Oklahoma Students Permitted to Use Medical Cannabis at School

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]S[/dropcap]tudents in the Oklahoma City School District with medical conditions who are treated with medical cannabis will now be allowed to use cannabis at school.

The Oklahoma City Public Schools board voted to approve the policy just over six months after Oklahoma legalized medical cannabis. The policy states the district will provide a place for a guardian to administer the medical cannabis, and the guardian will be responsible for delivering the medicine and removing it from the premises. The policy also states if the district’s stance on medical cannabis puts the district’s federal funds in jeopardy, the policy can change immediately.

The state’s banning of medical cannabis at two major state universities prompted much debate over whether schools should accommodate students that are prescribed medical cannabis. Mark Mann, an OCPS board member, believes medical cannabis should be treated like any other prescription drug.

“It was passed by the voters, it’s a medication and it’s a medication that has been prescribed by a doctor,” Mann said. “I don’t see how we can possibly withhold it. That may not be popular with some people, but if it’s not popular they need to go back to the ballot box and address it there.”

Students will be required take the medicine topically or orally, as Oklahoma banned all forms of smokable cannabis. Officials say school personnel are not legally allowed to administer medical cannabis to the students.

Medical cannabis has been a success in Oklahoma since it was legalized last June. The state has seen more than 30,000 patients and 900 businesses licensed. Numbers from the Oklahoma Tax Commission show medical cannabis sales topped $1 million in the month of December, equating to roughly $70,000 in tax revenue. More than $43,000 has been collected so far in the month of January.