How will Cannabis legalization impact schools, parents and child care centers?
Here’s how the recreational cannabis industry will affect the state’s education system, health curriculum and more.
With summer classes and the school year starting just weeks after the legalization of recreational cannabis in Maryland, the State Department of Education is starting to take action on how they want the new legislation to impact schools, students and their caregivers. At the department’s June 27 meeting, the State Board of Education passed an emergency regulation pertaining to cannabis usage at child care facilities.
What does the emergency regulation say?
The state education department amended its child care regulations last month to incorporate cannabis in light of recreational cannabis legally making its way to Maryland. The emergency regulation went into effect immediately.
The regulation states that child care centers and providers must notify caregivers of any usage of smoking, vaping or cannabis on the premises. The provider or any other individual cannot legally consume alcohol, smoke or vape during the center’s hours of operation. They also cannot be under the influence of cannabis or an illegal or nonprescribed controlled dangerous substance.
Child care providers must keep all alcohol, tobacco, smoking and cannabis materials out of the reach of children. One MSDE staff member expressed their biggest concern is edibles because they look like gummies to children.
How will health curricula be impacted by the new legislation?
Cannabis is already a part of Maryland’s Comprehensive Health Education Framework, state education department spokesperson Jena Frick said in an email. The subject is addressed at multiple grade levels, and lessons vary depending on the ages of the students.
Health educators are required to talk about the short- and long-term effects of marijuana products. The framework has students identify the benefits of abstinence, for example. Individual school systems will use the framework to decide how they want to implement such lessons.
“MSDE will continue to monitor data on youth cannabis use and collaborate to identify additional resources for teachers and students and will make adjustments as needed,” Frick said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, marijuana can negatively impact teenagers, whose brains are still developing until age 25, by causing difficulty in thinking, memory problems and attention span issues.
Will disciplinary practices change for students who use or possess cannabis in schools?
Students are still not allowed to use or have cannabis in schools, the spokesperson said. Disciplinary practices are not set to change.
In Baltimore City Public Schools, the student code of conduct states that if a student is found under the influence of drugs or controlled substances, a teacher and/or administrator will intervene and respond to the situation. Related service providers, such as social workers, psychologists and counselors, would also be informed of the incident.
If a student is using or possessing drugs or controlled substances at school, discipline can include anything from administrator intervention to suspension to expulsion. School police and related service providers would be notified about the situation.
Those distributing or selling drugs at school can be suspended long-term or expelled. School police and related service providers would be alerted.
For the 2021-22 school year, the state reported more than 4,000 out-of-school suspensions and expulsions related to “dangerous substances.” Black students made up most of that number with 1,813 suspensions and expulsions related to substances. White students came second to that at 1,251 suspensions and expulsions.
How prevalent is student cannabis use already?
More than one-quarter of Maryland’s high school students have tried cannabis, according to a presentation by the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission to the PTA Council of Baltimore County. The research, which used findings from the 2021-22 school year, found that 15% of high schoolers in Maryland currently use cannabis. Most Maryland high schoolers use smoking as their cannabis consumption method.
However, the presentation also shared that 75% of Maryland students overall have never tried marijuana. Users must be 21 years or older to partake in recreational cannabis in Maryland.
What do Maryland universities say about cannabis use?
Though people who are 21 and older are legally allowed to partake in recreational cannabis, Maryland universities are still prohibiting cannabis use on school grounds or at university functions.
Higher education institutions are required to comply with the Drug Free Schools and Campuses Act (Edgar Part 86) to remain in good standing for federal funding. This act asks colleges to prohibit marijuana possession and use as the substance remains illegal under federal law.
Cannabis still qualifies as a controlled substance, defined by the Drug Enforcement Administration as substances that were regulated under existing federal law. It is classified as a Schedule I drug, meaning it has a high potential for abuse. Other Schedule I substances include heroin and LSD.
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