Cannabis in schools in NRW: what applies?

This article does not set out in detail what a North Rhine-Westphalia decree on cannabis in schools regulates. You will find the current text on the pages of the Schulministerium Nordrhein-Westfalen. One thing is certain: the federal Consumer Cannabis Act (Konsumcannabisgesetz, KCanG) remains the foundation, and a state decree cannot override it. This article explains how a decree and federal law fit together.

What a school decree achieves

A school decree is addressed to school management and teaching staff. It sets out how schools put into practice requirements that follow from laws and school regulations. For teachers it is a practical aid, because it describes responsibilities and procedures that the law itself does not spell out.

Which priorities a particular decree sets can only be found in its text. It is therefore worth reading the original before you adopt a rule at your school.

The federal law remains the basis

A state decree cannot override federal law. The Consumer Cannabis Act therefore remains the governing law for schools. It bans public consumption in schools and within sight of them, an area which, under the law, ends at a distance of more than 100 metres from the entrance area. Consumption is equally banned on children's playgrounds and in children's and youth facilities (section 5(2) KCanG).

A further ban concerns passing cannabis on to minors. Anyone who hands cannabis to a child or young person commits a criminal offence under section 34 KCanG. A decree can explain these rules for everyday school life, but it does not replace them. An overview of the law is given in the article What does the KCanG say on youth protection?.

What a decree typically sets out

Only the decree itself shows whether it contains statements on prevention, contact persons, incidents, parents or further training. The specialist site cannabispraevention.de offers helpful suggestions for school rules and recommends a clear set of rules for the whole school.

The distinction between binding requirements and recommendations is also important. The wording in the text shows which is which; if in doubt, ask the school supervisory authority (Schulaufsicht).

How schools put the decree into practice

In practice, implementation usually starts with the school management. It checks which requirements are already in the school programme and which need to be added. The teaching staff are then informed, ideally at a staff meeting with time for questions. A uniform position helps, because otherwise pupils receive different answers from different teachers.

Parents belong in this process too. A parents' evening on the subject creates transparency and shows how the school approaches it. The article How do schools organise a parents' evening on cannabis? describes how that can be arranged.

Prevention as part of the mandate

Prevention is part of everyday school life. The BIÖG provides teaching material on cannabispraevention.de that can be built into lessons. The article Teaching material at a glance presents a selection. The site itself is a good starting point for comparing offers.

Lessons should stay factual. The young brain is in an important stage of development, and consumption can affect that development. The specialist site recommends addressing young people in a factual and differentiated way.

Further training and exchange among staff

A decree only works if the teaching staff understand it and apply it. Further training helps to settle questions before a case arises. Many teachers want practical advice, for example on how to start a conversation without lecturing. The article Are there training courses for teachers on cannabis? presents the options.

Exchange with other schools is also useful. Anyone with similar questions often finds solutions that can be transferred. A regular meeting on addiction and prevention can become a fixed routine. It is also important that training does not depend on individual people. A shared understanding among the teaching staff takes pressure off everyone when a case arises, including new teachers.

Methods for lessons

Teaching about cannabis works best when it allows questions and provides facts. The article Which workshops are available for school classes? shows formats that suit this.

Check before use whether the content suits the age of the class. The priorities differ between primary schools, secondary schools and vocational schools. Material written for upper secondary level will quickly overwhelm a fifth grade.

Handling incidents factually

When an incident happens, a fixed procedure helps. It includes documenting specific observations, informing the school management and deciding who else should be involved. School social work is often the first point of contact for pupils who need help.

The article How does a school proceed after an incident? describes the steps in detail. Anyone who wants to involve school social work will find further guidance in the article What role does school social work play in cannabis cases?.

Documentation and data protection

Documentation protects everyone involved if it stays factual. Recorded are the date, the time, the behaviour observed and the steps taken. Personal data belongs only where it is needed for the process. Which bodies have access and how long records are kept is set by the school according to state requirements and data protection rules. A clear agreement among the staff prevents notes from ending up in the wrong place.

What parents can expect

Parents want to know how the school deals with cannabis and whom they can contact. A clear decree, together with a matching set of school rules, makes these questions easier to answer. Anyone who wants to know how the school acts in practice should first look at the school rules and then arrange a talk with the form teacher.

The article How does the school support parents in cannabis cases? explains what support schools can offer. If you are a parent and need advice yourself, an addiction counselling service that also advises relatives can help.

A short overview helps in everyday life: keep the decree at hand, note the contact person, clarify reporting routes and enter dates for training courses. Anyone who does this early will not have to search for long in an emergency.

For questions about a specific case, first contact the school management or the school supervisory authority. For legal questions about consequences for individuals, legal advice can help. The rules of the Consumer Cannabis Act apply regardless of what a state decree sets out in detail.