The recent legalization of medical marijuana in Montana has caused Bozeman School District officials to look more carefully at the rules already set in place for those “under the influence” at school.
While the debate over medical marijuana remains controversial, steps have been made towards its universal legality, whether the US citizens like it or not. The State of Montana has issued over 3,000 “green cards” to people between the ages of 18 and 30, along with the 18 kids under the age of 18 that have medical marijuana cards.
Gallatin County even has more registered more “green cards” than any other county in the state, yet those who “possess the pot” are not allowed to use medical marijuana whenever they please; according to the DPHHS and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, it is still banned from public transportation, school grounds, and at any park bench, beach, recreation center and youth center.
The district is concerned with the safety of all students at BHS. According to Dean of Students Mr.. Neely, “students who are under the influence will have consequences” as the district’s official policy is that students may not possess medical marijuana at school, whether they have a “green card” or not.
According to a BHS student who carries a “green card”, “I am not allowed to have marijuana on school grounds, and it’s my medication. If I’m caught with it on school grounds I can be arrested.”
Marijuana has been used in many different countries for hundreds of years. It is used to make clothes, shoes, blankets and many other valuable things. In accordance, over 85% of the BHS students polled on the matter believe that medical marijuana is and should stay legal.
Joe H., a caregiver in Bozeman, says, “Medical marijuana has helped so many people with diseases and disorders such as Anorexia, AIDS and cancer, along with chronic pain and mood disorders. Especially with AIDS and Anorexia, medical marijuana causes a person’s appetite to increase greatly, so they can gain weight and become healthier, thus saving their life.” 
An argument made to keep medical marijuana legal is that it would reduce the flow of money from the U.S. economy to international criminal gangs. Marijuana’s illegality makes smuggling it into the United States extremely profitable, sending billions of dollars overseas.
According to the student who has a “green card”, “Marijuana should definitely be legalized! It would bring so much money into America and could cut back crime so much! Just look at Amsterdam! All of those people smoke and there is hardly any crime there. It would be so much easier to just make it legal.”
This student’s parents are supportive of his card. “My parents are very accepting, and my father has a card of his own. It’s just that other people are not very open to the whole thing; it’s a touchy subject,” the student explained.
The arguments made against marijuana in general are that it is perceived as highly addictive and historically linked with narcotics, such as heroin.
The BHS student with the green card explains, “I broke my neck and spine in a car accident, so my medical marijuana card is for pain. Because it is for chronic pain, my card lasts for good.”
In this student’s case, he uses marijuana to soothe his pain, not to be judged as a “pot-head” or as another kid who wants to be cool and jump on the pot bandwagon. The student continued, “I’m actually disgusted by how easy it is to acquire a card, but then again I am understanding because marijuana is so much better for your body than pain pills and other drugs. For some people, medical marijuana cards are a good idea because they don’t want to be addicted to pain killers or get injections.
Medical marijuana cards allow people to access a medication that gives you the same effects but is better for pain, eating disorders, and other ailments.”
Student views are as varied as the community’s. On one hand, Junior Rachel Kemp commented, “Students wouldn’t be lighting up in the middle of class or be so high they couldn’t function. Medicinal students should be required to keep their ‘school stash’ and any other mind-altering drugs in the nurse’s office. If during school they experience excessive pain and need their ‘medicine’, they could get a pass to the nurse and be given an appropriate amount for school. We could have a school vaporizer so the smoke wouldn’t become an issue and students would be encouraged to use edibles and teas as opposed to other methods of consumption.”
Conversely, Julia Ratliff says, “No, it is not okay. What are they going to make legal next? Cocaine? I think it is ridiculous that they have made marijuana legal for some people. It should be illegal. There are plenty of prescription medications that ill people can take without using a drug.”
For the time being, medical marijuana is legal if you have a license, but smoking pot on school or public grounds is still not allowed. As the controversy over the legalization of marijuana in general increases, who knows where the United States will stand on the issue of marijuana in a few years. Many claim that its natural qualities mean its good for you; others claim God put pot on the earth to make us happy, for us to enjoy, and for us to smoke. Others believe that pot should remain illegal, it is harmful to our health, and is a bad influence on the American generation. The opinions are endless, but it seems that the majority of Bozeman High School is in support of their friends who need their infamous “green cards”.