Pubdate: Tue, 02 Jan 2018
Source: Metro (Calgary, CN AB)
Copyright: 2018 Metro Canada
Contact:  http://www.metronews.ca/Calgary
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4471
Author: Helen Pike
Page: 3

CANNABIS ON CAMPUS

Calgary Staff, students developing on provincial pot policy

How does weed fit in with higher education? It's hard to draw a
conclusion.

With only months to go before the federal government lights up
marijuana legislation, Calgary's post-secondary institutions are just
beginning the process of establishing how dope will fit into academic
life.

Both the University of Calgary and Mount Royal University have lit up
their own marijuana working groups to look at the federal and
provincial rules and pack their own policies through their respective
governance processes.

Ryan Wallace, vice president of operations and finance at the
University of Calgary Students' Union is on the school's working group.

He said the Students' Union actually has data to draw from when it
comes to figuring out where students stand on campus pot consumption -
and it's mixed.

"We want to make sure it's safe and accessible for students," Wallace
said. "I think that we want students to be able to make their own
decisions, we believe in student autonomy ... there's also a big group
of people who are uncomfortable being around cannabis."

He said there's a lot of considerations to balance.

The University of Calgary itself is looking into the rules with the
group that Wallace is a part of and they will come up with how the
school should manage legal substances on campus.

"That effort is guided by provincial rules and regulations, including
proposed rules regarding the possession and use of legal Cannabis,"
read a statement from the U of C.

In the U.S., some post-secondaries have very stringent policies around
smoking up on campus or in general. That's because there's a federal
law called the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act. For example,
Colorado College doesn't allow students to use marijuana, period.

Mount Royal University's working group has been formed, but not met
yet, so like the U of C, they're still stingy on details.

"With the Government of Alberta framework in place, a Mount Royal
University working group with campus-wide representation is looking
into how we can adjust the university's policies regarding legal
marijuana to work within that framework.

"It is important that we address the needs of our community while we
update our policies to reflect nuances related to marijuana."
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MAP posted-by: Matt