In Denver, the smell of weed is starting to bother some residents

What was the latest reason the Denver City Council met on Monday, May 2? The smell of weed in the air.

Residents of Colorado's capital city felt that the’smell of cannabis The situation in the city is affecting ordinary citizens. Nearly 100 complaints about odor nuisances have been filed with the Department of Health since 2014.

The new rules, which were approved unanimously, will require dispensaries and cannabis producers to invest in new ventilation systems. One positive aspect is the collaboration that government employees will have with dispensaries. They will have to strike a balance between eliminating the weed odor that bothers passersby and neighbors and allowing a faint scent to linger. to entice impulse buyers, guided by its sense of smell, just as perfume shops are. These measures will ultimately affect all industries or businesses that produce potentially bothersome odors.

The new decree states that businesses in the sector will be added to a list of those authorized to emit offensive odors. If the Department of Health receives five complaints from citizens within one month, an inspection will be conducted to determine whether the business is complying with the law.

Greg Thomas of the Colorado Department of Health told CBS that half of the state’s growers, dispensaries, and producers already have a good ventilation system. The goal is to get the other half of the industry to install proper equipment: «I do urge people to be realistic, though. That doesn’t mean there won’t be any odor at all.».

In fact, there is currently no way to completely eliminate odors emitted by the plant. The authorities have recently acquired a device capable of measuring odor levels, which will help support residents’ complaints.

Last week, the council proposed limiting the number of clinics in the city—or at least curbing their expansion. Because the city of Denver is starting to be teeming with dispensaries in some neighborhoods, while others have none. The authorities will therefore limit the maximum number of retailers per neighborhood.

The new measures are expected to take effect by the end of 2016.

Théo Caillart