up being exposed to second-hand smoke, resulting in contact highs or other unwanted effects.

“This is about protecting families that live in close proximity to others,” Wood explained in a recent statement. He went on to add that because there are other ways to ingest cannabis besides smoking, patients would still be able to medicate.

Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson felt that this bill would be too limiting for medical patients, and she actively fought against the bill.

“They had a difference of opinion regarding the effectiveness of cannabis delivery mechanisms other than smoking,” stated Liz Snow, a spokeswoman for Wood, in an interview with LA Times, referring to the legislation supported by Jackson. She explained that Wood finally agree to drop the bill entirely, since he could not come up with a way to address Jackson’s concerns.

While it is true that cannabis can be imbibed in other ways besides smoking in order to medicate, there are some whose conditions only react to cannabis when it is smoked. As a result, it is not yet possible to make any hard and fast rules about how cannabis can be taken while still considering all medical needs. Hopefully, any patients who are smoking in close quarters will be considerate with their smoke so that landlords don’t feel the need to take any action.