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SANTA CRUZ — Mission Hill Junior High School officials will allow a seventh-grader to display her medical marijuana project when the school science fair opens today.

School officials had questioned whether "Mary Jane For Pain," a project that included marijuana-laced props when the 13-year-old, who asked not to be identified, turned it in last Thursday, fit science fair guidelines.

But after reviewing the girl’s research during the weekend, school officials concluded the project — sans the marijuana-laced muffin and rubbing alcohol initially presented as props — fits fair criteria under the category of social science.

"She had some good questions, and she did what she wanted to in terms of a project," Principal Cathy Stefanki-Iglesias said. "The value is in what the student learned from the scientific process."

Stefanki-Iglesias said the report, which includes the results from a survey the student conducted with five local women who use marijuana to combat symptoms of illnesses, was "well written" and brings people up to date on the issue.

The girl’s father, Joe Morris, said he was pleased with the decision. He had been concerned after Stefanki-Iglesias said last week that the project might not be admissible.

His daughter was embarrassed by the negative reaction at school last week and didn’t want to be interviewed, Morris said. But she worked hard on the project. In addition to the surveys, which she analyzed and graphed, she researched the history of medicinal marijuana through articles and books, some of which were specially ordered from the library. He questioned whether her free speech rights would be violated if the project was ruled unfit.

"I’m hoping to get off work tomorrow to go down and see it," Morris said Tuesday.

A substitute teacher gave the 13-year-old permission to pursue the issue about four months ago. The girl’s regular teacher, who recently returned from maternity leave, discovered the topic Thursday.

The girl’s interest was sparked by her aunt’s volunteer work. The aunt serves as a caregiver for a family friend, who is seriously ill with cancer, and she produces a weekly batch of marijuana muffins for the Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana, a Santa Cruz group that provides pot to patients with prescriptions.

Morris said his daughter’s project didn’t condone recreational use of the drug.

He acknowledged, however, that he made a "bad call" when he allowed his daughter to bring the contraband props to school. He said he was grateful school officials returned the items to him rather than calling police.

He said his daughter used the props to show that medical marijuana wasn’t about smoking pot, and that she might bake a parsley muffin to replace the illegal prop.

The project has garnered national attention since an article about it appeared in Saturday’s Sentinel. Morris said he received nearly 50 calls from media during the weekend. Stefanki-Iglesias said she has fielded calls from television stations and from The New York Times.

This isn’t the first time medical marijuana has provoked controversy. The state’s voters approved the drug for medicinal use when they passed Proposition 215 in 1996. But California officials, trying to implement their will, have clashed repeatedly with federal authorities, who maintain U.S. laws against the substance supersede the state initiative.

"I’m surprised at how many people are interested in this topic," Stefanki-Iglesias said. "It’s on a lot of people’s minds at the moment."

The science fair is open to the public from 7-8:30 p.m. today in the Mission Hill auditorium, 425 King St., Santa Cruz.

Contact Donna Jones at djones@santa-cruz.com.

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