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| Science-Fair Pot Project Causes Consternation |
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Posted by FoM on February 16, 2002 at 17:28:42 PT By Donna Jones, Sentinel Staff Writer Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel 
Science projects are supposed to give kids the chance to explore the world. But a 13-year-old Mission Hill Junior High School seventh-grader discovered the limits of scientific inquiry this week when she tried to enter the school science fair with a project on medical marijuana.The girl was permitted to present her report, titled "Mary Jane for Pain," to classmates Thursday, but school officials quickly seized props — including a marijuana-laced muffin and a spray bottle of pot-steeped rubbing alcohol. They haven’t decided whether she’ll be allowed to display her research Wednesday when judges from UC Santa Cruz and the NASA/Ames Research Lab award prizes. "I’m going to have to take a look at the science to see if it fits the criteria," Principal Cathy Stefanki-Iglesias said. "I’m not so convinced it does at the moment." Stefanki-Iglesias said she planned to gather more information about science fair guidelines and decide this weekend whether the research should be placed among more traditional science projects like the analysis of different types of airplane wings or the impact of X-rays on seeds. The principal’s quandary isn’t unique. When California voters passed Proposition 215 in 1996, legalizing marijuana for medicinal use, local governments wrestled with implementation — a job complicated by the refusal of federal authorities to accept the state law. Joe Morris, the girl’s father, said he understands educator’s concerns about unresolved legal issues. But if the school wasn’t going to allow the project, it should have been nipped in the bud. Instead, his daughter was given clearance to study the issue under the category of social sciences about four months ago by a teacher who was filling in while the regular teacher was on maternity leave. His daughter worked hard on the project, Morris said, researching the history of medical use of marijuana, checking out library books and surveying patients who use the drug to alleviate the symptoms of their illnesses. She analyzed the information, and graphed results of the survey. The project in no way condoned recreational use of marijuana, he said. "The entire premise was people who have prescriptions," Morris said. His daughter has been embarrassed by the negative reception, he said. He thinks it would be a violation of her civil rights not to allow the project to be presented to judges. "Do constitutional rights kick in at age 18?" he asked. "Don’t children have constitutional rights? In a way it’s censorship, and that’s not acceptable." Valerie Corral, executive director and founder of the Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana, a Santa Cruz group that provides marijuana to patients with prescriptions, agreed. "With our civil liberties being eroded, we want our children to be able to ask questions and be answered honestly," she said. It’s important to teach children to recognize the difference between medicinal and recreational use, Corral added. The girl’s interest in the topic was sparked by an aunt who serves as caregiver for a friend seriously ill with cancer and is an alliance volunteer, Corral said. The 13-year-old understands the difference, said Corral, who listened in on some of the interviews the girl conducted as part of her research. "This is not something she just grabbed out of the air," Corral said. "This young girl sees what most young girls don’t see. She sees a friend of the family very ill. There’s no confusion for her. ... She’s not talking about drugs. She’s talking about illness." But it was "very inappropriate" for the father and aunt to allow the girl to take their friend’s prescriptive pot to school, Corral said. She added, though, that she believes they acted in good faith, and felt they had taken precautions to ensure the marijuana products didn’t fall into the hands of students. The aunt placed the muffin in a plastic bag with a note explaining the contents and its purpose as a prop, and she escorted the girl to and from school. Morris called the school to let them know his daughter would be bringing the props. "Any good science project has props," he said. The idea of the props was to show medical marijuana isn’t about people sitting around smoking pot. But he conceded he made "a bad call." "I should have used better judgment," Morris said. Morris appreciates how school officials handled that aspect of the project, returning the items to him rather than calling law enforcement. Complete Title: Science-Fair Pot Project Causes Consternation at Junior High School Source: Santa Cruz County Sentinel (CA) Related Articles & Web Sites: Medicinal Cannabis Research Links CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archives School Not High on Santa Cruz Teen-Ager's Project Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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