SCHOOL BOARDS REMAIN TOUGH ON MARIJUANA USE

Separate Board Lobbies To Keep Drug Illegal

NORTHUMBERLAND - A relaxation of the rules on marijuana by the legal
system doesn't mean students will be smoking up in the halls of
schools, say the two local school boards.

Both the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic
and the Kawartha Pine Ridge district school boards say punishment for
those caught possessing or using marijuana on school property, trips
or buses will be as severe as ever. That's in spite of the fact some
police forces have said they would not arrest anyone in possession of
less than 30 grams of cannabis, nor would they seize the drugs.

The police move comes on the heals of recent court rulings which
declared Canada's cannabis laws are no longer valid, and the
introduction of federal legislation that would decriminalize the
possession of small amounts of the drug.

But local schools won't be following the police lead. In fact, PVNC
has gone so far as to successfully lobby the provincial Catholic
trustees' association to not only support retaining the strict rules,
but to attempt to influence the federal government against
decriminalisation of the drug, says education director Mike Langlois.

But regardless of what the legal system does, marijuana is not
acceptable in local Catholic schools, says Mr. Langlois.

"We take use and trafficking very seriously," he notes.

Students caught in possession of any form of illicit drug face a
20-day suspension, he says.

Likewise, local public schools will be enforcing a no-marijuana
policy, says KPR education director Avis Glaze.

"Even though out there (outside of schools), there are differences...
as a school district, we will maintain a very strong stance that
marijuana will be prohibited in our schools," says Dr. Glaze.

At KPR, students face suspension for possession of such drugs and
expulsion for trafficking.

"We want to make sure our schools continue to be safe havens for all
our students and having drugs out of our schools is part of that," she
notes.