By Drew Simpson
As of Oct. 17, Canadians 19 or older, including the majority of McMaster students, will be able to legally possess up to 30 grams of cannabis and purchase weed from the Ontario Cannabis Store and regulated retailers. However, despite the update in federal legislation, McMaster is staying firmly committed to its smoking ban.
As defined by McMaster’s “Tobacco & Smoke-Free University Policy,” smoking includes “inhaling, exhaling, burning, or carrying any cigar, cigarette pipe or any other lighted or heated tobacco or plant product… including hookahs and cannabis whether natural or synthetic, in any manner or in any form.”
When it comes to students’ ability to smoke in their off-campus houses, landlords have the authority to permit or disallow cannabis. However, landlords cannot limit any other forms of cannabis consumption.
Students living in residence at the university have to sign the Residence Act. Surprisingly, the 2018-2019 Residence Act outlines restrictions on alcohol consumption and possession in residences, but does not mention cannabis at all. Despite this, Sean Van Koughnett, the dean of students at McMaster, has referred to those same alcohol consumption rules as a framework for regulating cannabis within residences.
Specifically, Van Koughnett says that students will be allowed to possess cannabis in residences and on campus as long as what they carry adheres to specific amounts specified in legislation. The specific amount stipulated in the cannabis act is up to 30 grams. It appears that the rules for cannabis consumption in residence will follow those for alcohol consumption.
Regarding edible possession, universities like the University of Toronto limit edible and oil consumption to the privacy of one’s residence room. However, Andrea Farquhar, assistant vice-president of McMaster communication and public affairs, speaks of potentially only allowing manufacturer labelled edibles and oils, with the goal being to limit mixing.
According to Farquhar, if cannabis is consumed straight from the container it was sold in, it must be labelled by the manufacturer. Consuming cannabis oil from any unlabelled container is not permitted. For instance, one cannot leave unlabelled edibles in a residence refrigerator.
Farquhar understands how difficult it is to enforce rules like this, but still aims to make the expectation known.
Edibles will not be sold by regulated stores until July 2019, however, giving McMaster and other universities much more time to clarify their rules regarding edible cannabis.
Moreover, the Cannabis Act allows possession but limits the transportation of cannabis. In particular, cannabis cannot be readily available to any person within a vehicle. This section fits neatly into McMaster’s rules as the university’s policy also bans smoking, including cannabis, within vehicles on McMaster property.
A concern that the university’s policy fails to address is growing cannabis. Nevertheless, it is clear that Canadian universities are largely seeking to prevent students from growing cannabis in residences. Odour is the most popular argument backing this decision.
Currently, McMaster’s smoke-free policy also does not address research-related smoking. While the Cannabis Act allows research as an exception to smoke-free policies, McMaster has never addressed research as an exception to its rules.
After Oct. 17, as long as students are over 19, purchase cannabis from regulated stores and consume it privately, they are within the law. However, key questions remain unanswered and some McMaster rules may need fresh examination amid legalization.
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[spacer height="20px"]In September 2017, McMaster released a statement saying it will attempt to ban smoking on campus that following January, establishing itself as “Ontario’s first 100 per cent tobacco and smoke-free campus.”
The ban was to take effect in January 2018. In its initial months, anyone smoking on campus was to be given a verbal warning and a reminder of McMaster’s smoking cessation policies. Eventually, enforcement was set to include follow-ups by McMaster Security Services through Human Resources, the Provost or Student Affairs, or, the smoker was to be issued a university violation notice.
Currently in the latter half of these punitive measures, with some reporting to have received tickets for smoking on campus, it’s safe to say that the smoking ban is in full effect. This means that smokers will continue to smoke, but will have to find places off campus that work.
Sure, on paper this smoking ban looks good. It could make campus a bit healthier, it could prevent excessive second-hand smoke and, if given the proper resources, it could help more students, staff and faculty to quit smoking.
A campus-wide ban doesn’t help smokers in a meaningful way. Instead, it just means that they will have to walk off campus. The reality is that the smoking ban is leaving those who smoke in conditions that are unsafe and inaccessible.
McMaster has a huge campus safe, for the most part, the areas that are considered to be off-campus are poorly lit, nearly ten minutes away from public property and are inaccessible in any kind of inclement weather. Overall, the smoking ban imposes safety concerns to those who light up.
This begs the question as to whether the university genuinely cares about any student, staff or faculty who doesn’t fit into its idea of what health and wellness should look like. There’s no doubt that smoking is unhealthy, but by forcing smokers to take their habit off-campus, the university makes it clear that those with addiction aren’t welcome here.
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