A 70-year-old woman living in an apartment complex in Halifax says she can’t seem to get away from the smell of pot.
Judy Howe says she’s resorted to wearing a mask and putting a cloth under her front door because the smell of marijuana in her building is so noticeable.
“I get headaches, it affects my breathing, it affects my eyes, makes my eyes burn, I choke up,” says Howe.
Howe says the secondhand smoke is more prominent during the night, on weekends, and holidays. She says she prefers to walk around in the dark than sleep in her own bed.
“It smells strong enough that it smells like someone is literally standing in my apartment smoking,” she says.
This week nearly 100 landlords got together with police, health and government officials to talk about what they're calling “the cannabis conundrum.” The coming legalization of marijuana will have a huge impact on the rental industry.
“Our big, big concern would be those two – the drifting of secondhand smoke which could become more so because it is legalized, and the second one would be around cultivation,” says Jeremy Jackson, president of the Investment Property Owners Association of Nova Scotia.
Jackson suggests implementing a smoke-free policy to reduce the smell. Most new buildings already have that rule in place, but there could still be an impact.
“It could actually harm our vacancy and our income if we are losing tenants all around this potential heavy user,” says Jackson.
By law, every tenant has a right to “peace and enjoyment” at home – something Judy Howe says she's being denied because she can't afford to move.
“People have rights, but I also have rights as a tenant,” Howe says.
Management of the apartment did not reply to CTV News’s request for comment.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kelland Sundahl.
