Cannabis prescription
Photo credit: Jade Jacobs
Despite multiple, hopeful talks of adding a cannabis course to Florida A&M University’s College of Law, two new courses will finally be offered in reference to the prominent subject of marijuana.
FAMU law students can now anticipate enrolling in “Cannabis Law and Cultural Justice” or “Marijuana Law and Policy” to advance their knowledge on the legalities of marijuana.
Attorney Tamieka Range, professor and founder of The Range Law Firm, is one of the leaders of the cannabis course selections.
“We really need to make sure FAMU law school is the forerunner of offering this course in the state of Florida,” Range said. “This will be a new way to bring the new attorneys to the industry because it is definitely an issue they are going to face when they start practicing.”
FAMU College of Law, located in Orlando, is the first law school in the state of Florida, and the 14th institution in the nation, to offer cannabis courses.
According to the Office of Medical Marijuana Use, the state of Florida legalized medical marijuana in 2016 when 71.1 percent of voters approved Amendment 2, Florida’s medical marijuana legalization initiative.
Students are also beginning to understand the importance of the laws about cannabis and how vital it is to thoroughly comprehend them. “The law surrounding marijuana is constantly changing,” Jordan Bailey, a FAMU law student, said. “It is up to us as students to keep up with the laws to know exactly how to prepare for frequent cases concerning the drug.”
The courses will encourage students to dig deeper within marijuana law, policy and authority. Recreational use, adult use, decriminalization and legalization will also be key topics for the courses.
The first cannabis classes at the law school were offered this summer.