Pubdate: Wed, 26 Jul 2017
Source: Truro Daily News (CN NS)
Copyright: 2017 The Daily News
Contact:  http://www.trurodaily.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1159
Author: Kevin Russell
Page: A4

RENTERS, LANDLORDS HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE CANNABIS-FREE

Investment Property Owners Association of Nova Scotia (IPOANS) is not
in favour of the proposed Federal Government's cannabis legalization
legislation.

"Nova Scotia's Cannabis Legalization Working Group must take into
consideration multi-family unit dwellings' high-density living
environment when writing cannabis regulations," says IPOANS president
Jeremy Jackson. Adding "The current legislation, as is, fails to
protect tenants' right to peaceful enjoyment of their homes, a right
guaranteed under the Nova Scotia Residential Tenancy Act."

According to Statistics Canada's 2011 National Household Survey, there
are 111,000 renter households in Nova Scotia. Taking into account an
average 1.5 occupancy factor per renter household, marijuana use and
cultivation places 166,000 Nova Scotians' health and safety in jeopardy.

In a single family home what an owner-occupant does mainly affects
only themselves, whereas, in multi-unit family dwellings, occupants'
actions in one unit can have a significant and often negative impact
on residents of adjacent units.

Second-hand smoke is not benign. Research data has shown secondhand
smoke can infiltrate surrounding apartments, exposing non-smoking
occupants to high levels of airborne impurities. Therefore, regulators
must view multi-family unit dwellings in a broader environmental
context rather than in the framework of an individual unit.

IPOANS' members have heard from tenants with respiratory conditions,
young families, seniors and non-smoking residents who all expressed
concerns about associated health risks of inhaling drifting
second-hand marijuana smoke and drifting airborne toxins from
marijuana plant cultivation. Former marijuana users expressed fear of
relapse by coming in constant contact with drifting second-hand
marijuana smoke.

Rental demand for smoke-free living environments are experiencing
impressive growth rates. Residential landlords are meeting demand by
converting existing rental stock into "smoke-free buildings."
Smoke-free lease terms and conditions align with Nova Scotia's
Smoke-Free Places Act in setting smoking rules. Tenancy agreements
permit medical marijuana users to consume less evasive smoke-free
medical marijuana products.

Jackson's preference would be for Nova Scotia's Cannabis Legalization
Working Group to follow New Brunswick's Legalization Working Group's
recommendation, "affirming landlords are free to prohibit the
cultivation of cannabis in rented premises in a lease agreement."

And, ideally, Nova Scotia takes a leadership position by "affirming
landlords are free to prohibit cannabis smoking in rented premises in
a lease agreement."

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Kevin Russell is Senior Policy Advisor with IPOANS.
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MAP posted-by: Matt