Pubdate: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 Source: Chico Enterprise-Record (CA) Copyright: 2011 Chico Enterprise-Record Contact: http://www.chicoer.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/861 Author: Dick Cory LANDLORD BURNED BY POT GROWER The title of this letter should be "Pot-Pour-Ri." The literal translation is rotten pot. I couldn't agree more. No, I'm not writing about the fragrant concoction of flowers, herbs and spices so popular as gifts at Christmas. I'm speaking of the skunk scent of the other pot - marijuana. There must be a reason for the putrid odor. I should have titled this piece "Pot Poor Me." A pot-growing renter just stiffed me. He left my rental in shambles. Even painting the entire inside and cleaning the house and carpet with deodorant did not entirely remove this distinctive moldy smell. The security deposit did not cover one-third of the cleanup cost. He left the day before the scheduled walk-through and final rent payment. His note saying the check was in the mail was the final insult. My first clue of his nefarious operation was when the neighbors complained of the awful scent. When I asked him if he was growing marijuana, he denied it pointing the finger toward the neighbors to the east. This was probably also true, but was just the beginning of a smokescreen of lies. Was the whole neighborhood going to pot? As a person who has painful rheumatoid arthritis, and has seen the limitations of traditional pain relievers, I was sympathetic to users (not abusers) of marijuana. No more. Advocates for unlimited neighborhood growth of pot do not admit (or care) about the damage caused. Their legacy will necessitate new leases and laws. Once burned, twice learned. - - Dick Cory Chico - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.