Recreational cannabis is now legal in Canada. However, before people light up, they need to be aware of the complex web of regulations which vary between the federal, municipal, and on-campus level.
Most Canadian campuses, Carleton included, have opted for a ban on on-campus consumption, including in residence. However, the specifics of enforcing this ban are hazy to those directly involved in implementing it, like residence fellows.
The whole process around accommodating the legalization of cannabis in campus policy has been confusing. When students are at risk of academic or criminal punishment for consuming cannabis, they cannot afford to be confused.
In an email sent out to students by Carleton on the morning of Oct. 16, the eve of legalization, it was reiterated that consuming or smoking cannabis on campus will not be permitted, under the Smoke-Free Ontario Act and the Cannabis Control Act of Ontario. The Smoke-Free Ontario Act prohibits the smoking or holding of lighted tobacco in enclosed workplaces, enclosed public places, and other specifically designed smoke-free outdoor places.
Sending this official notice on Carleton’s cannabis policy needed to be done far earlier than the day before legalization. With many students being cannabis users, it was crucial for them to stay in the loop on how Carleton will manage legalization.
Carleton needs to keep people safe, so it must do more to ensure that campus policies are clear to students.
