San Mateo educators take stand against pot prop

SAN MATEO, CA

"I want to have something that says this is a bad idea," San Mateo Union High School trustee Peter Hanley said.

Hanley feels Proposition 19 will hurt schools and students. Thursday, he urged fellow board members to take a stand against it.

"It's bad for kids, it's bad for our employees," he said.

Hanley is worried if Prop 19 passes, people can start growing pot inside their homes which may be near schools. Also, unlike alcohol, there is no way to measure how high someone is at work and anyone over 21 could legally have an ounce of pot in their possession.

Dave Hodges is the founder of the San Jose Cannabis Buyers Collective. He agrees pot should be handled responsibly. That is why he does not think adults should bring it on to campus unless it is for medicinal use. But he also does not think growing pot plants near a school -is a big deal.

"It's not something to be concerned about its like any other plant; it's not some kind of dangerous thing that's going to cause a problem in the neighborhood," Hodges said.

"It's a drug, it's not a tomato, there's a big difference," Hanley said.

Hanley also says federal funding could be in jeopardy if a staffer brings pot to work. It could mean a violation of the federal Drug Free Workplace Act.

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