Smoking of cannabis will be treated the same way as tobacco, UBC lawyer says

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Using recreational marijuana will still be banned on many college and university campuses in B.C. after federal legalization takes effect Oct. 17.

UBC however, is a major exception.

“Smoking of tobacco and smoking of cannabis will be treated identically as smoking of tobacco is treated now,” explains Michael Serebriakov, a lawyer with UBC’s Office of the University Counsel.

There are a few cannabis restrictions outlined in the recently-revised UBC Policy 15, like a prohibition on the growing of marijuana plants.

Students are also not allowed to smoke or vape marijuana either inside or outside while on residence property, and all cannabis products and accessories must be clearly labelled, sealed, and stored in a private place.

These policies are relatively lenient compared to other campuses. University of the Fraser Valley for example will ban smoking or vaping of any substance as of Oct. 1.

British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) will prohibit recreational cannabis use, and students and staff will not be allowed to attend classes, practicums, field trips, volunteer activities, or BCIT-sponsored events while impaired by cannabis. Medicinal cannabis patients meanwhile must obtain special permission before they can use those products on campus.

“With our [UBC] Vancouver campus being about 1,000 acres in size, there was additional complexity for a complete smoking ban,” Serebriakov explains, adding such a ban might have pushed smokers into neighbouring communities.

UBC’s rules are not set in stone however.

“All of our policies undergo periodic review, and we are opening our policy to public consultations,” Serebriakov adds.

Simon Fraser University is still working on its marijuana policy framework, which may be integrated with existing policies around tobacco use and safety.