California nurses and medical marijuana

Specialties Pain

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We had an interesting topic in discussion today about how the State Board Of Nursing is pro medical marijuana.

For many people suffering from chronic pain it's a great alternative to narcotics - which in my opinion hold a much higher risk for destruction of life style through addiction.

What I could not answer, nor anybody else in the class - since none of us are Nurses - is will a RN lose their license for receiving a Medical Marijuana License legally in the state of California (or any other state where it is legal) and testing positive on a urine screen?

What are your thoughts on this? Should Medical Marijuana continue to be an alternative choice for those suffering from chronic pain? Should Nurses who suffer from chronic pain - with legitimate medical conditions - be allowed to use Medical Marijuana? Can Nurses who have Medical Marijuana card continue their practice without fear of bias judgment by their place of work due to the Federal vs. State laws on the drug?

last i heard, pashark is right. the two laws regarding marijuana - state and federal kinda disagree with each other. federal is supposed to override so.... it's legal and illegal at the same time. i'm not an expert on the topic so i might be wrong but basically, script or not, you CAN be arrested, but since cali police have more important things to worry about, you probably won't.

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Specializes in Army Medic.

I live out here where all the medical shops are.

California police can't arrest you for it. I have friends with cards who have been pulled over with 10 actual plants in their car, no repercussions.

However, the DEA are always harassing the vendors.

Anyone who is a Federal Agent can do as they please, California employed officers are bound by the laws of California.

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Hee Hee - So if I fallow my Dr's order should it be MJ - I can also be fired for not fallowing Dr's order? Haa Haa

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Until people are more out in the open with it and the ones in higher positions start to back it then nothing will change. Its gonna take nurses and doctors in this current generation to be in those positions and have an open mind. I have watched several documentries where they are trying to get it passed thru congress. Hell in texas it was passed that if caught with a certain amount the police can give a ticket instead of arresting the individual but they don't do that. Have a joint, go to jail. The problem with mj is that it stays in your system for so long if you did have an on job injury they would automatically say it was because you were under the influence. And with nursing, because our profession is held to a higher standard, the ones who do use do not want to come out and say it due to repercussions. This is definately a question for the board of nursing in ca. Have you tried them

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Specializes in Med/Surg.
Oh I totally agree on never using before or during a work shift - I would think that applies to any narcotic!

Which is a dilemma I will ultimately face when I obtain my RN - due to chronic pain disorders I do take narcotic medications, and it comes down to a question of whether I feel my competency is high enough to do my job - or if the pain will affect my performance. How do you answer a question like that? If anyone knows, I'm all ears - because I haven't figured it out.

My own personal opinion on Marijuana is that it should be federally legalized as a prescription medication - with the same strict laws of adherence that all narcotic medications hold.

I was just curious what actual nurses in the field think about it - or if their hospitals actually hold a policy based around this specific issue.

I can't speak to the medical marijuana issue....I don't have any experience with it personally. I think in states where it is legal, it is overprescribed. My niece and nephew's stepmom had her doctor bring it up for pain management (they're in a bordering state, it's not legal where I live) and she has been a pain patient for less than six months....with conditions that (I'm sorry, I feel strongly about this) IMO could very well be fabricated. They are subjective ONLY, and that I have a problem with. I mean, muscle-tendon disorder? Where your muscles are too "strong" for your tendons, causing pain? Happens in women 30-35? How does this even happen when, in your words, you lay in bed and take baths all day? Not a recipe for "too strong of muscles." Also a little suspect when you've been fine your whole life, until you hook up with a man who's never held a steady job due to this problem or that one, and now you both want on disability. Anyway. I'm on a rant. Being a chronic pain patient (IC and endo) and newly found degenerated disks, I know how my pain clinic constantly asked about the "proof" (rad and op reports, etc) during my first visits...so I have an issue with overprescribing. I also recently had a pt from California who is prescribed med marijuana for sleep. In his 40's. Really? There are no other safer alternatives for SLEEP meds?

Anyway, I got off topic ;). Just had to comment on the not using narcotics before a shift. I believe this can be safely done, when a person has been on them long term. They do not, after long term use, cause impairment, but they DO cause pain relief, and IMO that can make you sharper than having the distraction of severe pain that is not controlled well. Having never used MJ, I don't know if that same "high" effect goes away (I am thinking it does not, from what others have said, and if it doesn't, therein lies the difference).

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Specializes in Army Medic.

It is definitely over prescribed. Out here in California there are countless Doctors abusing their title who open up little shops and basically write out a script for anyone that forks over $100.

A lot of people get it so they can start to grow and sell illegally - where I used to work, one of the customers came in one day telling me about how he was going to get rich off of it. He went into a clinic, said his wrist hurt - the doctor did nothing but push down on both of his hands and gave him a license. Now the guy grows in his house and sells illegally to make a living.

By the same token there are tons of Doctors out here in the Hollywood area that will give anyone with money a never ending prescription of oxycontin or norco for just about anything you can think up.

As far as tolerance development, I really couldn't tell you because I don't use. I wish there were more studies done to correlate how much marijuana is equivalent to other narcotics so that it could be properly dosed out - but I don't see that happening unless it becomes legalized on the Federal side of things.

I think a lot of honest doctors who are pro-marijuana are in it because of the lessened side effects when compared to narcotic medications. If you orally ingest THC there is next to no harm done to your body. Versus all of the acetaminophen in most narcotic pain killers that lead to liver, kidney, stomach problems etc.

I called the State Board and they said they'd never been asked the question before - which I thought was really weird. There much be a huge stigma and fear of it in nursing, if that's the case.

What does happen to nurses who end up popping hot for prescribed narcotic medications if they make a mistake? Are they penalized differently from nurses who would be totally clean, even though they hold a prescription?

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Specializes in Utilization Management; Case Management.
I also recently had a pt from California who is prescribed med marijuana for sleep. In his 40's. Really? There are no other safer alternatives for SLEEP meds?

Really? Never heard of anyone smoking themself to death to go to sleep..but I think I remember some sleep meds that do kill. Sorry, I'm all for the one without the death consequence :twocents:

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It just needs to be legalized period.

Alcohol is more deadly and addictive.

Also, regarding marijuana being "overprescribed," so are narcotics and antibiotics. What's your point?

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Specializes in Med/Surg.
Really? Never heard of anyone smoking themself to death to go to sleep..but I think I remember some sleep meds that do kill. Sorry, I'm all for the one without the death consequence :twocents:

When taken as prescribed and under a physician's care, I disagree with the "kill" statement.

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Specializes in Utilization Management; Case Management.
When taken as prescribed and under a physician's care, I disagree with the "kill" statement.

Yes but my point was it has the ability to kill. Thanks for partially agreeing :)

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.
It just needs to be legalized period.

Alcohol is more deadly and addictive.

Also, regarding marijuana being "overprescribed," so are narcotics and antibiotics. What's your point?

They do not want to legalize it because you can not make narcotics and antibiotics in your back yard(therefore the drug companies have total control) . Anyone can grow marijuana, and if becomes legal it will be cheaper than narcotics (pill form of course) and antibiotics.

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They do not want to legalize it because you can not make narcotics and antibiotics in your back yard(therefore the drug companies have total control) . Anyone can grow marijuana, and if becomes legal it will be cheaper than narcotics (pill form of course) and antibiotics.

I can grow antibiotics in my kitchen and I can plant poppies in my back yard. And, if we're talking street value, pot is already cheaper than narcs. Crack is cheaper than picking up a prescription for Vicodin.

And, any hillbilly can cook up meth in his garage. :p

Narcs are addictive. Pot is as well, but in the sense that one can also become addicted to water.

There are much more functional pot smokers than there are functional crack users, narc abusers, and meth heads.

ETA: The government can only benefit from legalization. And, if Amsterdam is a model, usage will actually decrease. (Along with crime.) There really isn't a good argument against marijuana legalization.

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