Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
When Gov. Rick Scott signed into law the expanded use of medical marijuana in late June, public school districts found themselves with a new problem to solve: how to store and administer the state-sanctioned drug.
When the Legislature broadened the list of illnesses that medical marijuana can be purchased in Florida to treat, it also instructed districts to develop policies on administering the drug. But, it failed to provide clarity on what those policies should look like. The state Department of Education also has not given any guidance to districts.
Consequently, Leon County Schools finds itself in the same boat as the 66 other Florida districts – it's not ready to draft a policy on medical marijuana use, nor is it prepared to store and administer the drug on its campuses.
"We will draft policy on it as soon as we get a little more direction on where to go with it," said Leon School's Assistant Superintendent Alan Cox.
Cox, who oversees health services at LCS, called the implementation of the law "a bicycle that's still being built." The district does not yet know if any of its students have been prescribed the drug. No parent has called so far with inquires.
"This all plays into one of our problems with medical marijuana," Cox said. "It's not FDA approved, and the federal government says it's not legal. Leon County's Health Department, based on their regulations, can't disperse it."
The district contracts with the Florida Department of Health-Leon County to staff its school clinics. The department has six, registered nurses who supervise school clinic employees, called school health assistants.
"That person (the school health assistant) is no more than somebody like us, who gets trained on CPR, diabetes, administration of medication," Cox said. "That person doesn't necessarily have specialized training other than those courses we put them through."
DOH-Leon County did not return calls requesting an interview, but Terri Anderson, LCS' Health and Wellness Coordinator, said the agency is "very" concerned by the sweeping change.
"They're violating their laws by dispensing something that's not FDA approved," she said. "And that's their determination, not ours — they are the healthcare professionals."
Cox and the district's health services team say their only recourse now is for parents, known as "caregivers" under the law, to administer the drug on campus or outside school hours. That's how the schools currently handle the administration of high-level prescription drugs.
LCS has a full-time employee who drafts policy, but for many years it has worked with the company NEOLA to make sure its policies are consistent with other districts around the state and nation.
But setting new policy takes time. NEOLA's CEO, Dick Clapp, who is helping Manatee County Schools comply with the new law, told The Bradenton Herald last month the company is "struggling to try to figure out what it is that we can do to help our clients."
Cox said Leon schools are being as "proactive as we could possibly be."
"We hope, in a couple of weeks here, we will have some more clarification."
Other states mirror Florida districts' frustrations
The frustrations being felt across Florida's school districts resembles that of states that adopted marijuana legislation early on. According to the nonprofit Education Commission of the States, three other states, like Florida, require their schools to stand ready to administer medical marijuana to prescribed students - Colorado, New Jersey and Maine. A fourth, Washington state, permits its districts to make their own call.
Last year, the Denver Post reported Colorado's districts were "wrestling" with its new law. At the time, only 350 kids under age 18 were enrolled the state's medical marijuana program.
One school district, Ridgefield Park in New Jersey, made news last year for creating a policy even though at the time NorthJersey.com reported there were no prescribed students in the district.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Leon Schools among districts navigating details of medical marijuana
Author: Ryan Dailey
Contact: Contact Us Form | Tallahassee Democrat
Photo Credit: Democrat files
Website: Tallahassee Democrat | News, sports, entertainment, classifieds.
When the Legislature broadened the list of illnesses that medical marijuana can be purchased in Florida to treat, it also instructed districts to develop policies on administering the drug. But, it failed to provide clarity on what those policies should look like. The state Department of Education also has not given any guidance to districts.
Consequently, Leon County Schools finds itself in the same boat as the 66 other Florida districts – it's not ready to draft a policy on medical marijuana use, nor is it prepared to store and administer the drug on its campuses.
"We will draft policy on it as soon as we get a little more direction on where to go with it," said Leon School's Assistant Superintendent Alan Cox.
Cox, who oversees health services at LCS, called the implementation of the law "a bicycle that's still being built." The district does not yet know if any of its students have been prescribed the drug. No parent has called so far with inquires.
"This all plays into one of our problems with medical marijuana," Cox said. "It's not FDA approved, and the federal government says it's not legal. Leon County's Health Department, based on their regulations, can't disperse it."
The district contracts with the Florida Department of Health-Leon County to staff its school clinics. The department has six, registered nurses who supervise school clinic employees, called school health assistants.
"That person (the school health assistant) is no more than somebody like us, who gets trained on CPR, diabetes, administration of medication," Cox said. "That person doesn't necessarily have specialized training other than those courses we put them through."
DOH-Leon County did not return calls requesting an interview, but Terri Anderson, LCS' Health and Wellness Coordinator, said the agency is "very" concerned by the sweeping change.
"They're violating their laws by dispensing something that's not FDA approved," she said. "And that's their determination, not ours — they are the healthcare professionals."
Cox and the district's health services team say their only recourse now is for parents, known as "caregivers" under the law, to administer the drug on campus or outside school hours. That's how the schools currently handle the administration of high-level prescription drugs.
LCS has a full-time employee who drafts policy, but for many years it has worked with the company NEOLA to make sure its policies are consistent with other districts around the state and nation.
But setting new policy takes time. NEOLA's CEO, Dick Clapp, who is helping Manatee County Schools comply with the new law, told The Bradenton Herald last month the company is "struggling to try to figure out what it is that we can do to help our clients."
Cox said Leon schools are being as "proactive as we could possibly be."
"We hope, in a couple of weeks here, we will have some more clarification."
Other states mirror Florida districts' frustrations
The frustrations being felt across Florida's school districts resembles that of states that adopted marijuana legislation early on. According to the nonprofit Education Commission of the States, three other states, like Florida, require their schools to stand ready to administer medical marijuana to prescribed students - Colorado, New Jersey and Maine. A fourth, Washington state, permits its districts to make their own call.
Last year, the Denver Post reported Colorado's districts were "wrestling" with its new law. At the time, only 350 kids under age 18 were enrolled the state's medical marijuana program.
One school district, Ridgefield Park in New Jersey, made news last year for creating a policy even though at the time NorthJersey.com reported there were no prescribed students in the district.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Leon Schools among districts navigating details of medical marijuana
Author: Ryan Dailey
Contact: Contact Us Form | Tallahassee Democrat
Photo Credit: Democrat files
Website: Tallahassee Democrat | News, sports, entertainment, classifieds.
