“The city of Bessemer stinks,” said council member Linda Nelson during a recent city council meeting. Plugging her nose to prove her point further, Nelson named the culprit: “You can smell marijuana everywhere. We’ve got people who can’t sit in their backyard because the smell from their neighbors is so bad.”
The small town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has such a bad stench problem that the city council voted to buy an odor-detection device and draft an ordinance to limit the number of marijuana plants the town’s residents can grow. The device, called a Nasal Ranger, will cost $3,400 with training, but Nelson said that if it helps reduce the stink even a little bit, it will be worth the investment.
Growing marijuana for any purpose is now legal in Michigan. Like many other weed-friendly towns, Bessemer is trying to figure out how to respect the 2018 law while addressing the complaints of concerned citizens.
“We’re treading very softly in this area,” said the town’s city manager, Charly Loper. “People have a right to grow marijuana in their house, but everyone needs to be considerate of their neighbors so the odor isn’t affecting their enjoyment of the outdoors.”
The problem becomes particularly potent during the warmer months when the marijuana plants start to bloom. For at least six to eight weeks, Bessemer’s 1,905 residents go to war over the “skunk-like odor,” said Loper. Complaints are filed almost every week, and neighbors pick public fights to express their frustration.
The Nasal Ranger will help the town quantify how much stink is too much. An online product description says the “state-of-the-art” device accurately measures “odor strength in the ambient air.” Once council members figure out how to use it, they’ll set about drafting a proposal to improve Bessemer’s air quality.
But Mayor Adam Zak, who was the only dissenting vote, said the legal implications of a marijuana-limiting ordinance could be complicated. “I think this would be great,” Zak explained. “But it would be a shame to spend money and not have it hold up in court.”
There’s plenty to debate about legalizing marijuana. But one matter isn’t up for debate: The stuff stinks.
