Medical Marijuana for RN's

Nurses Professionalism

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Is it ok for a registered nurse to use medical marijuana (with a prescription) outside of work of course?

Specializes in critical care, PACU.

Coming from someone with daily back pain from a car accident about 6-8/10 most days, poorly relieved by narcotics, I have looked into the medical mj thing. I dont think it's worth the risk because although in Ca it may be legal, federally it sure isnt. My BF says that when they raid those doctor's offices and distributors your contact information can be found, resulting in you getting into big trouble. For me, Ill just sit back and wait until it's legal. Definitely not worth all the work nursing school is.

Specializes in LPN, Peds, Public Health.

I agree that it should be legalized. Just moniter it like alcohol and cigarettes. Don't smoke it myself, wouldn't even if it were legal, but I would much rather come into contact with someone who is high on some Mary Jane then someone who is DRUNK off of liquor or beer. Plus, look at how much damage alcohol does to the human body as compared to smoking marijuana. Its pretty much like smoking a cigarette, and those are legal...

Marinol is given often for folks with poor appetites, on chemo, immunocompromised, etc... It does not contain THC so therefore there is no euphoric feeling and you don't get "high." I write for it often for my patients with poor appetite to attempt to stimulate it...

That is what I was going to say! :D

There would be no problem if the op got an RX for this.

steph

I have been researching the requirements for medical marijuana prescritions and believe that I would be able to get an rx without any trouble. I have chronic muscle spasms related to a mva 2 years ago.

My question is could using medical marijuana, as prescribed, cost me my job or my license?

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

I smoked marijuana on and off for many years and enjoyed it, but I don't do it now for one reason: I worked too long and too hard for my nursing license to blow my livelihood by getting caught with THC in my system. It's just not worth it. My feelings on legalization don't matter; the fact is that it continues to be illegal and as long as I hold an RN license, I will refrain. End of story.

I smoked marijuana on and off for many years and enjoyed it, but I don't do it now for one reason: I worked too long and too hard for my nursing license to blow my livelihood by getting caught with THC in my system. It's just not worth it. My feelings on legalization don't matter; the fact is that it continues to be illegal and as long as I hold an RN license, I will refrain. End of story.

Smart girl! :D

I also honestly think that because Marinol gives the same nausea, pain bene's without the high of smoking pot . . . . no one is marching in the streets for Marinol.

It is the high folks . . . :smokin:

steph

Specializes in Peds Cardiology,Peds Neuro,Pedi ER,PICU, IV Jedi.
I agree that it's like alcohol, but I don't think it would help the debt b/c the reason it isn't legal is b/c the gov't makes too much off of it being illegal. Marijuana can be grown in a backyard or basement, the gov't can't tax it or make money off of "homegrown" stash. I don't smoke, never have either, but it's more money for uncle Sam to keep it illegal.

This is a gross misconception. The government of the United States has spent hundreds of millions of dollars fighting the drug trade - and that's just at the federal level. Most of the drugs seized off the street are marijuana, because it's cheap, easy to produce and reproduce, and easy to hide. Every time a police officer organizes a raid it involves many different agencies, and that costs you and me money.

If marijuana were legalized, the government could regulate it's production...making sure that the quality of the weed we smoked were of consistent quality - just like they're supposed to do with medicine. And there'd be less fear of getting some kind of skunk weed that's been mixed with other terrible chemicals like formaldehyde, or potentially deadly drugs like heroin.

They need to legalize it. It helps people who suffer from painful conditions to have a better life, and denying these people a better life ought to be a crime in itself.

I think one of the reasons marijuana has not been legalized is the almighty, powerful pharmaceutical companies. It's cheap, easy to grow, effective for a variety of medical uses and has very few side effects--all the reasons why the pharm companies fear it. It cuts into their bottom line $$$$$.

Legalize it. Why deny pts. an effective drug that they choose to use?

But I think that maybe hospitals can fire you for using pot even with an RX. A few hospitals/businesses are firing people who test positive for nicotine.

Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

A dear friend of mine who died from AIDS swore up one side and down the other that his Marinol did not come anywhere close a joint for him in terms of appetite, pain relief, nor nausea. Far be it for me to tell a terminally ill man he can't smoke his weed.

As long as it remains illegal, it has no draw for me as a nurse.

A dear friend of mine who died from AIDS swore up one side and down the other that his Marinol did not come anywhere close a joint for him in terms of appetite, pain relief, nor nausea. Far be it for me to tell a terminally ill man he can't smoke his weed.

As long as it remains illegal, it has no draw for me as a nurse.

oh my gosh, this is so true, elvish.

i have had many, MANY hospice pts who complain that marinol did nothing to relieve their symptoms.

and smoking a bone certainly wasn't for the high, since they were all heavily dosed on narcs.

sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.

certainly not for me to judge.

and more important, their comfort (esp at eol) is paramount to attaining peace.

leslie

Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

Marijuana has negative effects on memory, so I think it can endanger patients because people who smoke pot are forgetful. I mean, if a nurse partakes, she will become more spaced out generally, which will impact her ability to give safe care.

Specializes in NICU.
oh my gosh, this is so true, elvish.

i have had many, MANY hospice pts who complain that marinol did nothing to relieve their symptoms.

and smoking a bone certainly wasn't for the high, since they were all heavily dosed on narcs.

sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.

certainly not for me to judge.

and more important, their comfort (esp at eol) is paramount to attaining peace.

leslie

Word, leslie. My dad works in an inpt hospice in CA that allows residents to smoke marijuana. He finds it hilarious that part of his job is occasionally rolling and lighting joints for people.

In terms of using it as an RN, I wouldn't. As has been said, I worked too damn hard for this. I'll even leave parties where it's being smoked, even though everyone says secondhand smoke isn't enough to make you throw a positive test. It's not worth it to me. And I really, really don't think the CA BON would give a fig if you had a prescription. Whether that's right or not is a separate issue.

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