[Ella Minnow Pea]

We bought a unit/townhouse a year ago, which is one of five all attached to each other as townhouses often are. We're not terribly social and apart from the old couple on our right, haven't anything more to do with our neighbours than the standard polite smile and hello when we pass.
The couple on our left are renting, and have been here longer than us. And they love pot. If you ever wanted to scare someone off smoking pot, have them come to our house in the morning and hear the lung-and-throat destroying coughing that we are treated to. The walls are very thick and apart from the occasional high-as-a-kite singing or post 20 cans of bourbon-and-coke screaming matches (the cans end up in the communal recycling so we know their drink of choice ) we don't notice them, so the coughing has to be pretty loud.
None of this is a problem, we don't care what substances people use in their own houses, and the coughing makes us laugh. The problem is that pot smoke travels.
So we'll be in our downstairs kitchen with a window open and they'll be in their backyard and in comes the smell of pot smoke. Or we'll be upstairs watching tv with a window ajar and they'll be in their place with a window open and in comes the pot smoke. So we keep having to close our windows as we cannot stand the smell, and I'm pregnant and don't want to get inadvertantly stoned. We have recently installed new double glazed windows which have excellent insulation, but this means it can get a bit airless if we can't open a window on a warm day.
Which brings us to the crux of the matter; the impending baby. I'm 39+1 so baby will be here any second now (i hope). We had such high hopes of being able to sit in our backyard on a sunny afternoon with our LO and enjoy ourselves, or to just be able to have our windows open, but now I'm worried we'll be hiding the baby from becoming an underage stoner until our neighbours either actually cough up their lungs or leave.
I'm terrified of approaching them directly, as I find any kind of confrontation scary, and even the politest intro could be misinterpreted in this situation. I'm tempted to contact their landlord but a)don't really wish them ill and b) what would/could the landlord do anyway?
So, oh wise eb, what would you do?

[~chiquita~]

Ugh, hydro stinks. I know you don't want to but I'd approach them and let them know you can smell it and that it's a problem for you. Maybe they can smoke in a room where it's not going to waft into your place?

I had pot smoking neighbours for over 2 years, they only moved out a couple of months ago. We live in a semi detached duplex so I assume they were smoking in their laundry because I could only smell it when I went into my laundry so I just used to close the door. It was very strong but didn't happen every day otherwise I would've had a chat to them.

Good Luck!

[Niamh23]

If you're mainly worried about getting stoned from the smell - it's very unlikely. You can get a mild "contact high" if you are inhaling the actual smoke, but just the smell on it's own won't do anything.

[Ella Minnow Pea]

If you're mainly worried about getting stoned from the smell - it's very unlikely. You can get a mild "contact high" if you are inhaling the actual smoke, but just the smell on it's own won't do anything.

Nah, I was joking about getting high. It's the overpowering, headache-inducing smell that's the problem.

[Jenflea]

I wouldn't want a baby subjected to that though.
Honestly, if it is affecting you I'd contact them politely and their landlord as well.

[gettheetoanunner...]

Ramp up the civilities a little over a week and then let it drop that another of your neighbours is a cop.
That may induce some window and door closing paranoia.
Or that the local servo is closing down.

[foxgirls]

What they are doing is not really legal (not sure of states differing laws or where you are located). But if i were them, i would prefer a nice warning from yourself, rather than having landlord or authorities involved. They would be pretty foolish to ignore you at this point in case you went further.
If your worried about bad feeling maybe just pop a note with no name in their mail box??

I would hate having the smell all the time, i'm not a prude, but the smell is just yucky IMHO.
good luck.

[~~Cleopatra~~]

b) what would/could the landlord do anyway?

evict them

[Pooks*potters]

Is there a time of day in particular that it's a problem? Maybe you could ask them not to smoke outside that time of day, coz you have asthma or some such and need to hang washing or paint your toenails or whatever that time of day.

I'm not really familiar with pot really creating the amount of smoke or stench that appears to be involved here. Perhaps some strategically located ambipur or something would help.

I can't imagine that a bit of smell will do you or baby any particular damage apart from being a little unpleasant, but this will all be put in perspective by the contents of said baby's nappies soon enough.

Personally, I would be weighing it up and deciding its better to remain on good terms with these neighbours than risk getting them sh*tty with you etc. etc. and I can think of far worse things than the smell of some ganj.

[elizabethany]

1) politely mention it in a non-judgemental way, ask them to use the side of the unit facing away from you.
2) have a chat with the landlord
3) call the cops.

It really depends how nuclear you want to get, and how much of a problem it is for you.