You're running a midnight release event at your LGS. You're taking sign up sheets, when the smell of marijuana assaults your nose–you can smell one of the players from five feet away, as he walks up to drop off his DCI number, then heads to sit down at a table. You check with the store employee on duty; she's not aware of a store policy that's relevant, and the call is yours as head judge.

What do you do?

Make sure he/she isnt partaking on store grounds.

Is there a MTR ruling here? I dont think so.

Make sure that he isnt violating any rules IAW MTR, IPG (I got that its regular REL, but an intoxicated person can still become USC DQ'd if his state takes him down that road, I guess) and ensure that everyone is having a good time.

Other than possibly watching the player for Slow Play, I don't see any reason this would be treated differently from any situation where a player had a strong odor (BO, Cigarettes, Cologne/Perfume). The many states have some sort of medical legalization for marijuana so you don't have any way of knowing if the individual is actually breaking any laws. If the smell is such a problem that it is disrupting the tournament, I'd treat it with the same care you would approaching a person about a Personal Hygiene issue.

Edited Marc DeArmond (Jan. 24, 2015 08:49:20 PM)

I'm not sure I would let him play. Imagine a parent stopping by to see how their child is doing with his/her new hobby and they too are overwhelmed with the smell… I don't think that kid will ever be allowed to play magic again. Certainly not at that store… I have a hard time seeing how letting him play ends in any positive scenario..

Scenario 1: We let him play and nothing happens, however, some players will feel a bit uncomfortable without speaking up. We also run the risk of exposing kids to marijuana and as authority figures not do anything about it -> not optimal customer service for these players and we set a bad example for the kids
Scenario 2: The player starts being obnoxious -> everyone's evening is ruined


I don't like either of the above scenarios, what happens if we stretch our diplomacy muscle and try to explain to the player why we think it is a bad idea for him to play today

1: He might comply instantly and return when he is clean (awesome!)
2: He will be somewhat unhappy; leave and not come back for a while (is that customer so important compared to the comfort of the rest of the room?)
3: He makes a scene (very unfortunate)

It is a delicate subject and should be handled as such, pull him aside explain politely. Remind him that he is welcome another day when he is not using and hopefully he goes for option nr. 1. Besides let's face it, if he chooses to make a scene that would have happened anyways, better to catch it before the tournament starts then.

I hope you find a solution that works for your community

~Thiesen


Edit: Typo

Edited Anders Thiesen (Jan. 24, 2015 09:09:51 PM)

“Regular REL is many players' first experience of tournament Magic, so ensuring a welcoming and inclusive
atmosphere is important. A player whose behaviour may be upsetting others or making them uncomfortable
should be educated and asked to stop immediately”

I would feel comfortable relying on this text to ask that the player “freshen up,” if possible. As marijuana is becoming legal in many areas, treating it as illicit would be a mistake here, even if some people still view it as such. It is enough to be a strong and not entirely pleasant odor.

I would also argue that when the MTR specifies that a player is responsible for “behaving in a respectful manner toward tournament officials, other tournament participants, and spectators and refraining from unsporting conduct at all times,” it is not unreasonable to extend this to hygiene in extreme cases.

Edited Yonatan Kamensky (Jan. 24, 2015 09:42:22 PM)

There are many areas throughout the USA that it is becoming more legal to partake in smoking pot. It really depends on your store and the area you are in.

Personally in my LGS as long as a player isn't smoking in the store and they are able to play their matches without any issues, there is no reason to get involved.

It's the same with alcohol. A player can be drunk and as long as they are not drinking at the venue (which some places even allow) and they are not causing trouble we have no reason to talk to them about it.

Ultimately it is a TO issue. Nothing in the documents we use say anything about intoxicated players. If the TO has no issues and you do, that is a discussion for you and the TO.

Once they start to cause trouble or cannot play magic then we have reason to talk with them about their habit.

It's a TO issue. If the TO bestows that responsibility on you, then make the call based on what you feel is best for all players.

There isn't a wrong answer, provided he isn't causing a disturbance.

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Originally posted by Eli Meyer:

…the call is yours as head judge. What do you do?

Where I live (the great white north of Canada, eh!), marijuana laws are more strict. There is almost no tolerance for unlicensed possession or public use of pot whatsoever.

I would confront the player and ask him to take care of his foul odour because the smell alone can distract or sicken other players, and it can turn store clients away.

I understand that just a light smell that can only be detected if you're right next to him may be tolerable and it would be no cause for alarm. However if he REEKS of pot and you can notice from 5 feet away that's a different story.

Like others mentioned, this is largely a TO issue. And, as Nick observed, this isn't about intoxication (not our job to administer testing), but whether or not that player can function without disrupting the event.

If the player is offending someone, then address the offensiveness (behavior, apparel, language - or in this case, odor). Do so with the cooperation of the TO. Encourage the player to help everyone - including him - enjoy the event.

d:^D

This reminds me of Pro Tour Amsterdam. I was flabbergasted when I was running a fbb 4th ed sealed and a guy was rolling one up right on the table. Do you maintain the same policy there? What about California? Denver? I'd have to go with Scott on this one. This is definitely a TO issue. You really don't want to be the guy that kicks someone out and then find out they have a medical license for it because he has cancer. (Though in my experience this is RARELY the case around the mtg crowd) Marijuana is one of those issues that's been debated by lawmakers for years and we're definitely not the ones that are going to solve it.

Originally posted by Brent George:

What about … Denver?

In Colorado (and probably in Oregon or Washington), public consumption is still illegal. Amsterdam, however, is a whole different world…

d:^D

It's a different world… about which are many misconceptions :(

Originally posted by Brent George:

You really don't want to be the guy that kicks someone out and then find out they have a medical license for it because he has cancer. (Though in my experience this is RARELY the case around the mtg crowd)

We have two regular-ish players who have medical marijuana licenses in their home state (not NY but VT which is pretty close)

I had to deal with this issue at this weekend's pre release. A few guys rolled in reeking of it. I have learned/experienced that in order to make it pleasant for others (at the event), you have to become “that guy” to them. I pulled them aside and said (while being at their level) they can do whatever they want out there, but as long as you do nothing stupid in here, I'm cool with it." I got some looks here and there from them, but I had no issues with them. (no complaints about them either).