Illinois Governor Signs Bill Allowing Medical Cannabis to be Consumed at Schools
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has signed into law a bill allowing students who are medical cannabis patients to use their medicine on school premises.
Governor Rauner’s signing of House Bill 4870 comes roughly two and a half months after the legislature passed the measure by a vote of 149 to 3.
The legislation is known as Ashley’s Law, named after 12-year-old Ashley Surin who uses medical marijuana to treat the epilepsy she developed during chemotherapy. The bill amends the Illinois School Code to require “a school district, public school, charter school, or nonpublic school to authorize a parent or guardian of a student who is a qualifying patient to administer a medical cannabis infused product to the student on school premises or a school bus if both the student (as a qualifying patient) and the parent or guardian (as a designated caregiver) have been issued registry identification cards under the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act.”
The measure “Provides that a parent or guardian may not administer a medical cannabis infused product if the administration would create disruption to the school’s educational environment or would cause exposure of the product to other students”, and “Provides that nothing in the provision requires a member of the school’s staff to administer a medical cannabis infused product to a student.”
An amendment passed by the House states:
Provides that the provision may be referred to as Ashley’s Law. Defines terms. Provides that, in addition to the parent or guardian of a student who is a registered qualifying patient, an individual registered with the Department of Public Health as a designated caregiver may administer a medical cannabis infused product to that student. Makes conforming changes. Provides that a parent or guardian or other individual may not administer a medical cannabis infused product in a manner that, in the opinion of the school district or school, would create a disruption to the school’s educational environment or would cause exposure of the product to other students (rather than prohibiting any administration that would create a disruption or cause exposure). Makes other changes concerning restrictions.
The full text of the measure, which took effect immediately after being signed by Governor Rauner, can be found by clicking here.