Cannabis smoking neighbour

I’m surprised at the comment about a joint smelling like a bad dog fart. I used to smoke cannabis fairly regularly and it had a pleasant herbal smell. It wasn’t skunk though, don’t know what that smells like
I have never smoked it but yes, fragrant and not unpleasant, therefore my thought that it is skunk.

I’m surprised at the comment about a joint smelling like a bad dog fart. I used to smoke cannabis fairly regularly and it had a pleasant herbal smell. It wasn’t skunk though, don’t know what that smells like.
This poor chap seems like he’s doing his best, but perhaps he could switch to eating a cannabis cookie, obviously keeping them well hidden away from his children so that you’re not bothered by the smoke.
I though a small amount for personal use was allowed these days?

The biggest issue for me is his driving while certainly under the influence of a drug. His judgement will be impaired and terrible consequences could result. A dilemma for you for sure but imagine if someone close to you suffered and you had done nothing. I know many of you won't like my opinion but it has to be said.

Poor chap. He’s got such a lot to deal with.
You could have much worse neighbours.
Maybe just quietly tell him that you can smell it,but no more.

Oh my, can’t you live and let live, my brother in-laws both are
In the job, and inform me that more of their workmates smoke this than don’t, ..it will be legal in another year or two as todays cigarettes which are much more harmful will be faded out
…be kind

Welcome to 2022 unfortunately I didn’t know what the smell was when I moved into my current property and I actually phoned it as a repair. I thought something was wrong with my air conditioner. It was a workman that informed me what it was. You just to walk down the street now and you get that smell. Workman said that they were aware of my neighbor but he suffers with metal health issues. But he’s a lovely man quiet and really helpful and so I turned a blind eye. But now got someone else moved in next door on other side and whatever he’s on is disgusting smell. I’ve reported him and nothing was done. I now have blasting music etc 24/7 and even my weed smoking neighbor have complained. So you got two choices put up with it or move by the way I’m waiting to move home.

I think you are going a little far with the 12 joints a day, he wouldn’t be standing .
As for stinky your house out I can’t imagine what he’s smoking for it to be that bad. Just ask him to move to the furthest point away from your house he’ll be that mellow he won’t mind.?

Have a little compassion and understanding

For him or for children being brought up in a fug of drugs?

I would mention it to him first, out of kind neighbourliness. He doesn’t deserve to loose his by having a conviction nor possibly loose his children.Maybe suggest that he smokes at the end of his garden, where the fresh air will hopefully carry the smell away.
Or at least just warn him kindly what the consequences of his actions will be.
Both of you invite him over, I suggest. Good luck GrowingOldDisgracefully

Skunk has not been mentioned
I did mention it because the OP said this:

those of you who have been in close proximity to a dog which has let a real eye-watering deep-gut fart rip - it stinks like that

Which, in my view, sounds as if it could be skunk, not herbal cannabis which doesn't smell that unpleasant. Most smoked in the UK now is skunk.

So what is going to happen when his children are on holiday for the summer? Can't be healthy for them. I would not put up with it.

There is nothing that the police can do unfortunately. My daughters next door neighbour smokes it 24/7 with her sister everyday and they have two children between them . I don’t mind anybody smoking it in moderation but this is horrendous. In this heat my daughter has to have all her windows and vents closed and my 9 year old grandson heaves at the smell. They have to have fans on in the house using electricity which we know everybody is trying to cut back on . Smoking that much cannabis is harmful , god knows what it’s doing to their brains and they have two small children inhaling it and everybody else on the street . We’ve reported it to the police , council over the last two years and got nowhere

Iam64

That is a dilemma for you. It’s extremely unlikely he will stop ‘because he knows you’re on to him’.
You say he has routines in place and seems to be aware of the need to set boundaries etc. if he’s smoking strong skunk all day, he’s unlikely to be able to parent consistently once his children are in from school. I expect they’re aware of his cannabis habit - many of their school friends will also have parents who smoke it regularly
I wouldn’t worry that his children will be removed because of his habit. I do worry about the number of children growing up with parents who smoke then get bad tempered because they’ve to rouse themselves to care for their children.

You sound like a caring neighbour. Could you start by raising the impact of his habit on you and your husband. Ask him to contain his smoking area away from you. Then progress to wondering about the impact on his children of the smoke?

You could phone your local children and families team and talk it through with them. They may visit and that may create all kinds of stress for you. Sorry not to have any quick solutions. I feel for yiu

Skunk has not been mentioned. Would anyone report a neighbour who drank alcohol all day instead? If the children ate polite, clean and well cared for it could cause more harm than good if they are reported to Social Services, where they will inevitably be shoved from pillar to post and may even be separated. Think of the psychological damage that would do. Every family goes through shouting matches now and again and I can say from experience that bringing up two children alone is hard and stressful - he may feel that his smokes help him to cope.
If OP’s husband knows the man, he could quietly say he is aware of his previous conviction, mention that the smell is upsetting him and ask if he needs more support than he is getting.
Once the juggernaut of social services is involved it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to put a stop to family interventions.
Have a little compassion and understanding.

Very harsh Pashmiya, he needs support not locking up and losing his kids jeez what an answer!

I'm not anti cannabis or alcohol but feel that anyone smoking it or drinking should absolutely not do this while children are in their care. Plenty of time for this when they are safely tucked up in bed. Myself and OH never drank or used cannabis before children's bedtime. Perhaps because I had an alcoholic step mother as a child and instilled this into our marriage when first DC was born.
I would tell him nicely that the smell is making u feel awful and say could you smoke it away from the house and garden. Then depending on what happens you may have to report to social services sadly but they could pressure him to cut down at least.
Personally I regard it the same as alcohol and it should be legalised, but its not acceptable near children. It makes me ill so not for me

I would be just watchful as we all are when children are around. Keep an eye on the children that they are OK and happy. Then ask him to smoke out of 'nose shot', as it were. My experience of cannabis fumes, coming from friends, is of a sweetish and gentle smell, coming from a smouldering large roll up. No flames,

Also, cannabis is used for pain control by people with some conditions, such as MS, cancer, epilepsy. We don't know whether this is the case, and while what he is doing may be illicit, he shouldn't be asked. (Private medical information.)

Surprised he doesn't remember your husband.

@Baggs has it down perfectly.

For heavens sake don’t get social workers involved. I speak through experience of what can happen to a normal enough family if they are taken over by social workers.
Parents are not supposed to smoke ordinary tobacco let alone wakky Baccy. Your neighbour will go to pieces if he is suddenly made to stop smoking due to the threat of loosing his children into the social system. His yelling at the kids will be taken as his being likely to hit them and the children will be subjected to inspection for bruises and he will be made to attend anger management courses as well as courses on parenting, nutrition and gawd knows what.
He is obviously as good a Dad as he is, only due to the calming effect his wakky baccy has on him. Many years ago before this was freely available, he would probably be addicted to Valium. Which is stupidly quite acceptable to social workers.
Have a word with him by all means. But it sounds like he smokes outside so suggest where he can do so without causing you distress.
But Don’t involve social workers. Please ?
What they have done to one set of my great grandchildren is truly unbelievable.

Have a relaxed chat with him about something else, and casually drop in that the smoke bothers your husband, and could he smoke a distance from your house so it doesn't go in your windows.

I feel for him too, looking after three children on his own has got to be demanding! But…… I could not stand the smell of weed every day, makes me feel nauseous! And you have a right to enjoy your home surroundings, I’d also invite him over also and have a chat, I certainly wouldn’t want to push him over the edge, it’s a difficult situation to remedy, good luck

Sounds like this poor chap needs some support.
Are there any parent type groups locally? Perhaps the local council may have a list. We have several, from just coffee and a chat, local group child friendly outings to baby sitting swaps.
Couldn't do any harm to ask.

Reporting him because you don't like the smell is not really justifiable in my opinion.
I believe you will get different responses based on the different ages on grans net, these days weed is acceptable by many people. It is to an extent tolerated and ignored by both the police and social services depending on its usage.
You have also stated that the children are clean and looked after except for shouting- that I can understand being a single parent with 3children with today's stress and problems.
However, smoking in front of the children is not a good example, but you haven't stated their age. School children may have teachers that are aware through the smell on clothes or from the children in language.

Reporting him to the police because you don't like the smell however, May lead to a routine check (he is a single parent and may be known because of unfortunate circumstances.
Routine police report could lead to social services being notified and neither would offer anything helpful except to unnecessary stress which would add to his problems.

It is everywhere these days l live in a block of flats and the smell is a real problem. I would not report him to the police he doesn't need that hassle. I would ask him be smoke away from the house at least until late evening.

I know that weed has always had a smell but these days they put something else in it to bring out the smell, and whatever that is it definitely works!!
You can actually smell people up the road smoking it, it absolutely stinks shops out - I wish the shop owners etc would stop them entering with such a stink in the air!
Apart from asking him to smoke indoors or at the bottom of the garden furthest from you, all I can think of is asking him to erect a garden shed and smoke it in there!
I wouldn't want to go snitching on him, especially as any parole officer or people from SS would already be aware because of the smell and seem happy to leave him to it!

As a psychotherapist I have a lot of experience with clients who either smoke weed continually or have done in the past, and I can say absolutely clearly that the chronic use of weed is not harmless as many people would argue. It alters one's functioning and that can be permanent. If this were a guy by himself I would not even think to intervene unless the stink was all pervading, but that's not the situation here. The children's well-being in terms of their father's mood swings, and the possibility that they become introduced to dealers, and to the idea that it's OK to smoke weed is something that would be my first concern and to that end I would consider my moral duty to safeguard the children. You know what to do. The smell of the weed is a secondary issue but I would definitely mention it to your neighbour and ask that he smoke at the furthest edge of his garden, downwind from you. There's no comparison between having to put up with tobacco stink or weed stink, one's legal and the other isn't.

Growingolddisgracefully

If you have any concerns for the children then you must raise them. You would not be responsible for any outcomes - that decision would be made by Social Care (if you are in UK) and certainly should not be on your conscience if the worst happened (Baggs).