A thought-provoking article from a lawyer friend of mine. Enjoy the read.
http://shumanlaw.ca/the-cannabis-act-and-real-estate/
What are your thoughts? Mine? Here is my 2 cents...for what it's worth.
We already deal with properties that the owners smoke 'regular cigarettes' inside and have to deal with those smells along with that of pets etc. We all know the hazards of second hand smoke, and it has not been an issue for insurance companies or mortgage lenders. We all have household plants...yeah, the non-editable, non-smokable kind...again, no issues from insurance companies or mortgage lenders about what 'mold' they might have caused (and trust me, I have been in houses that have alot more that 4 plants).
So really, what is the big issue here. We cannot compare to a 'grow-op'...that's a whole different scenario. That is full-on abuse of a dwelling with no care to the property's integrity. However, if an owner chooses to smoke cigarettes in their own home, and they smoke cannabis, they will probably do so inside as well. We, as realtors, deal with that extra smell, no different than we do now. A plant is a plant, edible or not!
It becomes an issue if it is a rental property...however, it is usually in the agreement that smoking is to be done outside the property...same rules apply. Can a landlord evict a tenant for smoking cigarettes in the home? Can a landlord evict a tenant for having houseplants? NO, unless it is damaging the home...or is illegal activity.
Am I missing the point?