cannabisnews.com: Schools Oppose Medical Marijuana Plan





Schools Oppose Medical Marijuana Plan
Posted by CN Staff on January 18, 2004 at 08:21:11 PT
By Sara Watson Arthurs, The Times-Standard
Source: Times-Standard 
A medical marijuana policy under consideration by the county has some educators worried that they might be asked to violate their federal "drug-free schools" mandate.Humboldt County Board of Supervisors will consider a proposed ordinance on Tuesday that would allow possession of 3 pounds of marijuana, or 99 plants, without prosecution. A new law, SB 420, allows local governments to establish their own limits.
The Humboldt County Board of Education has voted to oppose the proposed ordinance. The board is urging the Board of Supervisors to keep to state standards, which allow medical marijuana patients or their caregivers to possess eight ounces of processed marijuana and six mature or 12 immature plants. Board President Mary Scott said the proposed ordinance could affect schools' federal funding. Schools are required to abide by the federal Safe and Drug Free Schools Act, which mandates strict policies regarding employee use and possession of drugs and requires that schools teach students that illegal drugs are wrong and harmful. Federal law does not recognize marijuana as legal in any circumstances. Schools which violate the federal law could risk losing federal funding, Scott said.School districts are also federally required to certify "drug-free school zones," meaning that there are no illegal drugs within 1,000 feet of school sites.State law allowing medical marijuana already contradicts federal law, but Humboldt County Superintendent of Schools Garry Eagles said the policy recommended by the Humboldt County District Attorney's Office "exacerbates the potential of being in conflict."Eagles said school officials sympathize with people who may benefit from the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, but they worry about the more lenient policy's potential harm to schools."Because the law allows caregivers to be caregivers for more than one person, we could be talking about potentially enormous quantities of both processed marijuana and growing within very short distance of schools," he said.Chris Evans, a drug and alcohol counselor at McKinleyville High School, said educators also worry that schools could be required to allow students to possess medical marijuana on school grounds. This, too, would violate federal law.State law allows medical marijuana use to be determined on a patient-by-patient basis, without an age limit. Eagles said some Humboldt County juveniles have previously received medical marijuana cards, which further complicates the situation for schools."This is an entirely new territory," Eagles said.Several educators met with law enforcement officials last week to discuss their concerns. Evans said they're asking the Board of Supervisors to at least delay voting on the matter until the schools' questions can be clarified.Source: Times-Standard (CA)Author: Sara Watson Arthurs, The Times-StandardPublished: Sunday, January 18, 2004 Copyright: 2004 MediaNews Group, Inc.Contact: editor times-standard.comWebsite: http://www.times-standard.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Medicinal Cannabis Research Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/research.htmPot Bill Splits Pro-Smoking Groupshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17612.shtmlState Sets Marijuana Standardshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17583.shtmlMedical Marijuana IDs Go Statewidehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17563.shtml 
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on January 18, 2004 at 09:33:21 PT
Related Article from The Times-Standard 
Fortuna Police Chief Wants City Council To Take a Stand on Med Pot GuidelinesAndrew BirdSunday, January 18, 2004 The Times-StandardFORTUNA -- Police Chief Kent Bradshaw wants the City Council to take a stand in the debate over how much medical marijuana Humboldt County residents should be allowed to possess.The City Council meets 7 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 621 11th St.At the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors meeting 14 hours later, the supervisors will take up a request to adopt guidelines allowing medical marijuana patients to possess up to 3 pounds of dried buds per year and cultivate up to 99 plants in a 100-square-foot area.These guidelines are too liberal, said Bradshaw, the county's longest-serving police chief."The duly elected and very competent sheriff of this county does not need enforcement direction from the Board of Supervisors in this matter," Bradshaw said in his report to the council.  A new state law that took effect Jan. 1 sets much lower possession and cultivation limits: a maximum of 8 ounces of dried cannabis and no more than six mature or 12 immature plants.However, the new law, SB 420, does allow local jurisdictions to adopt guidelines that exceed the state's limits.Supervisor Roger Rodoni, who represents the southern Humboldt County, is introducing the ordinance to the Board of Supervisors.The guidelines mirror those already set by District Attorney Paul Gallegos for law enforcement."As far as I am concerned," Bradshaw said in his report, " there is no reason to enact this ordinance, except to exceed 420's more limited guidelines. Passage of this ordinance will only give credence to the district attorney's guidelines, as he will be able to say he is following the county ordinance."Bradshaw's agenda item asks the City Council to discuss the issue and take "action to establish (a) position" on the proposed guidelines.California voters passed the Compassionate Marijuana Act in 1996, allowing patients who obtain a doctor's recommendation to use cannabis for medical purposes."Federal law does not recognize the Compassionate Marijuana Act of California and still considers marijuana an illegal drug," Bradshaw said.Copyright: 2004 MediaNews Group Inc.http://www.times-standard.com/Stories/0,1413,127~2896~1899902,00.html
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Comment #1 posted by goneposthole on January 18, 2004 at 08:37:57 PT
drug free school zones
Which implies that all of the areas around the drug free school zones are all drug infested?No such thing as a drug free school zone.The Humboldt county school officials should do the right thing, the thing that makes sense and violate the ridiculous federal mandate.They can get by fine without the money. They did before the federal mandate. They may be pleasantly surprised at what other more effective and prudent results are achieved.They are better off without the corrupting influence of the federal money. Seems as though the drug abuse follows the money. Funny how that works.
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