Students in schools in Illinois may soon be able to use medicaid marijuana under some circumstances.
The Illinois General Assembly has approved a measure that would allow parents to give their kids medical marijuana while at school.
The measure is named after Ashley Surin. Surin is 11-years old and suffers from severe epilepsy. She uses patches with small amounts of cannabis oil on them that are prescribed by her doctor.
When she tried using the patches at school, the school said no because marijuana is not allowed on school grounds.
HB4870 would get rid of this ban.
State Senator Iris Martinez, a Chicago Democrat, is supporting the ban and believes that parents should be able to give kids the drug if they need it.
“Let them be the ones to say ‘I want my child to have this. The school districts should respond when it comes to the medical needs of their child,” she said.
Kids would only be able to have smokeless products, like patches, while at school and the parents or caregivers would have to dispense the drug somewhere in private.
The measure will now go to Governor Bruce Rauner’s desk for approval.
