Update: the Lee County school board OK'd this policy during a Nov. 19, 2019 meeting.

Students in Lee County public schools will be able to use medical marijuana on campus under a newly proposed policy.

The ruling, made two years ago by the state of Florida, says students who are on the Department of Health registry should be allowed to take their treatments on school grounds if needed.

Florida school boards needed to approve a local policy on the issue by Dec. 1, with Lee County's policy headed to a vote in November. The newly created policy went before Lee's elected officials for a review during a briefing meeting Thursday.

The policy is a slight change from current practice for medical marijuana, explained school spokesperson Rob Spicker.

“What our practice requires is that if the medicine must be taken at school, the parent or guardian needs to bring it to school, check their student out, administer the drug off campus, and then return the student to class,” Spicker said. “The policy makes a small change and allows for the parent to bring the medicine to school, administer it on campus, and then the student returns to class, minimizing the disruption.”

Four students currently have accommodation plans in place in Lee County, where more than 94,000 kids attend school.

The proposal, which will extend to charter schools as well, limits how the treatments can be used, where they can be used, and who will be involved.

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Also:Florida school districts defying hazy rules on the use of medical marijuana for students

The policy says students cannot smoke, vape or use patch versions of medical marijuana, so the treatments would have to come in the form of oils, tincture, edibles or lotions that “can be administered and fully absorbed in a short period of time.”

To be eligible to use on campus, students need to be listed on the Florida medical marijuana registry by a qualified physician and have a patient ID card.

Parents, guardians or caregivers of these qualified students would be responsible for bringing the medicine to the school and administering the treatments, which means students cannot be in possession of the drug while at school.

The policy says that the treatment should be given “at home whenever possible” and that the medicine should only be used at school when it “cannot reasonably be accomplished outside of school hours.”

A written request would need to be given to the principal at least 48 hours ahead of time so a plan could be made that outlines who will be giving the student the medicine, where it will happen and at what time of day.

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Treatments cannot be given on a school bus or at school-sponsored events.

School districts that have yet to adopt a policy were put on alert by the state Department of Education earlier this month, with a memo reminding them of the end-of-year deadline to have the rule on the books.

Many school boards were hesitant to pass the ruling because state law conflicts with Florida’s Constitution on allowing school-based accommodations for the use of medical marijuana. Plus, federal law still regards the use of marijuana — even medicinal — as illegal, which could mean the loss of important funding for schools.

Lee County addresses this concern in the policy, saying the board has the right to “immediately” suspend the policy and halt on-campus treatments “if the federal government indicates that the district’s federal funds are jeopardized by this policy.”

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If this happens, the district will post an alert on the website, leeschools.net.

At this time, there is no policy set for an employee’s use of medical marijuana. The district applies “existing law,” Spicker explained.

Connect with this reporter: pmccabe@news-press.com