West Hollywood residents concerned over new smoking ban amendment

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - The West Hollywood City Council is considering a ban on smoking and vaping inside new or newly leased apartments, and cannabis advocates are not happy about it.

Smoking marijuana is how West Hollywood resident Jackie Subeck chooses to control her pain. She lights up to soothe painful migraines.

"I haven’t taken any prescription meds in six years," said Subeck.
 
Subeck is one of many residents on the risk of losing that freedom if the smoking ban passes.
 
"The government shouldn’t be able to tell me what I can do in my own home," she said.

Those in the cannabis industry say they’ll take a huge financial hit if a smoking ban includes marijuana.

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"I think it seems a little silly," said Jed Mottley, of the cannabis store Zen Healing West Hollywood. "I always thought of West Hollywood as an innovative city and this seems like they’re going backwards if they do something like this."

The City Council is also considering banning smoking and vaping in enclosed common areas and apartment buildings as well as prohibiting smoking in parks.

In California, West Hollywood isn’t the only city looking to ban smoking in family housing units. Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Berkely have passed similar bans. 
 
"I understand the tobacco component and the second-hand smoke component but there’s gotta be a happy medium a ban is just too much," said Subeck.
 
After a long virtual city council meeting Monday night, the West Hollywood council decided not to decide, saying they want to study the issue a little more. 
 
I would say there’s gotta be some kind of compromise to make people happy," said Mottley.

If approved as proposed, the city would create a registry that lists which apartments and residential buildings are designated as non-smoking.