Smelly Neighbor

To the Community:

In response to complaints from other businesses and residents about our company, we want to address these concerns.

Background: Our facility is a 15-acre site that houses a marijuana business incubator. The aromatic terpenes in cannabis may allow fumes to escape into the air. The facility is in a valley, and as heat rises, so do the fumes and sweet aromas. The city, the county, and the state licensed our business. We meet all requirements, and our quarterly inspections have received A+ ratings. We understand the town residents preferred the canning facility that was formerly on this site. Due to no fault of our own, that company stopped production here and selected our business as their commercial tenants. Our facility runs 24/7 - that means, we have 3 shifts of workers, and they are working, day and night, caring for the plants and packing the marijuana products that people want.

Complaints: People complain that they can smell the marijuana as they walk nearby. Complaints are more numerous from drivers passing by on either of the 2 major highways that we are between. Complaints have been made to us in writing and in person at the plant, as well as to the city council members. We have addressed the concerns at many council meetings.

Resolutions: We cannot stop fumes from escaping, and if everyone calms down (well, actually, if you breathe deeply, the fumes may help calm your nerves) and looks at the good side of our business, everyone can benefit. Breathing deeply as you pass nearby will not give you the high that one gets from smoking or eating cannabis. It will make you smile, though. A sweet, lingering odor from a product that gives pain relief to all of the Baby Boomers limping around can’t be all bad, right?

Bear with me while I explain: Pain pills have to go through your kidneys and liver, which might harm them with long-term use.

• A small dose of an edible at bedtime will relieve pain and help you sleep.
• We do not recommend the edible if you have to drive somewhere. Take it at bedtime. Use a tiny dose at first to see your tolerance.
• For quicker pain relief, consider lighting up a joint. Within a minute of taking a hit, your headache or backache – whatever pain is eating you up – will disappear.

The preference between each is personal. However, if you do not like the odor of weed and are one of the complainers, then we strongly suggest you use an edible. One reason to use edibles is if you have a sensitive sniffer and don’t want the smell of a joint lingering in your clothing and hair. Those who love chocolate should try the dark chocolate edibles, with or without sea salt; just be careful not to overdo it. If you don’t care if you stink, then OK, light up, Bro.

A few final suggestions for those who dislike the smell of weed:

• We can’t help you if you are biking or walking, other than to say, you know where the scent is. Remember when we were all wearing masks in the pandemic?
• If you are driving by, again, you know where the smell begins. We aren’t sure whether people ever use the special button in the car that recirculates air. Of course, if you forget, and some wafts in, that is on you - your mistake. You probably won’t want to open the windows at that point. If you get our drift....

Finally, you can choose to smile more and also reduce pain. Here’s how:

Step 1: Light up a joint.

Step 2: Inhale deeply.

Step 3: Smile.

Copyright © 1/15/2026 by Andrea O. Corwin

I am grateful you read my work! 😃 If you liked it, please like it ♡, drop a comment, and subscribe for free. - - Andi