Florida’s medical marijuana law includes an exception to the ban on cannabis on school grounds. State Statute 1006.062 requires each district school board to adopt a policy and a procedure that allows a student who is a qualified patient with a medical marijuana card to use the product on campus.
For a student being treated with medical cannabis, using the medication at school is tightly restricted. Only the student’s caregiver can administer the drug, and that individual (usually a parent or guardian) must be registered with the Florida Department of Health. The medication must also be taken in a designated location and at a specific time. Smokable products are not allowed.
However, not all school districts have implemented policies as required by state law. Some cite concerns that doing so would risk federal funding because marijuana is a Schedule 1 drug and remains illegal at the federal level regardless of its use for medical reasons.
Sgt. Kyle Johnson, a K-9 officer with the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, works as a resource officer in a school district that has not created a policy to accommodate students who are medical marijuana patients. At Taylor County High School, where he is stationed, he says there have been a couple of incidents of kids bringing medical marijuana on campus, but they took it from a family member and were not using it for its intended medicinal purpose.
“We conducted an investigation and charged them accordingly,” he says.
