HAZEL PARK, Michigan — Pro-cannabis supporters have said sales at legal marijuana dispensaries in Michigan have been lock-tight. However, that doesn’t mean kids aren’t getting weed that was sold legally in dispensaries. As Ohio stares down an adult recreational marijuana use decision with early voting starting tomorrow and Election Day next month, there are concerns about possible impacts on children.
We headed to Michigan during our “Marijuana in Ohio” series and visited with Hazel Park High School for a look at what life is like now that many cannabis stores are popping up there.
STUDENTS' ATTITUDE TOWARD CANNABIS IS DIFFERENT
It was a normal afternoon for junior student Landon Schalk and senior Dayanna Reed. But they said what is different is the attitude of students toward marijuana since adult recreational use became legal in Michigan five years ago.
“I think there are a lot of people who still do it at our school, in school,” said Schlack.
“That’s like putting candy in front of a 5-year-old and going, ‘Oh, don’t eat this!’” said Reed. “There’s like a dispensary on every corner.”
As you drive into Michigan, you can’t miss the many billboards promoting all things cannabis. Hazel Park itself has eight marijuana stores, with a ninth on the way.
“I think with the addition of the dispensaries, it makes it 100 times easier to get a hold of,” said Schlack.
Neither he nor Reed said they do pot, but they did say there are pot parties going on around them.
“Definitely, yes. Like, ‘Let’s all get together and go smoke,’” said Reed.
Principal Tammy McHenry said she has no problem with adults using cannabis, but she does have an issue with irresponsible adults not locking it up or just handing it out.
“So, it’s not always the kid getting from their own home, but somebody got it from a home or a relative or a friend or… someone,” said McHenry. “I mean, we’ve had kids ask total strangers, ‘Will you buy that for me?’”
COMBATING CANNABIS IN SCHOOLS
There are now vaping sensors in the school bathroom to help catch problems with THC, which is the psychoactive compound in marijuana that helps people get high. Once those sensors go off, an alert is sent to security iPads.
“So (security staff) can look on the camera to see who’s coming out. Then, we search the students, search their lockers,” said McHenry.
But because of the many forms marijuana takes these days, like candy, those searches are harder now, especially searches by police dogs.
“So many of our kids are going home to our families that are using it legally,” said School Resource Officer Detective Xavier Piper. “And it’s brought into school… the scent, the odor, what the dogs pick up on.”
McHenry said in 2021, there were 23 incidents of marijuana in the high school. Last year, it was 29. This year, there are already 6 cases. “If you do the math on that, if we did just 8 months of school, 9 months of school, we would be looking at 50 instances,” said McHenry (note: we spoke to her in September of this year). “We would be doubling what we did last year.”
SOME STATES REPORT DIFFERENT EFFECTS
While Hazel Park is dealing with pot problems, there are U.S. studies published on the National Institutes of Health and the Journal of the American Medical Association websites showing either no effect on kids using marijuana or a decline in use after recreational legalization.
The first retail cannabis store in Colorado opened about 10 years ago. Its Department of Education reports school suspensions tied to marijuana were increasing a bit, then a brief drop during the pandemic and lack of in-school sessions, and then a big jump last year. It’s important to note that Colorado’s population has increased over those years as well.
The California Department of Education reported from before recreational legalization in 2016 to its most recent survey of 7th, 9th, and 11th graders, student cannabis use is down.
But bach in Michigan, Hazel Park Schools Superintendent Dr. Amy Kruppe said even middle schoolers there are trying pot.
“When our younger ones find it normalized, that’s concerning because now we’re going from the age of 11 all the way to 18 vaping marijuana,” said Kruppe.
DISCIPLINE BUT STILL DOING IT
Students in Hazel Park face a 10-day suspension and a meeting with the superintendent to see if they can come back to school at all.
“We explain all that to the students at grade-level meetings, but yet, they’re still doing it,” said McHenry.
That’s happening even when they see fellow students in bad shape at school after some potent pot is found.
“And the kids not realizing that the marijuana in 2023 is not the marijuana that their parents grew up with,” said Det. Piper.
“And we’ve had kids go to the hospital the first time they’ve used it,” said McHenry. “So, scary stuff.”
Schlack said it boils down to many kids simply just don’t care.
“There probably should be a stricter punishment, and it should be more greatly enforced,” he told us.
“Why bring it to school?” questioned Reed. “That just shows how much people are addicted to it that you can’t live without it for a couple of hours.”
MORE RESOURCES NEEDED
McHenry agrees, saying more programs are needed to help students. There used to be MADD and SADD groups in schools to assist with alcohol problems. Detective Piper said now alcohol isn’t a problem. It’s students who are high in school.
So, what’s the relationship like between Hazel Park Schools and marijuana business owners? The superintendent said they have a good relationship. The owners give back to the community. She also said Hazel Park has just gotten a federal grant to educate kids more about marijuana use.
With early voting in Ohio starting tomorrow, our “Marijuana in Ohio” series will continue to present things to keep in mind as you cast your vote. On Thursday, we take a look at the economic impact of cannabis in Michigan and what Ohio has planned financially should Issue 2 pass in November.
