Colorado Cannabis Sales Provide $9.2 Million Toward Local Schools

Last week the Colorado State Board of Education approved 42 school district recipients to receive a portion of $9.2 million in funding that was collected through cannabis sales. The recipients were granted a sum of money, ranging from $33,200 to $871,636, as a part of the School Health Professional Grant Program.

The Colorado Department of Education website describes this news as revolving around the needs of children in the state. “The grant provides money to districts and charter schools for school health professionals who can facilitate better prevention education, screen for early identification and provide referrals for students with substance abuse and other behavioral health needs. Additionally, the board adopted emergency rules to ensure funding can be allocated to recipients.”

According to The Denver Post, the money will be going to schools and districts that are located near cannabis dispensaries. Those recipients also have solid plans to help keep kids educated and informed about underage cannabis consumption.

School nurses like Rhonda Valdez believe that this is a great opportunity to help kids. “We and other school health professionals are in a unique position in our schools in that we see these kids every day and we can educate, assess and assist them with substance abuse or behavioral health issues,” Valdez said. “We can help keep kids from walking through that door that can lead to bad things.” Valdez’s school will be receiving $825,164, which will cover the hiring of six social emotional learning specialists, as well as a total of three full-time school nurses (including herself). These roles will be funded for three years, ending in 2020.

There is no evidence that proves that cannabis legalization in Colorado has led to an increase of underage cannabis consumption. In fact, numbers reflecting high school students’ cannabis consumption hasn’t changed since 2005 (an estimated five percent of high school students consume daily).