BC Landlords Will Be Able to Ban Renters from Smoking and Growing Legal Weed

In case landlords didn’t already wield enough power in British Columbia, the province’s public safety minister has confirmed they’ll also be able to ban smoking and growing weed in their properties when legalization begins this summer.

In a scrum with reporters Monday afternoon, Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth unveiled new policies on public smoking, retail distribution, personal cultivation and impaired driving.

British Columbians will be allowed to grow up to four plants for personal use, as long as they’re not visible from public spaces. Anyone over 19 will be able to carry up to 30 grams in public. Smoking and vaping at home is also allowed, but landlords and strata councils will have the power to ban or restrict growing, smoking and vaping.

Though BC has largely been viewed as the most pragmatic province when it comes to regulating weed, the decision to support blanket bans by landlords has drawn criticism from tenant advocates.

“I think it’s very unfair to tenants that they can’t do things in their homes that homeowners can do,” Ontario tenant advocate Karen Andrews recently told VICE.

Farnworth called tenant rights, particularly for those using cannabis medicinally, one of the key challenges all provinces regulating cannabis will have to face. When asked if his government is considering protections for renters amid a housing crisis, Farnworth said "we're looking at the whole issue of renters and cannabis."

Back in December BC announced it will distribute weed through the liquor control branch, opening the door to sales in private stores. Today Farnworth added that cannabis will be sold separately from liquor, and will be available online from government retailers. Farnworth said the first private and government-run retailers should be up and running by the summer.

Unlike in Ontario, British Columbians will also be allowed to smoke or vape in public places where smoking is already allowed. However, parks, playgrounds and other places frequented by kids will be off limits for cannabis consumption.

On impaired driving, BC has announced new powers to suspend licenses for 90 days, and has stressed a zero-tolerance policy for new drivers with THC in their system.

If this news already has you worried and searching for “420 friendly” housing, have some hope these decisions are still subject to change. Farnworth said cannabis regulation is an “evolving issue” with rules that will be updated once consequences become more clear.

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