AUBURN — The School Committee approved the first reading of a new policy Wednesday night that would allow students to have medical marijuana administered in school under a physician’s orders and under certain conditions.
Any medical marijuana would have to be approved by a physician, and it would have to be administered in school by a parent or guardian, Assistant Superintendent Michelle McClellan said. Because medical marijuana is allowed under a certificate from a physician but not a prescription, nurses may not administer the drug.
Marijuana doses would have to be in a nonsmoking form, such as being edible.
Committee member Brent Bilodeau asked if the new policy would conflict with existing rules, which do not allow students to be under the influence at school.
Superintendent Katy Grondin said marijuana is being treated as a medicine in this case, and a new state law requires all schools to adopt a medical marijuana policy.
There are no Auburn students currently authorized to take medical marijuana, Grondin said, however, there have been inquiries from students and parents.
The recommended policy came from the Maine School Management Association, which represents superintendents.
The new policy only encompasses students under the age of 18. If an adult student requests to take medical marijuana in school, that would have to be discussed, Grondin said.
Conditions that could warrant a doctor to prescribe medical marijuana to a student could be something such as epilepsy or cancer, school officials said.
The committee is scheduled to give the new policy a second reading, or final vote, on Jan. 6.
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