Smoking marijuana in public near children
We’re wondering if others have seen an increase in smoking weed in Berkeley since the legalization of marijuana...how do you deal with it when people smoke near children in public areas? We’ve seen a lot of it on the playground, and even right outside daycare, but not sure how receptive people are to being told that we’d rather they go somewhere else.
Nov 1, 2019
Parent Replies
I can't speak to Berkeley, but I can speak to other communities in the Bay Area - the increase in smoking weed in public places has become a real nuisance.
It's important to know the laws around cannabis use. I'm including a link to a concise information sheet which clearly notes:
You cannot use cannabis within 1,000 feet of a school, day care center, or youth center while children are present."
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/DO/letstalkcannabis/CDPH%20Document%20…
When my young adult and weed buddies took to smoking on the curb outside my house, I printed out the information sheet, went outside and told them, "Hey, nice day isn't it? Because I care about you, I want you to be aware of the laws around cannabis use. I'm not going to call the cops on you, but I can't promise my neighbors won't." I handed a sheet to each of them. A couple of them read it. They moved along.
Weed is legal, but illegal to smoke it in public. Pretend it's a cigarette and ask: "can you please smoke 35 feet away from this entrance? from this group of people? The smoke bothers me." If they tell you no... you can say: "Did you know it's actually illegal to smoke weed in public?" https://www.sftravel.com/what-you-need-know-about-legal-marijuana-california
I have seen the same thing. There are second hand smoke laws but try and get them enforced. It is of my opinion the people who do this just feel entitled and just don't care about the rights and well being of others. I think this is more a change in the attitude of society morals than the legalization of marijuana.
Smoking is prohibited in Berkeley public parks, and state law says that any legislation related to smoking also applies to tobacco, cannabis, and vaping. So if you're in a public park / movie theater / restaurant / schoolyard: whatever it is, you can't smoke it.
The few times I have asked folks not to smoke I can't say it has been gracefully received, but I find it helpful to frame my comments in terms of smoking rather than in terms of weed. And I think that the legalization of recreational weed is recent enough that sometimes people just don't know what the restrictions are.