Canadian cannabis company Burb Cannabis Corp. has received final approval to open a retail store on the University of British Columbia campus. Once open, the shop will be the first-of-its-kind – cannabis retail on a college campus – in the world.
The shop will also represent Burb’s eighth location, the maximum allowable under the province’s retail cap for any single brand.
John Kaye, Burb CEO and co-founder, called the approval “a big victory… after a contentious debate around public safety and community fit.”
“Despite concerns grounded in age-old stigma from nearby residents, many of whom were off-shore residential owners, the board made an informed decision that aligned with the overwhelming voice of the student body as well as the tenets of legalization in our country. We’re beyond excited to bring Burb to campus and provide safe access to students and residents this fall.” — Kaye in a press release
The application to open the store was met with an opposition petition from neighbors who had gathered nearly 1,900 signatures on an online petition, according to a CBC report. A competing petition in support had more than 2,000 signatures, and the shop was supported by the Alma Mater Society (AMS) which represents the college’s more than 56,000 students. The shop will technically be just off campus in the University Village.
Eshana Bhangu, president of the AMS, told the CBC that the organization supported the project “right from the beginning.”
“We just think the UBC student body really deserves to have a safe space nearby where purchasing cannabis is accessible and provided in a stress-free environment,” she said. “Locations like these really do reduce illegal activity and we don’t think that this is going to have any risk to families and underage youth.”
The shop is set to open in the fall.
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