Can nurses use medical marijuana?

LPNSWEETHEART · Oct 22, 2018

I believe everyone has their own opinions. I'm replying just to give you information . If you possess a medical marijuana card/ certificate. That is pretty much a doctor prescribing you medical marijuana. You have to be registered with a dispensary and would t be able to just go anywhere you wanted ( I live in CT so it's probably different due to the fact it's not legal for recreational use, only medical). When someone purchases the medication the bottle has the printout of their doctor and pharmacist and so forth.. this again just may be for CT

subee, MSN, CRNA · Dec 19, 2018

According to the NIH, there is no linear relationship between blood level of THC and performance evaluation. That's a real problem for a hospital when they OK someone for medical MJ use. Would it be OK for a neurosurgeon to test positive for THC after an untoward event on the OR table? How does anyone determine what the "safe" limits are? Just because Germany doesn't do drug tests on employees doesn't mean it's a good idea. That's like pronouncing a cosmetic made in France is superior to one made anywhere else. There probably isn't a state that has yet defined legal limits for driving. Some European countries have done this but now a person testing positive for THC below the European limits, can still be prosecuted for OWI. Sounds like prosecutorial overreach, but then again, she could be one of those people who would test poorly on a psychomotor exam at a ridiculously low limit. Nobody knows. As to the previous poster who was diagnosed with stress anorexia and uses MJ for that, I kinda think maybe nursing isn't a good match for someone with such a severe diagnosis.

MunoRN, RN · Dec 19, 2018

subee said:
According to the NIH, there is no linear relationship between blood level of THC and performance evaluation. That's a real problem for a hospital when they OK someone for medical MJ use. Would it be OK for a neurosurgeon to test positive for THC after an untoward event on the OR table? How does anyone determine what the "safe" limits are? Just because Germany doesn't do drug tests on employees doesn't mean it's a good idea. That's like pronouncing a cosmetic made in France is superior to one made anywhere else. There probably isn't a state that has yet defined legal limits for driving. Some European countries have done this but now a person testing positive for THC below the European limits, can still be prosecuted for OWI. Sounds like prosecutorial overreach, but then again, she could be one of those people who would test poorly on a psychomotor exam at a ridiculously low limit. Nobody knows. As to the previous poster who was diagnosed with stress anorexia and uses MJ for that, I kinda think maybe nursing isn't a good match for someone with such a severe diagnosis.

Tests for active THC levels are widely available and utilized. As oppossed to the THC metabolite tests that are commonly used for pre-employment screening. States that have legalized recreational marijuana have also defined an impairment level based on active THC levels, similar to BAC used for alcohol. At least in terms of nursing practice, a number of state boards have already come out and said they don't care about metabolite levels, only active THC levels while at work.

natural thing · Dec 20, 2018

THC is psychoactive but most, if not all, of the other 112 known phytocannabinoids in the cannabis sativa plant are not!

There is so much potential symptom relief (A-Z), tumor reduction/elimination, anti-inflammatory effects, etc waiting for people who don't get the relief from pharmaceuticals and are willing to try safer alternatives.

Cannabis was in the US Pharmacopeia until MJ was made illegal in 1937. CBD, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, has powerful healing potential and is a rising star that the public is demanding access to. It is helping many elders and others of all ages who deal with chronic pain and inflammation and much more.

We have a receptor system for cannabinoids! Our own human bodies make five endocannabinoids to help keep us in homeostasis.

Mother Earth provides a beautiful plant to help us for when we need it.

Re: hospital corporations, Boards of Nursing in the US....well, patience and take care in dealing with these bureaucracies. We all need to recover from many decades of brainwashing by powerful special interests. Hospital corporations can and will fire an employee for just about anything these days.

subee, MSN, CRNA · Dec 20, 2018

MunoRN said:
Tests for active THC levels are widely available and utilized. As oppossed to the THC metabolite tests that are commonly used for pre-employment screening. States that have legalized recreational marijuana have also defined an impairment level based on active THC levels, similar to BAC used for alcohol. At least in terms of nursing practice, a number of state boards have already come out and said they don't care about metabolite levels, only active THC levels while at work.

Yes, I am aware that THC is widely available (I an a CASA and almost all parent respondents in abuse and neglect cases are regular MJ users). Please ,I do realize that I see only a tiny portion if MJ users and am not generalizing. I see drug testing results regularly. But I don't know how sensitive they are. My question was if someone is using a drug that us only 10% THC, are the drug tests sensitive enough to pick up such a low level. And, would that particular drug reach a threshold for a positive read high enough to get a nurse in a disciplinary system. I guess that I'm not clear as to why using CBD's alone would be a problem. From personal experience, I do not trust the quality testing of legal edibles. I got quite high from something that was "high in CBD, not psychoactive." Since I smoked weed back in the 70's, I did not panic and just waited it out but I felt out if it for 2 days. Definitely has no relation to Grow Your Own.

Also, since NIH reports no linear relationship between blood levels and psychomotor performance, why should we put any stock in the arbitrary levels chosen?