My neighbours are growing pot plants in their garden. Our houses are attached, and there’s only a low fence separating our yards. If they were busted, could I get in trouble? Am I being paranoid?

As long as Mary Jane stays on her side of the property line, the fuzz has no reason to knock on your door. And it’s unlikely a rogue plant will sprout in your yard, since pot can’t reproduce without the presence of both male and female plants (the less potent male plants are usually weeded out early on). Moreover, you are not legally obliged to snitch on your neighbours, so if they were to be busted, you would not be considered an accessory to the crime. Anyway, the chances of said bust are slim. The five-0 doesn’t comb Annex yards in search of drug lords. Assuming your neighbours aren’t cultivating a miniature weed forest, they’re probably safe. Should you want to wreak vengeance on them for, say, hogging the prime street parking, you can place an anonymous tip, which could result in them facing up to seven years in the clink. As for the question of paranoia, it’s a well-known side effect of marijuana use, which begs the question: are you sure you’re just watching the ganja grow?

• Question from Lucy Bazelon, the Annex