Burb Cannabis is hoping to be a hit with the student body, but first needs the green light to set up shop at a University of British Columbia (UBC) campus.

It is believed that any such approval would make Burb Cannabis the first cannabis retail outlet to be located on university property in Canada, according to Mugglehead Magazine.

The company reportedly got the ball rolling by submitting its application for the location. Nearby residents have been asked to provide feedback to the University Endowment Lands (UEL) no later than 4 p.m. on June 9, the publication reports.

The UBC’s student newspaper, The Ubyssey, reported last fall that the university’s Alma Mater Society (AMS) was pursuing the possibility of having a cannabis store in The Nest, a campus building where students gather, eat, study and socialize. At the time, a candidate for the AMS presidency suggested the society was in a “very good position” to deliver not only access to legal cannabis, but to ensure it was “more of a responsible service where we can simultaneously educate students around substance use.”

AMS president Cole Evans added last fall that any such approach would need to create an inclusive space that suits all users, according to The Ubyssey.

A UBC cannabis FAQ states smoking weed is allowed only in designated smoking gazebos on the Okanagan campus. On the Vancouver campus, it is banned indoors, in bus shelters, in university vehicles, within eight metres of doors and air intakes and anywhere on UBC student residence property.

Outdoor photo of The Nest, a campus building where students gather, eat, study and socialize. / PHOTO BY UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, INSTAGRAM

“As it stands, retail sale of cannabis is not permitted under campus land use regulations,” Michael White, associate vice-president of UBC Campus and Community Planning, noted in a statement to The Ubyssey. “However, the inquiry is being discussed and will be assessed in the weeks ahead,” White reportedly added.

Liquor and cannabis stores in B.C. cannot be located in close proximity to other cannabis retail stores or areas where young people may commonly congregate. The rules are in line with those in other provinces, including Ontario, where a retail store authorization will not be provided if a proposed pot shop is less than 150 metres from a school or private school, per the provincial Education Act. The act cites elementary and secondary schools, but does not mention universities.

Many universities here have nixed smoking of all kinds, including the University of Toronto, the University of Regina and McMaster University.

Grand opening day for Burb Cannabis store in Port Coquitlam. / PHOTO BY BURB CANNABIS, TWITTER

As per Burb Cannabis’s application to UEL, it has proposed amending the local zoning bylaw to open up space to a non-medical cannabis retail store for conditional use. If granted, the idea would be to “convert the space that is currently occupied by the CopySmart operation” for retails sales of cannabis, accessories and related good, Mugglehead cites a letter signed by UEL planning officer Heather Shay as noting.

Of course, rezoning is just the first hurdle. Burb would need to clear other permits, as well as obtain municipal business and cannabis retail licences.

The B.C.-based cannabis retailer currently has two stores in Port Coquitlam and one in Port Moody.