Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook
Guy Buys $123 Safe on eBay, Finds $26,000 Inside Seller tries to get half the cash back, fails »

Kids Prescribed Pot for ADHD

Schools' zero-tolerance policies go up in smoke

By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff

Posted Jan 26, 2010 3:22 AM CST | Updated Jan 26, 2010 7:49 AM CST
Email

(Newser) – Schools with a zero tolerance drug policy are running smack dab into the smoldering roach of marijuana legally prescribed to their students. "It does put us in an awkward position," said a principal in Oregon, one of 14 states where medical marijuana is now legal. Hard as it may be to believe, marijuana is being prescribed to children to treat attention deficit disorder. One doctor calls it the "one of the worst ideas of all time" because the active ingredient in cannabis can disrupt attention, memory and concentration, already problems for kids with the disorder.

Not everyone is using their pot scripts for treatment, however. “Some of them have it for medical reasons, but others are just trying to get free weed and sell it, turn it around," said a 17-year-old high school student in Ashland, Ore. A California Supreme Court last week rejected limits on medical marijuana, ruling that anyone with a prescription can grow or buy as much as they want for personal use.

A box is filled with marijuana plants at the San Francisco Medical Cannabis Clinic.
A box is filled with marijuana plants at the San Francisco Medical Cannabis Clinic.   (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
A product manager carries pot plants in a medical marijuana dispensary in Sebastopol, Cal., which has more patients than the town's entire population.
A product manager carries pot plants in a medical marijuana dispensary in Sebastopol, Cal., which has more patients than the town's entire population.
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
My TakeCLICK BELOW TO VOTE
16%
6%
8%
54%
11%
4%
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 50 comments
MagnoliaJean
Feb 11, 2010 2:52 AM CST
Legalize it man.... Im strongly against doping up kids with ritalin. I had a 13 year old cousin who had extreme ADHD and he took his own life about a year and a half ago and at the time of the incident he was on several different medications, all prescribed to him for this disorder. Marijuana is an herb, you cant overdose on it. Children shouldnt have to take these pills which obviously cause more harm than good in most cases. I proudly endorse marijuana =) it brings people together and mellows everyone out.
GeVeGodfather
Jan 28, 2010 6:53 AM CST
They don't need to smoke anything?!?!?! cannabis can be easily added to any food products that contains butter and by ingesting it bypasses virtually all health complications associated with its use!!!
alt5610
Jan 27, 2010 12:08 PM CST
heather there is a scan that determines the level of brainwaves and how they are recieved by receptors. which are controlled by chemicals in the brain.
US • Health

 
medical marijuana • school • marijuana • marijuana legalization • drug abuse • classroom • attention deficit disorder

More Newser Stories

Let's Legalize Drug Use: Argentine Prez

Legalizing Medical Marijuana Doesn't Up Kids' Pot Use

Record-High 50% Want Marijuana Legalized

Pot Farms Eat Up 1% of Nation's Electricity

Pot Growers Join Teamsters Union
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne