RENO — Nevada regents gave preliminary approval to a campus ban on medical marijuana, saying that allowing it could jeopardize $500 million in annual federal funding.
The board of regents approved an amendment 12-1 Thursday that would add medical marijuana to a list of controlled substances barred at campuses and Nevada System of Higher Education facilities. The measure will be up for final approval in December.
The rule prohibits possession, use, cultivation, manufacturing and delivery of the substance. Punishment could include expulsion, firing or criminal charges.
Marijuana remains illegal under federal law, although the state allows it for medicinal purposes and is working to get dispensaries up and running in several Nevada cities.