Minnesota schools are preparing to roll out new cannabis education during the 2026-2027 school year, as the state now requires middle and high schools to teach students about cannabis, brain development and health risks.
“My hope is that we can create safe space in the schools, and that’s kind of my hope is with this curriculum, but to provide safe space in the schools for youth to start talking about substance use and their, and the impact it may be having on them or their loved ones or family, because right now substance use is a very, you know, hush-hush hidden thing,” said Michael Durchslag, P.E.A.S.E. Academy Executive Director.
P.E.A.S.E. Academy in Minneapolis is a substance abuse recovery high school through Transitional Charter Schools.
“We are the longest-running recovery high school in the country, so we serve youth who are in recovery from substance misuse,” Durchslag said. The school currently has about 27 students, including what he calls “super seniors” who stay beyond traditional graduation to keep their recovery and education on track.
The school serves students in grades eight through 12. Durchslag said cannabis education is already part of daily life.
“We are preventing them from continued use,” he said. “But with a new curriculum that is coming out that is really geared toward how do we prevent students from picking up that first time or continuing to use.” He said for schools like his, the new requirement will layer on top of work they already do, while for many traditional schools, it will be a new prevention model.
The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) has told districts they must adopt science-based cannabis education and has provided examples of model programs that meet the legislative requirement:
• Cannabis: The Facts You Need to Know;
• Marijuana Prevention Plus Wellness; and
• Smart Talk: Cannabis Prevention and Awareness Curriculum.
The state said the curriculum should cover brain development, health risks and the realities of today’s cannabis market, including edibles, vapes and high-potency products.
“The list of model programs was created in last spring and schools have the option of implementing one of the identified programs or use their own program(s) that have been determined through their local curriculum adoption process. While it is not required for a school district or charter school to use one of the programs on the list, the options and rubric provided may be useful to school districts and charter schools in their own decision-making process,” said MDE in a statement.
Durchslag said the education is critical, because cannabis looks very different than it did 10 years ago.
“Cannabis comes in so many different forms and is a lot stronger today than it was 10 years ago,” he said. He wants students to understand the differences between THC products.
“It is really to let the youth know about edibles and THC pens and old school flower and what it does to your body and what it does to your brain and how it impacts development,” he said.
He has seen firsthand how easily youth can get into trouble with THC products. Durchslag recalled one student who found THC cookies at home.
“He was hungry in the middle of the night, and he ate way too many before he showed up,” Durchslag said. Staff ended up helping the family get him to the hospital because he was having serious adverse effects. He said high-concentration vape cartridges are also a concern.
