Some children who have special needs depend on marijuana for medical treatment due to its purported therapeutic properties. Now, a California senator has introduced a bill that would allow local school boards to create policies that permit on-campus medical marijuana use for special needs students or those with serious disabilities.
Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, who introduced the bill, said in a statement that the goal is to give “students access to the medicine they need so they have a better chance for success in the classroom and in the community.”
Under the measure, the child’s parent or guardian would be able to administer medical marijuana in various forms such as capsules, topical creams, tinctures or oils on school campuses that have the approval of the school district’s governing board. Currently, students from kindergarten through grade 12 must be off campus in order to have medical marijuana administered to them.
The legislation gives charter schools, county boards of education or governing boards of school districts the option to pass more permissive policies. Students seeking to use medical marijuana on campus would need to have a doctor’s recommendation.
As there are many different laws governing medical marijuana use, lawmakers are seeking to address any statutes that could potentially conflict with the measure. It appears the key force behind the legislation is ensuring the safety of special needs students. “We want to make sure that these children are able to take this medicinally recommended product in a safe environment rather than out on the street,” Hill said.