Medical cannabis could soon be administered in California schools despite being banned in all other US states
We can divide the states that make up the United States of America into different categories: those that have legalized medical cannabis, those that have legalized recreational cannabis for adults, those that have not legalized either medical cannabis or cannabis for recreational use and finally, states that, despite not having legalized any form of cannabis, have at least decriminalized their use and / or possession and those that have not.
But there is a universal law in all the states, regardless of their legal cannabis status. In states where medical marijuana or recreational marijuana is legal, both its consumption and possession at a distance of less than 1000 feet (305 meters) from a primary or secondary school is a very serious crime. Each state penalizes this behavior differently. But it will surely have very serious consequences that may involve twice the original sentence in states where cannabis has not been legalized.
This law could change very soon in California. Medical cannabis is one step closer to being administered in the primary and secondary California schools of this state. Students who depend on medical cannabis to study and feel good are much closer to being able to take cannabis at school.
The Senate passed the “Jojo Law” on August 30, Senator Jerry Hill’s bill that would help elementary and secondary school students living with serious disabilities and need to take medical cannabis during the school day. Bill 223 already approved by the Senate now goes to the governor’s office for consideration.
Indeed, the California State Senate on Thursday passed SB 223, which is known as the “Jojo Law.” Jojo is a teenage student from San Francisco who suffers from Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a serious form of epilepsy. Before starting to be treated with medicinal cannabis Jojo had up to 50 attacks a day. Although medical cannabis is legal in California, possession or consumption of any type of cannabis on a perimeter of 1000 feet (305 meters) from a school is not allowed. Parents of students taking medical cannabis have to go find their children to school, take them out of class and take the children 1000 feet from school, give them the dose and then take them back to school.
As reported by the office of Jerry Hill, the senator from California, the “Jojo Law” would allow the elementary and high school district boards, the County Board of Education and the governing boards of charter schools to decide if a student’s parents or guardians are allowed to administer medical cannabis to the child on campus, with the following conditions:
– The student must be a “qualified” patient who has a valid written medical recommendation for the use of medical cannabis. The student’s parent or guardian is required to provide a copy of the recommendation to the school so that it is kept in a special file.
– The student’s medical cannabis must have a non-smoking or evaporable format.
– Under no circumstances may medical cannabis be stored on the school campus.
– The parent or guardian must register each time they come to school to administer cannabis to the student and may never interfere in the educational environment or expose other students to cannabis.
SB 223 is not a mandatory compliance law. Each county in the school districts and the governing boards of the charter schools can legally decide not to accept the “Jojo Law” without having to give any reason, even to avoid losing federal funds.
An earlier version of Jojo’s Law, SB 1127, was vetoed by Governor Brown last year. Senator Hill introduced SB 223 earlier this year to give the legislation a second chance.
Jojo’s Law has bipartisan support. SB223 is supported by Senators John Moorlach, R-Costa Mesa, Jeff Stone, R-Riverside County and Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco and Assembly Members Rob Bonta, D-Oakland, Monique Limón, D-Santa Barbara, Bill Quirk, D-Hayward, and Christy Smith, D-Santa Clarita, co-author of the “Jojo Law.”
