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Red Deer schools are ready to respond to cannabis

Prepared for cannabis legalization
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Red Deer Public Schools and Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools are ready for cannabis legalization. (File photo by BLACK PRESS)

It will be business as usual at schools when the legalization of cannabis goes into effect.

In fact, posters in Red Deer Public Schools’ facilities convey just that message — on Wednesday, nothing changes.

“You can’t have marijuana on you at the school, and you certainly can’t be coming back to school impaired from a break, so nothing changes,” said superintendent Stu Henry.

“It’s very much like alcohol. Alcohol is legal for adults, but we certainly don’t allow it on our property. We don’t allow kids or adults to be in the building under the influence. We certainly don’t allow possession of it. And that’s been the rule all along, so the big message for us is nothing changes.”

He said discipline for breaking the rules depends on many factors. It’s not an instant or similar consequence every single time, but Henry doesn’t expect a problem come next week.

“I would say the kind of people who are attracted to using marijuana are probably doing it already.”

He said a report from Colorado’s superintendent, where cannabis is already legal, showed nothing changed in the Denver city.

But Henry does look forward to the cannabis education programs the province will develop.

“The more kids know in their formative years about the harmful effects, the better that will be for society,” Henry said.

Dave Khatib, associate superintendent of inclusive learning with Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, also said the division’s focus on drug awareness hasn’t changed very much in anticipation of legalization.

“We still create a lot of awareness within our schools regardless of whether cannabis was legal or illegal. It would still be illegal to use under 18 and we’d work with our kids and inform them of the dangers of that narcotic,” Khatib said.

He said the middle and high schools have always included drug and alcohol awareness in the curriculum, and an Alberta Health Services addictions counsellor is available.

Khatib also heard about Colorado’s experience, but he said it’s still a wait-and-see situation here.

“To tell you the truth, I really don’t know what to expect. Our counsellors and our high schools and our middle schools are in awareness mode and we’re waiting to respond, to see, if there is a need.”

Addiction is something the division obviously takes seriously, he said.

“If it’s a one-off thing, it’s a one-off thing. Kids will be kids and they’ll do those types of things. But if it’s more than that, then we know we can put supports in place that will address the issues.”



szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com

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