Gallup-McKinley County Schools and Hózhó Academy released a joint statement on Sept. 2 after the Gallup City Council tabled a a motion concerning cannabis courier services.
The enactment of cannabis courier services has intensified community concern about keeping cannabis products away from our students.
The harmful effects of cannabis on students’ social, physical, and emotional health are well documented.
Consumption can alter brain structure and lead to lasting deficits in memory, attention, learning, and decision-making. Studies have shown that student use of cannabis leads to an increase in mental health disorders as well as poorer school performance
The danger to our students is escalating. Students are often unaware of the amount of cannabis they are consuming, which could lead to overdoses. Across New Mexico, calls for cannabis-related incidents have risen since 2019. Multiple McKinley County students required hospitalization after ingesting an edible disguised as a Coco Crisp Cereal Bar.
Edibles and vapes are especially attractive to students because of their deceptive packaging, which often mimics popular candies, cookies, chips, and drinks. While cannabis regulations do prohibit the advertisement and predatory marketing targeting minors, lack of enforcement is harming our students.
The rampant availability and marketing of items containing cannabis to school-age students can evade detection. We must act now to prevent these items from being sold to or accessed by our students.
The currently proposed regulations would allow delivery to residential neighborhoods during the hours from 10 am to midnight, Monday through Saturday and noon to midnight on Sundays. Expanded access
will put more cannabis into our communities, further jeopardizing student safety.
While the city council has questioned its authority to ban cannabis delivery outright, it has successfully banned liquor delivery and legally can enact more restrictive requirements to keep students safe.
The Council should consider:
- Restricting delivery within 300 feet of schools, daycares, public parks, youth centers, libraries, and other places where students congregate.
- Prohibiting cannabis delivery to public housing.
- Require high tech age verification utilizing portable ID scanners to track and verify delivery.
- Require that cannabis products be delivered in locked, childproof packaging.
- Increase enforcement to remove illegal and deceptively marketed products from our community.
We urge parents and community members to voice their opinions on how we can prevent students from accessing these harmful products that are detrimental to their health and future. The City of Gallup will hold a meeting to discuss this matter on Sept. 9 at 6 pm in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, located at 110 W. Aztec Ave. Concerned parents can also call City Hall at (505) 863-1220.
