Delaware Allows Pot On School Grounds

Delaware’s Governor, Jack Markell recently signed a bill into law allowing qualified medical cannabis patients to use or have access to their medicine while on school grounds, reported the International Business News.

The Senate bill allows for caregivers, parents or legal guardians to provide cannabis oils to young patients in preschool through high school, including while on the school bus. It does not allow for the school nurses or any other administrators to give a child prescribed cannabis oils.

Delaware has had medical marijuana since 2011 with patients receiving cards in 2012.

Since then, patients and advocates complained that more outreach was needed in Delaware, according to Dr. Jason Silversteen, a neurology specialist who heads the Comprehensive Multiple Sclerosis Center.

“[Medical marijuana is] still controversial and there’s a stigma behind it,” Dr. Silversteen told DelawareOnline.

But now Delaware is catching up and has become the third state in the country to allow this type of medical cannabis access in schools.

This positive ruling comes several months after similar legislation was adopted in Colorado earlier this summer when Governor John Hickenlooper passed “Jack’s Law,” which was inspired by a 15-year-old who suffered from cerebral palsy and intractable pain. Jack Splitt died this past August from complications.

“Jack’s Law” allows caregivers to possess and administer non-smoked marijuana products to students in need on school grounds.

New Jersey, where the state’s MMJ program has generally moved at a frustratingly slow pace, was the first state in the nation to allow medical marijuana for students. Genny Barbour, a 16-year-old high school student who suffers from autism, and her parents were the persistent forces behind New Jersey’s bill.

And now there’s Delaware—where the new law took effect immediately, following Markell’s signature several days ago.