Medical marijuana for children allowed, just no smoking in school

James Call, Tallahassee Democrat USA TODAY NETWORK – FLORIDA
11/7/2019


Medical marijuana for children has perplexed Florida school districts. Educators, lawmakers and lobbyists all agree it is difficult to implement a policy for a medicine the federal government does not recognize and outlaws as a Schedule 1 drug.

Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, has filed a proposal outlining the dos and don’ts for how schools can administer the medicine to students with a medical marijuana card and are listed on the state’s medical marijuana registry.

Florida legalized medical marijuana five years ago with a so-called Charlotte’s Web law that allowed its use for seizures, cancer and other debilitating illnesses. Reforms and expansion of that measure include a Dec. 1 deadline for school districts to implement policies for the drug to be administered during school hours.

“School superintendents have concerns about board policies that will be in conflict with federal laws,” said Montford. “The best approach is to get the health department involved.”

Parents have complained that many districts have decided to ban the use of patches as a delivery system. Most require a parent to come on campus to administer the medicine, an unrealistic expectation for working parents, they say.

“It’s an interesting situation where you have children who can benefit from it, like other medicines, but how do you administer it on campus when it has a Schedule 1 designation?” said Ron Watson, who was among the corps of lobbyists who advocated for Charlotte’s Web.

“Most people visualize that a child has to smoke this somewhere, when in fact there are tinctures, there’s patches, there’s capsules, there are so many different routes to administer,” said Watson.

Many school boards now require marijuana treatments be given at home whenever

possible and prohibit them at school-sponsored events or for the medicine to be stored on campus. Policy violations, including possession, and dispensation by someone other than a listed caregiver, are treated as expellable offenses.

“Those who work in schools are educators, they are not health people. It would be far better to place this in the hands of the (county) health department,” said Montford. Montford would change current regulations to specify that a “county-designated caregiver” can administer the drug, it can be stored at the county health building, and appears to lift the ban on patches.

The bill has yet to receive a committee assignment and scheduled for a public hearing. The Florida Legislature’s 2020 session begins Jan. 14.

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Writer James Call can be contacted at jcall@tallahassee.com.