Schools in California may soon allow parents to administer a non-smoking form of marijuana to their children on K-12 campuses.
Senate Bill 223, which was approved by the California assembly, would allow children who typically have to go off-campus to use their medical cannabis on school grounds.
"It's in pill form and would be taken in the same way as other medications, delivered by a parent and that's the difference. I think the schools aren't ready to be administering a dose, if you will. But at least the child would not have to leave the premises to take their medication" said Penny Borenstein, M.D. of San Luis Obispo Health Agency.
Current law prohibits cannabis up to 1,000 feet near a school campus forcing students with medical conditions such as epilepsy to have to leave campus in order to take medical marijuana.
"I think it's the stigma of marijuana that gets in the way of doing what's in the best interest of kids that need help from drugs that may not be legal everywhere" said parent and former teacher, Jaque Blair.
The bill passed the senate once and if passed again in a final vote it will go to Governor Newsom's desk. If he signs it, it will then be up to each school district to decide whether they adopt the policy.
The Epilepsy Foundation of America says they are "hopeful this bill will minimize additional disruptions to the education environment by allowing students with epilepsy to access CBD-derived treatments..."
The medicine will be administered by parents or a legal guardian and will have to be ordered by a doctor.
