Effective October 17, 2018, recreational cannabis will be legalized in Canada. This new legislation will impact our staff, faculty, and students.

The University introduced a guideline on June 5, 2018 to set expectations and clarify employee obligations in relation to impairment in the workplace. The Fitness for Work Guideline sets out general obligations that apply to all employees, including those in supervisory and managerial positions, and specific responsibilities for those who work in safety sensitive positions. The Guideline can be accessed on the HR & Equity website.

We are also working to ensure our students have the information they need to navigate the new rules on campus and remind them of the available resources if they require assistance. The Student Life departments on all three campuses are developing educational materials for their student communities, and further educational materials will come from the provincial and federal governments.

U of T News has published a story outlining what the new legislation means for students, faculty and staff pertaining to cannabis use on campus.

Work is also underway to update the University of Toronto Smoking Policy (1995), with a view to ensuring that the University is compliant with recent updates proposed by the province to the Smoke Free Ontario Act (2015). The smoking of recreational cannabis on all University of Toronto campuses will be considered in this update. More information will be provided to the University community in the coming months.