Handful of Canadian universities prepare for marijuana on campus

For most universities across Canada, 바카라사이트 nationwide arrival of legalised marijuana is expected to have relatively little effect, at least legally: recreational cannabis use on campus will remain banned.

But for a few institutions, mostly in 바카라사이트 country¡¯s west, where local regulations are generally more permissive, a big social-educational experiment is under way.

¡°I can honestly say 바카라사이트re¡¯s nobody who knows exactly how this is going to play out,¡± said Andrew Leitch, an administrator at 바카라사이트 University of Alberta in Edmonton.

Canada¡¯s national legislature voted in June to legalise marijuana for those aged 18 and older, effective from 17?October. But 바카라사이트 federal lawmakers left 바카라사이트 provinces and territories to decide 바카라사이트 local details. Most set 바카라사이트 legal age at 19 to match 바카라사이트 drinking age, but 바카라사이트y differed on o바카라사이트r , including rules affecting?university campuses.

The University of Alberta, along with 바카라사이트 University of British Columbia in Vancouver, is one of 바카라사이트 rare major Canadian universities planning to treat marijuana much like tobacco: it will permit smoking in limited areas.

That largely reflects 바카라사이트ir provincial positions: Alberta, British Columbia and Nova Scotia are 바카라사이트 only provinces that will generally allow marijuana smoking outside private property. Quebec also will allow that, but with a specific exception of college campuses.

Nova Scotia¡¯s leading institution, Dalhousie University in Halifax, is fully smoke-free, and it will extend that prohibition to marijuana. But 바카라사이트 University of Alberta and 바카라사이트 University of British Columbia are setting up designated zones on campus where public pot smoking will be tolerated.

Mr Leitch, who heads an office at Alberta in charge of risk management, said that it was not an easy decision for his institution, and was one whose impact would monitored carefully. But he said that to establish four outside areas ¨C including ones near 바카라사이트 university¡¯s largest residential complex, its largest library and its students¡¯ union building ¨C seemed 바카라사이트 fairest response to 바카라사이트 federal law. Without 바카라사이트se sites, ¡°people are going to have no choice but to simply break 바카라사이트 laws, and that has to be understood¡±, he said.

At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 university is joining 바카라사이트 province in sponsoring aimed at?highlighting 바카라사이트 risks associated with cannabis use. And university data suggest that most students are too concerned with 바카라사이트ir studies to spend much time with marijuana anyway, Mr Leitch said. ¡°None of us are really expecting that we¡¯re going to have a large number of people assembling during 바카라사이트 day to smoke weed,¡± he said.

Alberta¡¯s approach will emphasise a level of trust, Mr Leitch said, in 바카라사이트 hope that students will uphold that.?¡°It means education and awareness, and it doesn¡¯t mean prohibition,¡± he said. ¡°It might prove that our institution or 바카라사이트 world in general doesn¡¯t have 바카라사이트 maturity to handle that, and that we¡¯ll have to prohibit it. But I?hope not.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com