Children are eligible for medical marijuana in MS. Can students take it at school?
Schools may no longer technically be drug-free zones once medical cannabis is available in Mississippi.
The law allows for minors who suffer from debilitating conditions to use medical cannabis, provided a parent or guardian gives permission and a registered osteopathic doctor prescribes it.
The law also provides for use of the medical pot treatment in schools and daycares.
“Facilities such as schools, child care facilities and temporary care providers shall be allowed to administer medical cannabis in the same manner as with medical prescriptions,” it states.
While counties can opt out of the cultivation, processing, sale and distribution of medical marijuana, the use or possession of medical marijuana by someone with a registry identification card is not up for debate. Whether in a county that has opted out or remained in, public and private schools cannot ban the use of medical cannabis by anyone legally allowed to use it.
School districts may have strict policies against students storing medical marijuana in lockers or carrying it with them, but they are required to make reasonable accommodations for those who need the prescribed cannabis during school hours to receive it. Like other prescriptions, nurses will hold onto and administer the prescribed cannabis while students are on campus.
“Debilitating” may seem synonymous with “bedridden,” but the exhaustive list of approved conditions covers a much larger range of suffering patients. For example, students with ulcerative colitis or post traumatic stress disorder may have their bad days, but will often brave discomfort to be among classmates.
One condition common on the Coast is autism spectrum disorder. According to the Center for Disease Control, about 1 in 44 of 8-year-old children were identified with ASD in 2018. Those with ASD who suffer from seizures or gastrointestinal problems might benefit from medical cannabis, but it isn’t likely to help or be prescribed to everyone with the disorder. The decision to prescribe medical cannabis to a minor belongs to the parent or guardian and physician.
Conditions that qualify for medical pot
The following medical conditions or their treatment qualify for participation in the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Program:
cancer
Parkinson’s disease
Huntington’s disease
muscular dystrophy
glaucoma
spastic quadriplegia
positive status for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
hepatitis
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Crohn’s disease
ulcerative colitis
sickle-cell anemia
Alzheimer’s disease
agitation of dementia
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
autism
pain refractory to appropriate opioid management
diabetic/peripheral neuropathy
spinal cord disease or severe injury
Also qualifying is a chronic terminal or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment that produces one or more of the following:
cachexia or wasting syndrome
chronic pain
severe or intractable nausea
seizures
severe and persistent muscle spasms including, but not limited to, those characteristic of multiple sclerosis
This story was originally published April 25, 2022 at 12:00 AM.
