KSD School Board approves medication policy change to allow marijuana

In April, state lawmakers approved legislation that would allow students in Washington to use medicinal marijuana on school campuses.

While Washington and Oregon have legalized medical and recreational pot, federal agencies continue to regard the drug as illegal.

Now school districts are trying to determine how to balance the need to allow students access to medical cannabis, without jeopardizing federal funding.

The Kennewick School District on Wednesday approved a new policy by a vote of 4-to-1, allowing students to use cannabis on campus-- but only under certain conditions.

• Student must be diagnosed with a terminal or chronic illness, verified by a second doctor.
• Student's medical diagnosis will be reviewed every 6 months.
• Student must be entered into the state's medical marijuana database.
• Parent must administer and maintain the marijuana, it will not be stored on campus.
• Parent must determine with school administrators where on campus the marijuana will be administered.
• Marijuana must be in a form that can be administered without smoking.

Board Member Heather Kintzey, who is also city attorney for the city of Richland, voted against the policy revision, expressing concern that the district was adopting policy that violates federal drug laws.

"We're not aware of any federal government coming back and threatening schools to take funding away," said Assistant Superintendent Ron Williams. "But if they did, they'd have to give us fair warning-- they're not going to take it away tomorrow-- and it gives us an opportunity to adhere to the federal laws."

The newly-revised medication policy includes verbiage that allows the district to suspend the distribution of cannabis if the federal government threatens to withhold funding.

The revision to the Kennewick School District medication policy passed with a vote of 4-to-1, with Kintzey casting the only vote against the change.