Question about having cannabis card in California?

[Janna16]

Ok so I am currently in a class to obtain my CNA certification in California. I already have a job that I am going to work at when I graduate who is paying for my course and everything. I have already taken the pre employment drug screening and physical, but I hear there is going to be one of these annually for CNAs which is understandable for a medical position. My only problem is I have my cannabis card, and I'm wondering if, since it is a legal substance I will be punished for having a positive marijuana drug test result? I was scared to ask them about this in fear they would think I'm some druggie so I quit for 2 months before my drug test. Weed helps me so much and I know this job is going to be high-stress and I would love to be able to smoke when I get home off work. I would never show up to work high or drive high. But if drug tests are going to be at random annually I can't prepare. My question is, do they overlook a positive marijuana result on the drug test if you show proof of your card?

[mrsboots87]

Most likely no. They will not overlook it. Just because weed is "legal" in California doesn't mean an employer has to overlook it's use. Same as narcotics and benzos and such. If there is an incident at work, and they find certain medications in your system, the prescription won't matter. They can still fire you. Weed will be no different. You may find some employers who are more lax, but it will not be the norm.

You ou can never plan for drug screens. They can screen for no reason, for suspicion, if you injure yourself, anything. Heck, they may suspect someone else and do a "random" drug screen on a group of employees. So even if you don't get caught outright, you could get caught that way. Your best bet is to quit smoking if you want to keep your certificate. You may get caught in a month, you may get caught in 10 years, or you may never get caught, but that's a pretty major gamble. Also consider that many employers outside of the medical profession will also not accept a positive drug screen for marijuana when you hold a card.

[caliotter3]

I once worked with a CNA who used marijuana on the job (in the facility, he didn't bother to go to his car). All the nurses knew what was going on, but they also were aware that every time the man had been fired in the past, eventually he ended up coming back to the facility. No. You can not expect or hope for, employers to turn a blind eye to marijuana use. Even if it were made legal at the federal level, the employer can still enforce rules regarding employee use. You probably are going to have to make a choice if you don't want the constant anxiety of wondering if you will be caught.

[Momof8CNA]

where i work, you cant use pot or certain medications, even if prescribed.

[BBboy]

At my hospital, in a state where we were one of the first to have legalized mj, it was in the fine print that any positive results of marijuana (Even if you had a cannabis card) would be a no go for that potential employee

[applesxoranges, BSN, RN]

You'll have to make a choice. All facilities I have worked at reserve the right to test for nicotine. A legal substance on both federal and state levels. They can and will fire you for smoking pot if they catch you.

[WereBadger]

Cannabis is legal in my state, but it's explained to us on hire that as our facility receives federal funding (through programs such as Medicaid and Medicare) we are subject to federal laws. This makes cannabis a no-go for any staff member, and random drug screenings are performed regularly. It's also worth considering that employers are allowed to decide whether certain medications pose a risk, and these may include cannabis as well as more conventional prescription medications such as benzos, some sleep aids, narcotics, etc.