What should I do if my neighbors are growing cannabis? - Don’t be a Snitch
A recent article in the Derby Telegraph (yes it’s a UK newspaper) spoke about ‘what you can do if you suspect your neighbor growing cannabis”. The entire premise of the article is that “because cannabis is illegal, it’s bad and therefore ratting out the neighbor is okay!”
Since the advice in this article was quite prohibition based, let me create a better framework for you to follow if you do in fact suspect that your neighbor is growing weed..
Ask a few questions…
No not to your neighbor…to yourself.
- Do I smoke cannabis?
- If Yes, then would the neighbor be willing to give me of his stash? Could I buy some?
- If no, does the fact that cannabis is next to me bother me?
- Are the neighbors careful? Is it just me smelling it or are other neighbors also smelling it?
- Does the neighbor look like he is dealing from his home or is it for personal use?
- Are there shady people approaching the neighbor’s house periodically?
- Does the neighbor suffer from a medical condition?
By answering these questions, you should definitely have a clearer course of action based on the answers.
For instance, if you do smoke cannabis…getting to know your neighbor might not be a bad idea. At times, the neighbor might ask you to take care of the plants if he/she is out of town, or perhaps they will call you when harvest time comes to assist with trimming and so forth. I have had neighbors that grew weed and it was delicious to say the least. I always had a joint right next door, even when the entire town was dry.
If you aren’t a cannabis smoker, the target audience of the original article, then you have to assess whether it’s actually your ‘business’ to care or not. Unless the actions of the individual in question is putting you in direct danger or attracting unsavory foot traffic…why should you care if someone else is growing a plant?
Why should or shouldn’t you care?
At what moment does the life choices of another individual affect your own life? If someone is a Furry, and likes to walk around in a dog costume…would you call the police? Would his or her behavior affect you in any way?
What about someone who drinks more than the average person? At what moment would it be time for you to involve the police? For the most part, people would answer, “As long as the individual doesn’t do anything to me or my property…let them have at it!”
However, why isn’t this the case with cannabis? Why do we tolerate neighbors drinking themselves into a coma but we can’t tolerate someone smoking themselves to oblivion? It’s this hypocrisy that you should address first.
You should figure out whether the actions of the neighbor is actually creating conflict within your own life. If there is no actual conflict, involving the police means that you are knowingly condemning a non-violent person to go to jail, waste police resources and probably ruining that person’s life….just because you didn’t “like” something.
“But it’s illegal!” some might retort.
Well, that’s true…but that doesn’t make the law right. At one point in time, slavery was perfectly legal…yet the legal status of slavery didn’t make it right. Similarly, the fact that something is “illegal” doesn’t make it wrong.
Cannabis is about freedom of choice. It’s about me taking responsibility for my own body and mind and using whatever I deem fit for consumption. As long as I don’t directly affect your liberty, there should be no issue whatsoever.
The answer is that you shouldn’t care about whether someone is growing or consuming cannabis for personal reasons. In fact, you should praise them!
Why Praise the Personal Cannabis Grower?
Firstly, someone who grows their own weed has taken the measure to ‘not participate’ in the black market. This means that they are not giving money to criminals. This is huge! The illegal cannabis market is massive and while the cost per kilo has been driven down over the years, it is still a viable revenue stream for criminal organizations. Organizations that use the money to fund other illegal activities.
The personal grower is removing him or her from the equation and by creating more cannabis, they are indirectly devaluating street value. Sure, by a minimal percentage…however they are doing more to fight illegal cartels than you who do not smoke.
Don’t be a Snitch
Unless your neighbor is dealing weed in mass, attracting unsavory people and creating turmoil in your neighborhood…just ignore their actions. Smoking and growing weed isn’t bad. It’s just something some people do…so if your neighbor is growing weed and he or she is chill about it…let them be.
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