Bill Allowing Landlords To Ban Medical Marijuana Smoking Goes To Snyder’s Desk

Supporters say it protects fellow tenants and landlords from smoke and damage to buildings.

Jake Neher/WDET

Gov. Rick Snyder has just a few bills from last session left to consider.

Among them is a bill that would allow landlords to include a provision in their leases preventing tenants from smoking or growing medical marijuana.

Bill sponsor Sen. Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge) said the legislation protects fellow tenants and landlords from smoke and damage to buildings.

“No one needs to use medical marijuana in a smoking form,” he said. “If they have a prescription, they can use it in many other ways – edibles, creams, oils, and even vaporizers.”

But medical marijuana law attorney Michael Komorn disagreed.

He said the bill is excessive and attacks medical marijuana patients.

“A landlord can preclude, generally speaking, certain behavior in a lease, so that already existed and if it’s a private entity the use of this legislation is really unnecessary because it already existed,” he said.

Under the current voter-passed Michigan Medical Marijuana law, medical marijuana users can smoke or grow marijuana in rental properties. 

Author

  • Cheyna Roth
    Cheyna has interned with Michigan Radio and freelanced for WKAR public radio in Lansing. She's also done some online freelancing and worked on documentary films.