On Thursday, October 11, the university’s vice-presidents accepted the recommendation of the Cannabis Working Group to designate four locations on North Campus where legal smoking and vaping of cannabis products will be permitted as of October 17.
Three of the four locations are near university residences and will permit those of legal age to use cannabis close to home. The fourth location is close to the Students’ Union Building (SUB). All the locations were chosen to try to balance the wishes of those who choose to use cannabis and those that don’t wish to be near it.
The University of Alberta is one of the only campuses in Canada to permit the use of cannabis on its property. This was a conscious choice, according to Kevin Friese, Assistant Dean, Health and Wellness, who co-chaired the university’s Cannabis Working Group.
“We know some members of our community will elect to use cannabis,” he says. “From a public health and education standpoint, we feel we can do more good by allowing it to happen in the open, where we can de-stigmatize cannabis and employ a harm reduction approach.”
It is impossible to know how many members of the community will use the consumption zones for cannabis use. The university intends to revisit this question in the weeks and months ahead, and is prepared to make changes if problems arise.
The Campus Saint-Jean and Augustana Campus communities continue their discussions of legal cannabis and will announce their decisions concerning consumption on campus soon.
Click here for more about the university’s position on cannabis as well as the full report of the Cannabis Working Group.
Email cannabis@ualberta.ca with questions or comments.