Yesterday, a woman approached me as I was folding laundry in the campground laundromat. Here’s what she said:
“Am I missing something? I know that marijuana is legal here in Missouri. We’ve stayed in this park three previous times and no one said anything about smoking it.”
I demurred with, “Mmm.”
She continued, “This morning, our neighbor went to the campground office and complained about the smell. My husband only smokes after kids should be in bed (10 p.m.) and I don’t feel his smoking should be an issue.”
The gal was getting more and more worked up. “Her kids yell and scream and run like banshees all day long and we don’t complain. Our other neighbor’s dog barks the entire time her owners go off (air quotes) exploring!”
Taking a quick breath, she directed her question to a guy just entering the laundry facility. “Don’t you think complaining about smoking marijuana late at night is petty?”
As I hefted our basket of folded laundry off the fold table, I offered, “Well, good luck.”
A new one
I’ll admit this was something I’d never heard about or witnessed in a campground. I didn’t know what to say but it certainly got me thinking.
What’s legal? Should campgrounds have written rules about smoking (cigars, cigarettes, MJ)? How’s an RVer to know what’s acceptable and what’s not allowed if there are “unwritten rules”?
If another RVer’s action/inaction bothers you, would you complain to the office personnel? If you’re bothered (by the smoke or the complaint), should you ask to be moved within the park or just leave the campground altogether?
National legal status
As of today, cannabis remains illegal at the federal level in the United States. Under the 1970’s Controlled Substances Act, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug.
The Controlled Substances Act prohibits marijuana on federal land. This means RVers cannot legally have, sell, or use it in national parks or Corps of Engineers campgrounds.
State status
Twenty-four states plus Washington, D.C., allow recreational marijuana use. Forty states, along with several territories, permit medical use. You can find a list of states and their laws regarding marijuana here.
How can RVers find information?
For RVers wanting to know exactly where and when they can light up (or must put it away), here are the best places to check:
• The state’s official cannabis regulator. Every state that has legalized medical or adult‑use marijuana publishes rules online. Included in the listing are possession limits, age requirements, licensed‑dispensary lists and, crucially, where public consumption is prohibited. Look for a state’s “Cannabis Control Board,” “Department of Health and Human Services,” or “Alcohol and Cannabis Commission” website. For a one‑stop index of links by state, see NORML’s State Laws map.
• National Park Service (NPS) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS)
Federal agencies still ban cannabis on all public‐land units they manage, regardless of state law.
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- NPS regs: “Possession of marijuana or use of any amount of marijuana is still prohibited in [any] National Park.”
- USFS policy: “Possession or use of any amount of cannabis is still prohibited on all National Forest lands and at all National Forest campgrounds.”
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Like NPS and USFS, BLM lands are federally controlled, and cannabis is illegal.
• Individual campground or RV‐park policies
Even on private land, campgrounds can set their own smoke‑free or “420‑friendly” rules. Before booking, check the park’s website or call the office directly. Many list smoking and cannabis policies under “Terms and Conditions” or “Guest Guidelines.” Organizations like Good Sam and Kampgrounds of America (KOA) also flag parks as “smoke‑friendly” or not.
• Cities and counties sometimes impose stricter limits than their state. If you’re parked inside city limits, search “[city/county] municipal code cannabis” or visit the city’s official website to confirm.
Now what?
Now that you know the legal limitations/permissions, which side of this issue would you support: The complaining camper, or the marijuana smoker? Also, how should each “side” approach the situation? What about the campground? Give us your opinion using the comments below.
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RVT1223
No different than cigarette or cigar smoke.
Agreed! I find the aroma of a poorly fitting stinky slinky or a smoldering campfire far more offensive than the aired down (like watered down) odor of cigarette or cigar smoke more offensive. Seems to me this type of complaint results from one person trying to push personal morality, opinions, or beliefs on anyone who fails to have the same outlook on such extremely serious issues as should marijuana be allowed. Note that “extremely serious” is a tongue in cheek descriptor. Let’s dump tolerance and all blow things out of proportion.
Just wait until you’re grilling your favorite meat and that same virtue signaling “activist” tells you how the smell of burning animal flesh disgusts her. Or she pounds on your door because she can see light leaking through your black out window blinds and it “impedes her ability to stargaze”. Or how your air conditioner is “scaring off the cardinals” (in the Mojave) and needs to be turned off.
The crazies are not only real, they’re inescapable.
Like I said, let’s blow things out of proportion. I can with all certainty say that in half a century of RVing, I have not experienced any of those scenarios in the wilds. But I have surely seen my share of inconsiderate people and have encountered plenty of crazies online.
Please tell me these are just examples you conjured up and you’re not speaking from experience.
Yep, real events.
Vegan/Stargazer – Met this Class C lady (see what I did there?) at a campsite near Challis, Idaho. Her dramatics were legendary. This gal also left post-it notes on the outhouse wall advising the lights needed to be motion activated versus timers and the TP rolls were too big.
Bird Whisper – Shoshone, California is where I learned running your RV air conditioner during the hottest part of the day makes spotting cardinals extremely difficult. I apologized and said I would try not to run both at the same time. That seemed to appease him and he resumed his quest for cardinals and blue jay spotting. He had a Class B a few sites down.
California. That says it all…
California, turning red states green since 1850!
Way to get ridiculous
Totally agreed Pete. To be fair though, we’ve been blessed with a lot more great camp mates than “special” ones. I gotta admit, the cardinal watcher in the Mojave still makes me chuckle when I think about it. The lady in Challis though was rabid at best…..
They all smell horrible.
Your olfactory senses must be defective. It IS absolutely different. Most folks who ‘smoke’ cigarettes just vape nowadays which has no smell at all. Pot smokers could vape without odor, too, but they choose not to. I hardly ever run across anyone smoking a cigar nowadays.
I have smelled plenty of people vaping…sickly cherry,pungent pine and smelly berry. Don’t tell me vaping doesn’t smell
Even that is better than the smell of pot. But many vapes have no odor.
That’s absolutely incorrect. All vapes have an odor. Simply heating the propylene glycol gives off an odor even in the extremely rare instance it’s not a flavored vape. And IMO it smells worse than pot.
Cigarettes and Cigars are not recognized as Drugs.
My guess is that if you can smell your neighbors smoke, you should find a better campground with more space. BTW, I don’t smoke
Find a camping area or park with more space between rigs.
Stay home or boondock.
Yes legal in Michigan – but with some restrictions on location. Michigan also bans smoking anything in any indoor place other than private homes. A number of businesses further ban any smoking outdoors adjacent to building entrances. Many parks ban smoking in outdoor areas where the public congregates. Our county fair establishes a specific outdoor area for all smokers well away from the fairway. There are many ‘pot shops’ in Michigan, but they sell far more edibles than toke supplies due to second-hand smoke regulations.
I don’t know if there’s any difference in the “effect” one gets from edibles vs. toke, but that seems like a great point. In addition to no second-hand smoke, I would think it’s also much better for the user’s lungs, so win-win.
Its a very different effect. Edibles give a “body buzz” that can sometimes last for hours while smoking sends it straight to your brain and gives a “head buzz” which usually wears off in 1-2 hours. So it depends on what you are trying to achieve, I guess. As far as the second hand smoke goes, the reason cigarette smoke is so bad for smokers and the people around them actually doesn’t have anything to do with the tobacco itself. It’s the added nicotine, which does not occur naturally in the tobacco plant at all, plus the pesticides and other added chemicals. If cigarettes were still made out of pure, unmolested tobacco they wouldn’t be near as dangerous. Also, not addictive.
Pall Mall 👍
If you look into it, cigarettes have a long list of chemicals added to the tobacco. While smoking anything is bad for the lungs, I think these chemicals are worse than the tobacco itself.
In the last century, I was sometimes around people who hand rolled their cigarettes with pure tobacco (Bugler is one brand), and the second hand smoke wasn’t obnoxious at all, unlike cigs from a pack.
Wrong. Pot is a Drug. The damage is to the Brain.
Anatomy 101
Is there a call to prayer five times a day at the campsites in Michigan?
Only if cigarettes, cigars, and pipes are outlawed in a legal state.
I find most of the High Intensity body washes and perfumes/colognes are just as bad, if not worse.
Sitting down to a dinner or just being in a crowded area with that “aroma” is worse than most smoke.
We’ve actually asked to be moved to different table in a restaurant because of the smell.
We like to taste our food!
I’m sensitive to many scents. They make me nauseous. Cigarettes and cigars are gross. Vaping does have an odor but so far does not bother me. MJ smells skunky and does not bother me either. We rarely have to smell any of it since we do not go to RV parks where you are too close together.
How about no smoking PERIOD in the campground? Smoke your brains out in your own RV.
I agree with that.
I second the motion.
Along with NO CAMP FIRES. Far, far worse than a little cigar/cigarette/weed smoke.
I’m (still) a smoker of cigarettes. While I smoked marijuana in the 60s, I stopped.
What I smell today is far different than what I recall, and find the current stuff perfectly horrible. If I smell it, I move away. Is it just me?
PS– as far as tobacco, I limit that to outdoors only, away from others, never leave butts around, and put ’em out immediately if someone objects.
On the 11th of Sept 2024 my wife passed away – thanks to cigarettes which caused emphysema which she suffered with for about 30 years until her final breath! (PS: She quit smoking the day after the Dr. gave her the diagnosis – about 30 yrs ago!)
As long as the state is legal, doing it inside your RV should be ok. Your RV is considered a private home. It’s when folks smoke freely outside that other campers may have issue with. That’s my take on it.
Dave’s not here
Dave who?
You know, Dave. Dave’s not here….
hey hey
Dave. You trouble maker.
At least you won’t have to pick up cigarette butts at your campsite like we had to last camping trip!
That women has a point about kids and dogs.
Also I would rather smell pot than a cigar or a cigarette. I am a former smoker but now I hate smelling cigarettes.
I am a smoker, not cigarettes either. What I do in my RV is my business. I don’t smoke it outside. So here is the thing, I don’t go around and complain about people outside drinking alcohol or cigarettes. They are far worst than in the long run than weed. The behavior of those who indulge in either are different. Alcohol causes a lot of people to become loud, obnoxious, and/or violent. You don’t see that with most tokers. At least I haven’t and I have been around it all.
Ban alcohol period ..too many deaths from that. Weed? Gives life.
Alcohol has very significant social and personal consequences for many. Weed is also a substance that is bad for the lungs if smoked and can have other detrimental mental and physical effects for a good number of individuals. Weed is not good for health overall although indeed many people enjoy and feel better from use.
Weed keeps Cartels in business.
I’m all for personal agency, but only up until that agency impacts others. Anyone old enough can remember smoke filled restaurants and bars from 20 + years ago. The smoke would make your clothes smell and non smokers were inhaling smoke that probably wasn’t all that great for them. Marijuana smoke is very unpleasant smelling and reminiscent of skunk. I would just say for those who imbibe, just consider that fact and imagine it might well be detracting from someone else’s experience.
I have gotten a whiff of MJ smoke in a few camps. No big deal to me. If it’s legal and the camp has no rules against it, who am I to make a “stink” over it? 😉😁
Frankly, I wouldn’t lodge a complaint even if it was against the rules. Maybe that MJ smoker has a medical condition and that’s their only viable relief for pain.
I smoked tobacco products years ago and now prefer not to have that smoke right in my face, but really don’t mind a whiff of it in a camp.
The thing is, that stuff REEKS! To my wife and me, it’s the smell you’d get if someone found a road-killed skunk that had been laying out in the summer sun for a few days, and then lit it on fire. Furthermore, we have no desire to get a contact high from someone else’s drug habit. If you want to get stoned while camping, (A) go boondocking away from other campers, (B) use edibles, or (C) do it inside your camper with the doors, windows, and vents closed.
I agree with you – 1000%.
Really? I seriously doubt that you would get any contact ‘high’ from a few whiffs of pot. Do you think that you’ll get cancer from a few whiffs of cigar/cigarettes?
How about camp fires? You can’t get away from those. Maybe they need a special area for people that need to have them. OR maybe like you suggested… “Do it inside your camper with the doors, windows, and vents closed.”
Camp fires are not drugx
Gotta tell ya, as I enter the 8th decade of life, I’ve attended hundreds upon hundreds of concerts in the 70’s and beyond. Never, not once, did I ever get a contact buzz from the 20′ deep cloud of weed smoke hanging from the ceiling. Not once. Just my anecdotal experience; neither condemning, nor approving. Live, and let live.
You need to be cognizant and considerate in your behavior. Many people don’t like the smell and more don’t want their kids exposed to it so just keep that in mind. Kind of like the music you always hear played real loud is the kind everyone else hates.
i don’t care if you smoke or not & I don’t complain because it’s your body but just as you have rights doesn’t mean that I don’t.
Want to smoke? Please do it inside your unit with doors & windows closed so I don’t have to smell it when I’m outside, only because the smell aggravates my asthma. Please be a considerate smoker.
Anne, I feel the same way you do. However, when I look at the issue objectively, I struggle a little with the fact that my campfire may also be bothering people. So, how can I tell someone not to smoke while the smoke from my campfire wafts over their site? I am not arguing, just struggling with the question.
No way to second hand smoke at all. What if the other person had asthma. We go to campgrounds to get away from all that. Relaxe and commune with nature. Also, there is the chance of someone else getting high from it.
What about camp fires? The smoke from them go on for hours and hours. AND I seriously doubt that you would get high from a few whiffs of pot.
Smoke from a camp fire is far more likely to aggravate your asthma.
I don’t have a problem with those who smoke weed in the campground. Now, let’s go get some cereal and a pizza!
I haven’t smelled marijuana smoke in Pa or NY state park campgrounds. I would assume marijuana is illegal since in Pa state park campgrounds alcohol beverages are illegal to have in your possession. They also claim marijuana is stronger than when most of us senior citizens were young. I don’t like being around smokers and can you get stoned breathing marijuana smoke. They claim breathing in 2nd hand tobacco smoke cause cancer. Went thru cancer treatment and don’t want to go thru it again.
Don’t believe the hype. In reality, raw weed is overall similar enough to what you remember. Concentrates OTOH are something altogether different.
I’m not surprised to see so many people that smoke pot telling those who don’t want to smell if to shut up. That’s their attitude. Most cigarette smokers are considerate these days. Most pot smokers, not so much.
I only choose non-smoking places to camp, so if someone IS smoking, I will nicely remind them of the rules or talk to the office if they disregard the rules.
But I really, really do wonder – why can’t the drug addicts just eat the edibles? Why do they INSIST on smoking something that smells so foul and is offensive to most people?
Most cigarette/cigar smokers are considerate? I don’t think so. I see them sitting OUTSIDE their rig smoking. Not inside…. I wonder why?
Smoking is smoking!! Most states have laws about smoking in public spaces due to health hazard. No smoking means no smoking in outside areas. Why isn’t this person smoking only in their own rig??
Most states? I can’t find any evidence that any state has banned outdoor snoking. Not saying some havent, but no way is it most. 19 states don’t even ban indoor smoking across the board.
My city even allows it in restaurants.
if you’re camping in a place that has a laundromat, you’re not camping. You’re just sleeping in a part of the city that’s out in the country. So, expect to be annoyed by city stuff, like the smell of burning weed or the sound of shoes tumbling in a dryer.
I get an anaphylactic reaction from even being in the vicinity of marijuana. I agree that what a person does in the privacy of their own RV is their business, but there are people who can be severely damaged by the actions of others and they have rights also. If your actions are causing a danger to others, then you no longer have a right to exercise those actions. A person’s rights end, or become limited at the point where they infringe on the rights of others.
I agree with you 100%. Looks like the drug addicts voted you down, though. Too bad for them…
Just another reason we have the issues we have in society. Entitlement without the thought of anyone but themselves.
I agree…. “Entitlement without the thought of anyone but themselves.”
People that have to have a camp fire have no regard others. You ever wonder why people sitting around a fire get up and move when the smoke comes their way???
Well I like to tent camp and am disgusted by the sound and smells that come from RV’s that go to campsites, not RV sites. It’s not as bad when you are in an RV too. I go out to enjoy the sounds and sights of nature, not the sounds of your diesel engines and generators. So when those get banned we can start talking about everything else. It is far more disruptive that Harry the Hippie burning a little Ganga. At least it is a burning plant, and not toxic chemicals. And in legal states, sorry, but your RV or tent is considered your home, so there is no legal ground for the holier than thou art campers who think they are the only ones who matter. Live and let live people.
How about a designated area for both legal and non legal smoke?
So, a designated area to break the law.
Never seen a homeless encampment? Go practically anywhere on the West Coast and be enlightened.
Yes please… Camp fires included.
I’m not thrilled about the smell. But honestly, I’d rather smell that for a pretty brief period of time over loose dogs, loud music and feral kids (with no parental oversight) anytime. Furthermore, the MJ smokers are usually pretty chill and acknowledge others with a wave.
Maybe have RV parks with separate smokers sites. At end of day it is private property governed by local, state and federal laws then owner preference.
Thank you for the question and background information, Gail! We were at a campground sometime in the past 7-10 days and I smelled marijuana being smoked. It was the first I smelled it since college. It was brief and not repeated. My thought is try to avoid inhaling cigarette or marijuana second-hand smoke, so I would try to escape the odor, whether by going inside our rig, taking a long walk elsewhere, or, in the extreme, vacating my site. That could mean moving to another site, or moving to a different campground. For whatever reason, cigar smoke rarely bothers me and pipe smoke almost never. Have a great week and safe travels!
I think people should be free to smoke cannabis anywhere out in nature to include any, and all, campgrounds, national parks, state parks, etc.
Edibles are great if you don’t want to leave the other campers, wondering if you’re raising a family of skunks, however make sure that they are clearly locked up and kept away from small children who might view them as simply candy
It was legal it’s legal.
Just like drinking in public, cannabis consumption in public is generally not legal. I guess a case could be made that within your own campground, or more particularly within your own RV, creates a private space or is a private space where it should be considered as legal. For comparison, just think about smoking in a public place which is typically banned in many states, because they are public places, but not in private spaces
I’ve been camping 50+ years. The recent portable generator craze far exceeds any other public campground rudeness incursion. Folks run those blaring generators to make A/C for their hardbox campers. That noise is far worse than weed.
If smoking anything (legal) is allowed, all (legal) smoking should be allowed. But ultimately, private property can have any rule they want.
Currently volunteering as hosts in a state park campground in Missouri. Unfortunately, it appears that my rights end where pot smokers’ rights begin. Unlike tobacco smoke, the stench of pot smoke carries a long distance depending on wind variables. I am allergic to it and suffer from headaches & sinus congestion when exposed. We’ve found ourselves in situations where we can’t open our windows or sit outside because of neighbors who smoke marijuana.
Maybe when all these campgrounds turn into drug dens the people running them will get wise and make rules for considerate people to come back. I stopped camping because I am also allergic and being around it can actually kill me. I guess I have no rights because someone else chooses to use drugs and can’t have a single thought for someone else. Sad.
most campgrounds are kid friendly I don’t think making children or anyone else smellmor witness drug use is good legal or not Larry L
I try not to bother other people with anything, whether smells or sounds. I’m allergic to many smells and don’t wish to force smells or sounds on anyone. My dog does not bark unless someone comes too close in our space. Marijuana reeks and so do cigars. I’m usually in a national forest campground so hopefully I won’t have to smell drugs.
Be considerate of others. You are not at home. Just don’t.
This is the least of my worries. What about campfire smoke? Lights on all night, barking dogs, screaming kids, loud parties…..If we don’t like it, we do something about it, like go inside or close windows. Mj is legal in my state and I understand the benefits under some medical use and rights to use it for recreation. I also recognize different laws from Federal to local. If you’re gonna use it, use it with discretion, and be considerate with neighbors. I remember the 60’s! IMHO, I don’t have a problem with it.
Smoke of any kind causes me to have sinus and breathing issues. Therefore I am against any type of smoke in the campground.
I personally don’t care if someone uses cannabis as long as the smoke does not get to me. I have severe reactions to it and it makes me sick for days after exposure.
There’s a simple solution for the multitude of complaints commenters make, whether it be marijuana smoke, barking dogs, loud children or campfires. If you don’t like a particular activity, don’t camp where’s it’s allowed. Don’t like barking dogs? Don’t camp where dogs are allowed. Don’t like loud children? Camp at a 55 & over campground. As far as marijuana is concerned, don’t camp in states where’s it allowed. If it’s your home state, work with your state politicians to get the law changed to your liking. But, if a particular activity is legal where you’re camping, don’t complain when it happens.
I can choose not to bathe for 2 weeks, eat lots of beans & cabbage, and wash it down with beer – all legal. But would YOU like to be in an area close to me? It’s called “Common Courtesy.” Unfortunately, far too uncommon with the “It’s all about ME” people today. At the airport, we code them as “SGG’s.” (Shoulda gone Greyhound)
I believe Trump recently made weed a schedule 3 drug (classified with Tylenol with codeine) from a schedule 1 (same classification as LSD) so I would expect to see more states relaxing their laws along with the Federal government. So the debate will go on
I am absolutely baffled that the majority of cannabis consumption in the 21st century is almost exclusively promoted as smoking. Honestly, it’s almost as if we have embraced the “helps with digestion” mindset of the 1950s. Breathing smoke into your lungs is bad, you shouldn’t have to wait 30 years to have somebody prove it to you. Breathing chemicals through vape devices is not good for your lungs! Is it effective and quick? Of course! Let’s consider another option. Edibles. Make it look like candy, children will find it, and people will take too much through impatience. Finally there is tincture. Childproof cap, under the tongue, wildly inexpensive, invisible to everyone.
Excuse me. I’m going to pop a Gummy. These stories make me Tense… Ahhhhhh Back to Bed.
Last thing I want to smell when I’m camping is weed. To my wife and me, it smells like someone found a road killed skunk that’s been laying in the hot summer sun for a week, and then lit it on fire. I want to smell fresh air, or a campfire, not someone else’s drug addiction. Cigars and cigarettes are almost as nasty.
Smoking anything in any public place should be banned. Period.
With the midnight tokers 100%
FYI – keep in mind just because pot is legal in a State, it is NOT legal on any Federal property, including National Forests, National Parks, Corp of Engineer properties, etc.
The sad truth is there are 700 carcinogens in marijuana when it’s smoked. That adds to far worse amount than even regular cigarettes, which are terrible. Now, per UC Davis, they’re finding schizophrenia, and other problems, are significantly amplified in young people who smoke marijuana and it does depress their motivational drive.
I don’t want to smell pot either. The cigarettes and cigars are bad enough. I go camping to smell the fresh air – not pot. Worse yet, what a fine parental example he’s setting for the kids! Don’t think for a second that they don’t know their dad is a pothead. Probably going to be potheads themselves, if not already, then later. Sad, so sad.
Was the guy smoking outside? If so, report it. If in his RV; report it, because the kids are getting high as they sleep.
Hasn’t anyone heard of THC gummies? No smoke, nice high…from what I hear.