Smoking marijuana can be pungent, often more pungent then tobacco. That’s a fact, though many of the quality cultivars are far less smelly and harsh then the low-quality street marijuana that was common before the legalization in many states. Marijuana isn’t as skunky and nasty as it was when it was illegal.

That said, smell of marijuana is many ways socially defined. Most marijuana smokers aren’t the least bit bothered by the smell of the smoke passing by somebody smoking it in their backyard or door stoop. If anything, they will have positive associations with the smoke, noting the unique flavor signature from the turbentines. Same is true with tobacco smokers, especially those who smoke quality tobacco.

This is not unlike many ordinary smells that people have different associations of such as so-called “dairy air” – – the rich smell of grain, hay, silage and manure. City kids might be grossed out by the smell, but farm kids are likely to embrace the rich-earthy tones of the recently harvested silage. Dairy air is associated with happy cows, land that is providing, and ultimately paychecks. As they say, manure, the smell of money.

Ultimately there is no role in the federal government to worry about the smell of marijuana burning unless it’s a large industrial facility who smoke is impacting multiple states. Cities and towns are the best place to regulate such things, though the most reasonable policy is to allow the smoking of marijuana anywhere tobacco can be smoked. Obviously, you still want to protect children’s and worker’s lungs, so towns and cities want to restrict smoking indoors, in hospitals and schools. But in open air settings, such as designated smoking locations and large parks and public spaces, there is little harm to permitting smoking.