Lakeland student at odds with school over medical marijuana article

LAKELAND, Fla. — A Lakeland High School student is at odds with her school over an article on medical marijuana that she wants to write and include in a school publication.

Channel Nine anchor Jorge Estevez talked with the student and found out how she plans on fighting her cause.

Abbey Laine said she loves to contribute articles for her school magazine in Lakeland.

"The more you do a story the more you know about that particular thing," Laine said.

But her recent idea for Lakeland High school's magazine, the Bagpipe, on medicinal marijuana was turned down by her teacher.

"(They said) it would be inappropriate and unacceptable," said Laine.

"To write that in the school newspaper," Estevez asked.

"Yes," she replied.

But writing the article that would have taken a look at the medicinal benefits of marijuana is personal. When Laine was 2-year-old she was diagnosed with cancer.

"It's a very significant amount of changes that can impact when a person is going through radiation or chemo," she said.

Even with that experience, Laine claims the article would have been fair.

"I'm really interested in why people wouldn't want it, and I would have included that," she said.

But the school's attorney told me the Bagpipe is not a traditional newspaper, but is instead just a forum for school announcements activities and that the administration has the final say.

"I feel the students should be allowed to be informed about what's going on around them," said Laine.

Laine said she plans to keep fighting and include her medical marijuana story as part article she pitches every week to the Lakeland High School magazine.

WFTV