Cannabis dispensary to open steps from UBC campus

Burb Cannabis is set to open Friday steps from the University of British Columbia's Point Grey campus.

The dispensary faced controversy when it first applied for its license in the area.

“It just all goes back to stigma, really,” said co-founder and CEO John Kaye.

Some neighbours created a petition three years ago, at the time of the application. About 2,000 people signed the form, with concerns it would attract people to the campus for purposes unrelated to the university. 

Organizer Connie Chen also wrote in the petition that the close proximity to schools would be “putting vulnerable children at high risk of exposure to substances (for which) they are too young.”

"It's really hard for someone underage to come in here and make a purchase,” said Kaye. "There definitely was a vocal minority."

Despite reports the shop would be located on the UBC campus, the university emailed CTV News clarifying it is, in fact, off campus in a privately managed shopping area.

The store is located at 5784 University Blvd., not technically on campus, but in what is known as the “university village.”

Burb’s UBC location is its eighth, reaching the province's cap on how many cannabis stores one business operate.

According to Kaye, arguments against the new location come with a bit of irony.

"There's a liquor store around the corner, but that doesn't bother people," he said. "Cannabis will always be something that people view differently, I guess."