Letters going home to parents in the large, East County Grossmont Union High School District on Feb. 6 caused a bit of a stir this week when picked up by Drudge and others.  The letter:

To: Parents/Guardians/Students

Re: Medical Marijuana on Campus

There have been a few incidents where students have had a “Medical Marijuana Use” card in their possession.

While possession of prescription medical marijuana is legal in California , school districts are subject to federal law which makes it unlawful while under the jurisdiction of the school. The school district will continue to comply with federal law and state education code on this issue and students in possession of or under the influence of marijuana, even those carrying a medical marijuana card, will be subject to current disciplinary procedures and/or interventions. Also, the medical marijuana legislation itself prohibits smoking or being under the influence of marijuana on the school campus.

So there.  Kudos to GUHSD for not waffling, given the mixed messages coming from the State and the Feds, and for suspending the students in question.  NBC-SD got it right.  Still, that wasn't enough to keep some news entities from sensationalizing the story, with headlines suggesting students were openly tokin' in the classroom. 

The District's Catherine Martin told me, "We were being proactive to let our parents know that we plan to enforce our rules and this was a reiteration of them.  We're not interested in the philosophical debate over the appropriateness of medical marijuana.  What we are interested in is educating students who are sober..."

Enough said.  Except, considering State GOP Chair Ron Nehring was on the GUHSD school board until late last year, he had to get in the last word:

"I leave the board and the whole place goes to pot."