AURORA | Aurora Public Schools and Cherry Creek Schools have updated their policies regarding administering medical marijana on school grounds to comply with a new state law, but both say there are no students that the policy currently applies to.
During the past session, the Colorado legislature passed a bill expanding cannabis-based medicine in schools. Previously, school districts had to allow primary caregivers of children who received cannabis-based medication to administer it on school grounds, but were not required to store the medicine on school grounds or have school health employees administer it.
The new law removes that discretion and requires districts to have policies in place to store and administer medication, though it states that individual employees cannot be forced to administer the medication.
At its Tuesday board meeting, the Aurora Public Schools board updated its policy as part of the consent agenda, and the Cherry Creek school board voted in a similar updated policy during its August meeting.
Both stipulate that if the district’s federal funds are jeopardized by the policy, it will be suspended immediately.
For now, however, the updated policies are hypothetical for both districts. Representatives from APS and Cherry Creek told the Sentinel that there are no current students who receive cannabis-based medication at school.