A strong majority of House members vote to allow school nurses to administer medical marijuana to students with referrals for the treatment.
Stonewall Representative Larry Bagley brought the bill and said it will save a lot of time for students who need the treatment to function.
“Right now if they have that or they are taking it prescribed they must leave campus go home take the dosage and come back often meaning that hours are missed out of school daily,” said Bagley.
Bagley said the treatment must be delivered by the parents to the school nurse and administered only by authorized school personnel.
“No one else other than the parents or the caregiver can do this. Students cannot handle it and once it goes to school it must be locked in a box there on campus,” said Bagley.
Schools that do not want to participate in the program are allowed to opt-out by informing parents.
Shreveport Representative Thomas Pressly voted against the bill saying school zones are currently federal drug-free zones, but Bagley says the treatments are not illegal in Louisiana.
BAGLEY: “Under our law, they are allowed to do that” (take the treatment)
PRESSLY: “But federal law, it is still a Schedule One drug correct?”
BAGLEY: “Marijuana is a Schedule One drug, yes, but this is medical marijuana”