New Mexico Bill Allowing Medical Marijuana in Public Schools Advances

While New Mexico’s lawmakers also discuss legalizing recreational marijuana, allowing medical marijuana in schools gets more attention. A young, 11-year-old boy told lawmakers that he’s not been to a public school in nearly 2 years. Why? He needs to use medical marijuana throughout the day for a neuropsychological condition.

The Senate Public Affairs Committee voted unanimously to advance Senate Bill 204, the Santa Fe New Mexican reports. The bill was introduced by Senator Candace Gould. The goal of the legislation is to allow students with medical marijuana cards to use their medicine on school grounds. Penalties for possessing and using medical marijuana on school buses and school grounds would be removed.

Senate Bill 204 would also allow the school to store, possess and administer a student’s medical marijuana. An adult faculty member would have to administer the medicine.

The catch to the legislation –schools would still be able to ban medical marijuana from their campuses.

Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino is not happy about this little catch.

He said, “It gives the school districts an out. But we can’t force them. We have local school districts that can always say, ‘We don’t want to lose federal money.’”

The National Education Association of New Mexico supports the legislation as well.

So far, there is no spoken opposition of the legislation.

The bill’s next step is the Senate Judiciary Committee.