Last week, a self-storage tenant in Florida complained to the manager that the stuff in his unit had been damaged by mice. But when the manager said she’d look into it, the guy quickly backtracked. Turns out, he was storing marijuana in the unit.

Well, of course his unit attracted mice! Needless to say, the smart manager later discovered a “leafy” substance, called the cops and the guy was busted.

There’s a hot thread on Self-Storage Talk right now about the legalization of marijuana. While there are plenty of opinions for and against it, self-storage owners and operators are also weighing on the ramifications of storing marijuana in a unit. A big concern? You guessed it: rodents and other pests.

And what about people actually smoking marijuana on the premises? One operator said she came across a person on the property smoking pot. When she reminded him of the facility’s “no smoking” rule, the tenant replied he had a prescription for medical marijuana. She politely asked him to smoke it elsewhere and let him know she’d call the police if he needed help moving along. Fortunately, he took the hint.

Of course, crime is also a huge concern. One operator posted details about a huge marijuana and weapons seizure at another facility. Another said a potential renter wanted assurance the facility wouldn’t allow storage of medical marijuana. “They do not want to store their stuff anywhere near a dispensary or grower.”

The thread also explores cigarette smoking on self-storage properties, with operators weighing in if this is allowable or forbidden. SST member Umbrella posted: “I'm curious about the people that said they do not allow smoking in any form on their property, and I know of one place here in town that has that on their Web page. How do you advertise that and, more importantly, how do you enforce that? I spend a great deal of time cleaning up filters from our aisles!”

Have you had a marijuana bust at your facility? Ever caught anyone toking up?  What's your cigarette policy? Weigh in on this topic by posting a comment below or join the discussion.