Pubdate: Mon, 07 Nov 2016
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Nelson Mensah-Aborampah
Page: A10

HOW WILL UNIVERSITIES DEAL WITH LEGALIZED POT?

Institutions need to have policies ready, writes Nelson
Mensah-Aborampah.

Marijuana is just one of many controlled substances on campuses, but
its upcoming legalization is going to present particular challenges
for Canadian universities as they attempt to strike a balance between
federal law and school policy.

Canadian universities have zero-tolerance policies toward the use or
possession of marijuana. Nevertheless, it is one of the most used and
easily accessible recreational substances among students. A 2012
Canadian Community Health Survey estimated past-year marijuana use to
be 33 per cent among 18-24-year-olds, the ages of most university students.

The use of recreational marijuana poses legal issues for university
administrators, who also should be concerned about the negative
consequences it might have on students' well-being and their ability
to learn. A study published in the journal Psychology of Addictive
Behaviors in 2015 indicated that marijuana users miss more lectures
and tutorials and are less likely to join extracurricular activities.

One of the challenges administrations will face once recreational
marijuana is legal is that universities have both adult and minor
students, each with different legal status concerning controlled substances.

There are a few things we can learn from how Simon Fraser has dealt
with alcohol policies. The university administration first permitted
the consumption of alcohol on campus in 1969. As part of this move,
the university consulted local alcohol and drug counselling service
providers on how to best design and enforce the policies.

Bill Stewart, the Director of Student Services during this period,
says "making alcohol policy reasonable to the campus community was the
main priority." Simon Fraser's current alcohol policy "seeks to create
an environment in which alcohol is used responsibly and in moderation,
and to discourage abusive and destructive alcohol-related behaviour on
campus."

The challenges faced by post-secondary institutions in U.S. states
where recreational marijuana is already legal foreshadow the
inevitable challenges that will confront Canadian universities.
According to 2013 National College Health Assessment data, 32 per cent
of students at Colorado University reported using marijuana in the
last 30 days. The zero tolerance approach adopted by Colorado
University and other U.S universities has not been effective in
reducing the rate of consumption.

When the Seattle city attorney declared that police will no longer go
after marijuana smokers, the University of Washington announced it
would maintain its zero tolerance policy, enforced by campus police as
a code of conduct stipulation but not as a crime. Students who find
themselves caught smoking marijuana risk losing federal student loans
or scholarships even if Washington State considers them of legal age
to consume.

Canadian universities will be best served by adopting an approach that
raises awareness about marijuana instead of demonizing it. In practice
this will mean directing more resources toward understanding both the
benefits and the side effects of marijuana as opposed to enforcing a
code of conduct that does not match the off-campus law.

Given recreational marijuana might be legal in spring 2017,
universities should start consulting students and parents about
changes they anticipate will take effect after legalization. This
consultative process will present an opportunity to also open
discussion about other controlled substances more harmful than
marijuana, especially for students dealing with mental health issues.

Some Vancouver-area post-secondary institutions have already started
this process. Kwantlen Polytechnic University initiated a course in
2015 to provide an overview of the successes and challenges within the
rapidly expanding medical marijuana market. In spring 2017, Simon
Fraser University will start a course and lecture series that will
probe the controversies surrounding proposed marijuana legalization in
Canada.

Finding a balance between federal law and university policy is
possible but will require time and effort from all key decision makers
to find the sweet spot between permission and regulation.

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Nelson Mensah-Aborampah is a student in Simon Fraser University's 
Semester in Dialogue at CityStudio.
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MAP posted-by: Matt