Students who need medical marijuana are now allowed to use this on campus in a Colorado school district. Officials in Peyton, Colorado unanimously approved a new policy that will make it possible for the kids to receive cannabis doses while they are at school.
District 49 Board of Education passed the approval on May 12, which effectively makes Peyton the first school district to come up with such a ruling. It has been dubbed as the Jax's Policy via the press release.
Jax's policy is named after Jackson "Jax" Stormes. The 16-year-old student was suspended from a school in Colorado in May 2015 after it was discovered that he had cannabis oil in his backpack.
But Stormes needed the medical marijuana as he had Juvenile Parkinson's and Dravet Syndrome. Without it, Stormes could have an epileptic seizure and die. The boy's mom, Jennie, said that they have tried different drugs, surgeries and therapies for his condition, but he managed a lot better with medical marijuana.
The school district's board president, Marie LaVere-Wright, said that Stormes' struggles were crucial to their decision to push for the new policy. "This process began firmly rooted in the cultural values of respect and care for one of our students," posted LaVere-Wright on District 49's Facebook.
The Cannabist reports that there are over 20 schools comprising District 49, which covers Colorado Springs and Peyton. In these schools, at least 40 students suffer from medical conditions that require cannabis treatment. The new policy ensures that these kids would be able to take their medical marijuana in campus if doing so before going to school or after leaving the campus is not possible.
But the school board would like to make it clear that the policy will only cover cannabis products that are non-inhalable or non-smokeable , such as lotions or edible cannabis, per the Denver Post. The medical marijuana must also be administered quickly. Recreational marijuana is still strictly prohibited in Colorado campus.
