Share this Story: Renters decry Calgary Housing Company's 'double standard' on cannabis ban
Renters decry Calgary Housing Company's 'double standard' on cannabis ban
Bill Kaufmann
Oct 03, 2018 • October 3, 2018 • 3 minute read
The new Cannabis Act and its accompanying regulations are silent on marijuana and the workplace. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images files
Regular cannabis smoker Mike said he's accustomed to being told he can't smoke pot in his rental property.
But while recently exploring the rental market for a possible move, he said a double standard is at play, at least with the city's largest residential landlord, Calgary Housing Company (CHC).
Renters decry Calgary Housing Company's 'double standard' on cannabis ban Back to video
He noticed that while the city-owned company that manages or administers nearly 10,000 units allows tobacco smoking in many of its properties, a ban on smoking or vaping of soon-to-be-legal marijuana is displayed on rental listings.
"I've been running into a number of statements like this . . . which does allow tobacco smoking," said Mike, who withheld his last name.
"I have been steadily getting the feeling this will be a serious issue in the coming months."
Most Calgary landlords, including large companies such as Boardwalk Rental Communities and Mainstreet Equity Corp., have also moved to ban using and growing cannabis on their premises.
But most of those building owners — many represented by the Calgary Residential Rental Association, which drew up new rules last May prohibiting cannabis use — have also cracked down on tobacco use.
The CHC's policy is worse than hypocrisy considering the known carcinogenic dangers of tobacco smoke, said Keith Fagin, spokesman for the Calgary 420 Cannabis Community.
"It's at the very least a double standard, especially given what we know about tobacco," said Fagin, noting that, in contrast, pot has medicinal uses.
As the Oct. 17 legalization date approaches, he noted pot prohibitions in Calgary are widespread, from all public spaces to post-secondary campuses, off-duty city police officers and rental properties.
A city attempt to create designated smoking areas in public green spaces is also stalled due to public opposition.
"There's still way too much reefer madness . . . it's what we've been taught for so many years," said Fagin, who's used the drug for more than four decades.
Some critics of the rental bans say prohibiting vaping makes no sense, since it doesn't produce smoke and reduces odour by 80 per cent.
Banning tobacco use on properties where it's long been accepted could cause friction with tenants, said CHC spokesman Darren Nimegeers.
But tobacco use has been prohibited in its new properties for the past 10 years, though Nimegeers couldn't say what percentage of the CHC's housing stock is smoke-free.
A ban on legal cannabis is seen as erring on the side of caution, he said, while noting landlords reserve the legal right to ban activities such as smoking on their property.
"There are concerns about the health impacts. One of the concerns is the intoxication effect of second-hand cannabis smoke," said Nimegeers, whose company counts nearly 25,000 tenants, most of them lower income.
He also said a good portion of the CHC tenants are youth, children and vulnerable populations.
"We want to create a healthy environment without being unreasonably restrictive . . . rather than adding an additional challenge, we want to control that," said Nimegeers.
Exemptions to that prohibition, mainly for medical reasons, can be made on a case-by-case basis, he said.
Pot proponent Fagin said those who want to smoke in multiple unit dwellings could do so through a carbon filter and an in-line fan attached to a window that removes and dissipates odours.
"Your neighbours wouldn't be bothered by it," he said.
But that would still be a violation of landlords' restrictions.
BKaufmann@postmedia.com
on Twitter: @BillKaufmannjrn