Hospitals discriminating against medical conditions..?

Nurses General Nursing

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If a person has a medical condition and is prescribed medical cannabis by a medical doctor would it not be discrimitory for a nurse to be denied employment? Nurses should have the same rights as any other individuals that are not nurses. This is common sense. A nurse should have the right to chose either man made chemicals (which can lead to absolute dependance) or chose naturally occurring medicines such as cannabis (which is much less likely for dependance). Why are we being denied this right? If you say its because there is no test to measure if a nurse is high on the job or not then guess what? Its not the nurses fault this test does not exist so why does the nurse have to limit their options for medical care? Having said that I feel hospitals are discriminating against medical conditions and I don't even know how they are not being prosecuted for this. Medical cannabis is prescribed by a medical doctor and therefore is in FACT a medication! Hospitals are not hiring and firing people with medical prescriptions.

para82frame

19 Posts

Specializes in Pediatric home care..

According to the federal government, its a schedule one controlled substance and has no legitimate medical use (right or wrong is irrelevant), the fact the government is ignoring enforcement doesn't change the actual law.

That said, just like a nurse has the "right" to chose either man made chemicals or chose naturally occurring medicines such as cannabis (where "legal"), a hospital or facility has the right to not hire you. Simple as that.

CosmoRN77

51 Posts

Ok fine I get the point of this ridiculous battle between state versus federal laws but the Board Of Nursing is governed on a state level and a nurse cannot lose their license over this matter only lose a job correct?

CosmoRN77

51 Posts

Oh and the fact that federal law considers it a schedule 1 controlled substance and has NO MEDICAL VALUE just shows you how old and out of date these laws are. This is 2015! Wake up you old sleeping geezers!

Specializes in Palliative, Onc, Med-Surg, Home Hospice.
Ok fine I get the point of this ridiculous battle between state versus federal laws but the Board Of Nursing is governed on a state level and a nurse cannot lose their license over this matter only lose a job correct?

Wrong: In some states, medical marijuana is illegal. So, using cannabis oil would be illegal. And if you pop positive on a urine screen, the board can (and most certainly will) sanction you. And if you continue, they will suspend your license. It does't matter if it a medicine.

If you are talking about a specific state, you need to state that.

CosmoRN77

51 Posts

I am referring to a state that issues and allows medical marijuana thank you very much!

Specializes in Acute Care Pediatrics.

I am wondering what will happen as more and more states make the recreational use of this drug legal. I mean, I can drink a glass of wine the night before work and not get dinged for it. Nurses can smoke tobacco (not on campus, but at home) - so what happens with the weed? Will the hospitals have to come around and treat it like every other recreational drug out there? I mean, they will have to I think. Do any of your CO or OR Nurses have this issue now? I am not sure an employer can fire you for using a legal substance.

heron, ASN, RN

4,137 Posts

Specializes in Hospice.

Employers are responsible for making sure that their workers are not cognitively or physically impaired on the job. I've heard of a number of court cases upholding a dirty urine test as legitimate cause for termination. Many employers choose not to risk expensive badness. Others will accept a valid script and let you keep working. It's up to them.

Why an employee is ingesting THC is mostly irrelevant.

klone, MSN, RN

14,790 Posts

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
I am referring to a state that issues and allows medical marijuana thank you very much!

Even in said states, employers can decide that substance use precludes employment with them. Tobacco is legal, but many hospital networks are going "tobacco free" and test for cotinine in urine as part of the pre-employment physical. If you smoke cigarettes, you cannot work there. It's not discrimination.

Hospitals are not discriminating against medical conditions; they're "discriminating" (using that term VERY loosely) against your choice of treatment for said medical condition.

I'm curious as to what your medical condition is that requires marijuana.

It's curious that in states that offer medical marijuana, it seems their largest customer base is males, ages 18-30. I never knew they were such a sick demographic!

klone, MSN, RN

14,790 Posts

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
Nurses can smoke tobacco (not on campus, but at home)

Not always. Hospitals can choose to not hire employees who smoke tobacco. The same can be done for marijuana once it's been made legal federally. I live in Colorado, and I also work for a hospital network that's considered pretty lenient with regards to drug testing (they do not do pre-employment drug tests). But even they have said that they take a zero tolerance approach to marijuana use.

Specializes in Acute Care Pediatrics.
Even in said states, employers can decide that substance use precludes employment with them. Tobacco is legal, but many hospital networks are going "tobacco free" and test for cotinine in urine as part of the pre-employment physical. If you smoke cigarettes, you cannot work there. It's not discrimination.

Hospitals are not discriminating against medical conditions; they're "discriminating" (using that term VERY loosely) against your choice of treatment for said medical condition.

I have never heard of this.... we are a tobacco free campus, and they absolutely will hold it against you in terms of health benefits if you are a smoker - but it doesn't affect your employment status! That is crazy to me.

What I do in my time outside of the hospital shouldn't worry my employers, as long as I am coming to work sober and safe.

FTR - I feel like I should add that I do not smoke, drink the occasional glass of wine, and pot was fun back in my college days. It's just a fascinating topic to me!

klone, MSN, RN

14,790 Posts

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

There are three hospital networks that I'm aware of in Colorado that clearly state when you submit an application with them, that they are tobacco free and will not hire anyone who has been a tobacco user in the past 30 days, or something to that effect.

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