Effect of Marijuana Legalization on Marijuana-Related Suspensions in a Rural Oregon High School

Purpose: We aim to determine if there has been an increase in marijuana-related suspensions (MRS) in an Oregon high school following marijuana legalization in 2015, and if students on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) are more likely to be suspended for marijuana use compared to students who are not on an Individualized Education Plan (non-IEP). Methods: MRS data was collected retrospectively from a rural Oregon high school from 2012-2018. Student information was de-identified and separated into IEP and non-IEP populations. A 2-proportion tz-test was used to compare the number of overall suspensions for pre vs. post-legalization. Results: In the 3 years prior to legalization there were 32 MRS, and 0.68% of students had a MRS. In the 3 years post-legalization, the number of MRS increased to 101, and 2.25% of students had a MRS (p<0.0001). Prior to legalization, there were 5 IEP MRS (0.84% of IEP students) and 27 non-IEP MRS (0.65% of non-IEP students) (p=0.406). Post-legalization there were 26 IEP MRS (3.8% of IEP students) and 75 non-IEP MRS (2.0% of non-IEP students) (p=0.0031). Conclusion: In the population studied, there was an increase in the percentage of students suspended for marijuana related offenses following marijuana legalization in 2015. The IEP students were more likely to receive a MRS compared to non-IEP students after marijuana legalization in this rural Oregon High School. Relevance Statement: Our study found a significant increase in marijuana-related suspensions (MRS) in the general student population with students on an Individualized Education Plan being the most strongly affected following recreational marijuana legalization in Oregon. As marijuana legalization becomes increasingly common across the United States it is imperative to monitor the impacts on students and youth.