Raleigh County grandmother speaks out on teen marijuana use

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports 30% of high school seniors in the U.S. admitted to using marijuana in 2023. Medical marijuana is legal in West Virginia but is still illegal recreationally.

Woodrow Wilson High School Principal Ryan Stafford noted on Thursday, April 18, 2024, that the political landscape around marijuana use appears to be changing as a number of states legalize the drug.

Schools reflect the change in society, but the school system is also in a unique position to help prevent future addiction as West Virginia continues recovering from an opioid epidemic.

PRO law enforcement officers are stationed at each high school, and teachers have a number of educational resources available, Stafford stated.

“We’re in as good of a position as we’ve ever been in to keep kids healthy, to educate them on the dangers of being under the influence of drugs, alcohol, what have you, and it’s important for us to continue to have these necessary conversations with our young people,” Stafford said on Thursday.

Barbara Fulco, the grandmother of an Independence High School student, said she became concerned when her own grandson recently tested positive for marijuana use.

She said her grandson told her marijuana is accessible at school, prompting her to approach school administrators and the Raleigh County Board of Education to ask for a solution.

“Nothing’s getting done, and people [are] not taking it seriously,” said Fulco on Thursday. “They think, ‘Oh, it’s just weed, it’s just marijuana,’ but it’s dangerous, and it needs to be out of the school. Something needs to be done, and I’m asking for help.”

Principal Stafford said schools, parents, and law enforcement play a role in keeping schools safe.

“I think we all understand that the developing mind, in young people, that it’s important for us to keep them safe, and it’s important for us to put them in the best position to grow and be healthy,” said Stafford. “Ten times out of ten, that involves refraining from being under the influence of any sort of drug or alcohol.”

Raleigh County School officials did not immediately respond to a request for information on Thursday.

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