University of Windsor to allow pot on campus, St. Clair College opts for outright ban
Recreational use of cannabis become legal across Canada Wednesday, but it remains a restricted substance in terms of where it can be used on the campuses of Windsor’s two post-secondary institutions. After much deliberation with various stakeholders, including students, the University of Windsor will allow cannabis usage in designated smoking areas while St. Clair College will prohibit use completely on its campus. Both schools will make accommodations to allow for medicinal use of cannabis.
In opting to allow limited oncampus use, University of Windsor vice-president of student affairs Ryan Flannagan said the school has opted to follow a different path than the majority of Ontario universities.
“The students’ association felt this is something their constituents would like,” Flannagan said. “The province has approved it and they wanted people to be treated equally on and off campus.” The university sent out 16,000 emails to students Tuesday on the cannabis issue and warnings on crossing the border. Flannagan said he got back only two critical messages over the school’s policy. Flannagan said smoking cannabis will be strictly limited to designated smoking areas. The university has 28 designated areas for smokers scattered across its main campus. However, the usage of both cannabis and tobacco on campus is on borrowed time. The university is currently working on creating a smoke-free campus policy it hopes to implement in September 2020. St. Clair College is also in the initial stages of launching discussions to create a smoke-free campus and that played a factor in the school deciding to simply prohibit cannabis now.
“We wanted to get ahead of it with discussion about to start on becoming a smoke-free campus,” said John Fairley, the college’s vice-president of communications and community relations. “This simplifies things. “We felt it was the right policy not to introduce recreational cannabis when we’re moving to be smoke free.”
Fairley added virtually all community colleges have also opted for a complete ban on campus. He said the college consulted with all stakeholders on campus in crafting its policy and that’s resulted in little blowback from students or concerns raised by faculty. Both schools also have residences on their campuses and have opted to ban the use of cannabis in those buildings. Students can’t have cannabis delivered to the residence, can’t grow it or cook with it either.
“There’s a liability issue with delivering something to a room at a residence,” Flannagan said. “We didn’t want the issue of having to verify student identification to make sure they’re 19.” Flannagan said growing plants for personal use also poses a potential safety issue with the amount of electricity and water usage involved in the cultivation of plants. Though the university won’t allow cannabis to be used in baking, cooking or drinks by students, but when commercially-produced edibles become legal next year students will be allowed to consume them in the residence.
“We don’t want baking because of the smell,” Flannagan said. “Also with the classic cannabis brownie, when you make your mix, the cannabis may not be evenly spread so you get a high concentration in one portion.
Both schools said using cannabis and then coming on campus in an impaired state will be covered by the schools’ respective substance and alcohol abuse policies.