Minnesota bans marijuana smoking in apartments

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Apartments are not a safe haven for smoking marijuana anymore.

A new law instituted this summer means landlords have to ban cannabis smoking in multifamily homes — places with at least three units.

Hiding in plain sight is the new approach for smoking cannabis flower in much of Minnesota, so a flower bed by a St. Paul apartment complex has become a popular spot.

"They're trying to find places, whether it's a private trail, places that they can smoke that are in public, that aren't necessarily 'in public'," said Kayla Fearing of Healing Fear Consulting about her neighbors who smoke.

Fearing says she technically needs to drive about 15 minutes from home if she wants to light up.

"I see it as very discriminatory," she said.

She and her neighbors can’t afford to buy or rent single-family homes, so they’re stuck sharing space and air vents with people who may report them.

"Obviously there's going to be some tension that's going to arise when people have an expectation of a smoke-free building, and they're smelling weed," said Cecil Smith, CEO of Minnesota Multi Housing Association.

Smith says legislators recognized that secondhand cannabis smoke can be unhealthy and objectionable.

So landlords will be expected to enforce smoke-free environments if complaints arise.

Fearing hopes that can be avoided.

"I think we just got to be respectful of people," she said. "And if your neighbors don't want you smoking, don't smoke."

One exception to the new law is for medical cannabis users.

More than 40,000 people with medical cannabis cards can still smoke in apartments, so landlords may find enforcement a little tricky.

The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) is the ultimate enforcer and the punishment for a violation is a $250 fine.