Let the controversy begin. Medical marijuana is a hot button in California. Prop 19 didn’t pass, but there are still are facilities that are allowed to grow and sell marijuana legally. Alternative medicine retail shops are popping up all over and one could move in next door to your business. I saw an advertisement in the newspaper showing a marijuana leaf and pharmacy symbol that stated “1/8th for $50.” How do you share a building with this type of business? If you have a professional office, it’s very hard to do anything about it. The clientele could be all walks of life, but people come in car loads and only one person goes in for the product. If you share the same building, the odor from the plants can come through air ducts and walls into the office. It may be legal, but at what point does it infringe on the rights of others? Are employees entitled to enjoying a workplace free of odor and an environment that is free of people loitering outside our office? We must provide a safe and healthy work environment for our employees. How can we do this when we are forced to smell the marijuana plants and endure the loitering? Plus, is this a professional business environment for our clients? We really don’t want our clients to be forced to endure also, because they won’t. It’s just easier to do business somewhere else. Also, the violence that comes with this type of business is imminent. Recently, someone was killed trying to get the growing marijuana from a grower. I have dealt with this situation for the past few months right next door to one of our branches. The smell is pretty bad, and there has been a burglary attempt. I observed a car load of people pull into the parking lot, one person got out and went into the “store” and the others waited in the parking lot. One guy took off his shirt and paced back and forth on the sidewalk. I’m sure my customers won’t want to walk by that to visit our office. What to do? We worked with the landlord to rectify the situation. Air conditioning ducts were changed, common walls and doors were sealed, and customers were told to wait in their cars. It was a good attempt by the landlord, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, we are moving. The odor is still prevalent and it’s no longer a professional environment. In fact, during one visit recently, I thought the odor was really bad, and my employees said it wasn’t that bad. Ut oh, I think they are used it! I told my HR department they are exempt from any random drug tests!