Jacksonville mom wants daughter to be allowed to take medical marijuana at school

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Story published 6/4/19:

A Jacksonville mom is asking the Duval County School Board to allow her daughter to take her medical marijuana on school grounds.

The district has no policy for students who need to take their medical marijuana prescriptions during the school day.

That’s not the case in some other school districts in Northeast Florida.

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Malyiah Campbell said she’s tried medication after medication to treat her Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

“It’s like a stabbing, slashing type pain,” said Malyiah, who will start ninth grade after summer break. “When I was just taking my normal pills or whatever, I did not want to move. I didn’t want to get out of my bed. I didn’t want to talk to anybody,” said Malyiah.

Malyiah’s mother Kyla Gayles said that’s all changed since her 14-year-old daughter started taking medical marijuana.

“I knew in my heart that I had to try something else. And this is the route that we decided to go as a family. And it’s helping,” said Gayles.

Malyiah said two or three puffs on her prescription vaporizer pen eases her pain.

Gayles said Malyiah tried the oil version of the medication, but it made her pain worse.

“She just wants to go to school, and make a full day of school, and be with her friends, and get her education like everybody else,” said Gayles.

But at DCPS, there is no policy for students who need to take their medical marijuana during the school day.

DCPS spokesperson Sonya Duke-Bolden sent Action News Jax a statement that said in part, “Regarding the administration of medical marijuana, the district is currently reviewing and studying the complex maze of state law versus federal law and specifically, how federal law impacts the use of medical marijuana on school grounds.  As you may know, medical marijuana is still illegal on the federal level.”

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In Sept. 2018, Action News Jax reported St. Johns County was the only local district that had a policy; it requires parents to check their child out of school and take them off campus to give them medical marijuana.

Since then, Clay County School District implemented its own policy.

It allows parents to administer medical marijuana to their children in a designated location on campus, although smokable versions are not allowed.

Nassau and Baker County School Districts don’t have policies.

A Putnam County School District legal memo shows the district decided not to create a policy because Florida law allowing medical marijuana possession conflicts with federal law.

Cox Media Group