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Snellville council weighs signage, enforcement and landlord engagement to curb smoking, marijuana odor at The Grove
Summary
Following resident complaints, staff and police discussed enforcement limits after state hemp law changes, the difficulty of distinguishing hemp from marijuana, and options including signage, designated areas, increased courtesy‑officer presence and engagement with private landlords.
Council members and staff discussed resident complaints about smoking and marijuana odor at The Grove during the Dec. 8 work session and explored a mix of enforcement and nuisance‑reduction steps.
Residents and councilors raised concerns that public spaces near The Grove and adjacent private properties smell of marijuana, affecting visitors’ first impressions of downtown. A council member said the city’s no‑smoking code already covers smoking in public places but queried how enforceable it is in an open area.
Police (Speaker 8) explained enforcement limits after 2019 changes that expanded legal hemp production: hemp and marijuana look and test similarly and officers cannot reliably charge possession unless they can identify marijuana above prosecutable thresholds or the person admits the substance is marijuana. "We are still enforcing it," the officer said, but stressed officers need to identify who is smoking or have a confession to proceed with ticketing.
Councilors discussed lower‑effort tools such as posting 'No Smoking' signs or adopting a 'Smoke‑Free Community' message and increasing visible courtesy‑officer patrols. They also noted a role for private property managers (identified in the transcript as Tomlin) to enforce lease provisions for indoor smoking and for staff to hold conversations with landlords about on‑site policy enforcement.
Staff said they will draft signage and present options that avoid an overly negative downtown welcome message while addressing nuisance concerns. Staff emphasized that private property enforcement is limited to landlord lease terms and that the city cannot unilaterally change private policies but can coordinate with property owners.
What happens next: staff will draft signage and a set of communication options, coordinate with police on enforcement messaging and continue outreach to private property managers and the downtown management authority. The transcript records discussion and direction but no ordinance changes or new penalties.
