November 8, 2006 -- A pair of South Dakota high-school students who wore T-shirts promoting a state medical-marijuana ballot initiative had the shirts confiscated by school administrators, the Associated Press reported Nov. 7.

The students at Stevens High School in Rapid City were told by a security guard to remove the shirts as they headed to class on Oct. 20. The shirts were then seized by principal Katie Bray.

Rapid City school superintendent Peter Wharton said the shirts were taken because they violated a ban on wearing clothing with images of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs on school property. The shirts featured an image of a marijuana leaf with the message, "Vote Yes on Initiated Measure 4," but Wharton said his decision "had nothing to do with political speech."

Wharton said that students can wear political T-shirts, such as on the abortion issue, as long as they are deemed appropriate. He said that while the wording on the medical-marijuana shirts was acceptable, the image of the marijuana leaf was not.

"Advocate to your heart's content, but don't use a marijuana leaf to do it. It's against school policy," he said.

The shirts were returned to the students at the end of the school day, but they were warned that they would be suspended if they wore them to school again.

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