Elected officials in Colorado’s House of Representatives want to make it legal for qualifying students to receive their medical marijuana from a school nurse.
Colorado House Bill 18-1286 was introduced on March 8 and is sponsored by Rep. Dylan Roberts (D), Sen. Irene Aguilar (D) and Sen. Vicki Marble (R). The first draft of the proposed bipartisan bill provides a school nurse or the school nurse’s designee protection from criminal prosecution – if he or she possesses and administers medical marijuana to a student at school.
Here is what HB 18-1286 proposes:
- Colorado K-12 students with a medical marijuana registry card could receive their medicine from a primary caregiver or school nurse, or the school nurse’s designee.
- The primary caregiver, school nurse, or the school nurse’s designee would be allowed to hold and administer medical marijuana for to those students with a valid recommendation.
- Once administered by the primary caregiver, school nurse, or the school nurse’s designee, any and all remaining medical marijuana shall be removed from school grounds.
- Students enrolled in preschool, primary, or secondary school would be allowed to receive their non-smokable medical marijuana on school buses and at school-sponsored events.
Colorado first passed legislation in 2016 allowing a parent or primary caregiver to administer medical marijuana to students. Amending and revising specific subsections of “Jack’s Law,” the proposed legislation would increase access for Colorado’s qualifying students.
“Under current law, a primary caregiver may possess and administer medical marijuana in a non-smokable form to a student while the student is at school. The bill allows a school nurse or the school nurses designee, who may or may not be an employee of the school, to also possess and administer medical marijuana to a student,” per the Bill’s summary.
Proposed on Thursday, HB 1286 was assigned for consideration to the committee on health, insurance, and environment.
Read Colorado 2018 HB1286 on Scribd.