Pot Smoking and Nursing

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Im angry.

I work for a small clinic in Northern CA. There are three RN's on staff at all time. Recently our Office Manager decided to start drug testing of all staff including Doctors. Well, one of the Nurses I work with came back positive for marijuana use. My thought was "Well she should not be doing it anyways" I was actually glad to see her get in trouble.

After discusing it with the Doctors they came up with a new unwritten policy. They will overlook marijuana. Basiclly, you can smoke all the pot you want but just on the weekends not during "on call" days. I questioned one of the Doctors about it and his response was to "chill"

Does this seem wrong to anybody else? Do Nurses really smoke pot on there days off?

Specializes in Med Surg, LTC, Home Health.
In the 1940's all Japanese legally had to register for internment camps. Was that moral? If pot is made legal tomorrow, would it then be moral?

Alcohol and tobacco, IMO, are much, much worse than marijuana.

As previously stated, there are many laws on the books that are ridiculous. As educated Americans, we have the responsibility to sift through those laws and form our own opinions on what is right instead of just taking our governments' word for everything. It is a good thing that not everybody just blindly accepts what they are told to believe or this country would be a much different place.

How can states pass laws legalizing medical marijuana, and then fall victim to the federal government still coming in and arresting those who have filled prescriptions? Is that democracy?:down:

for the record, i've never smoked pot. never have, never will. it just does not interest me in the slightest possible way. WITH THAT SAID, i think that what people do in the privacy of their OWN homes in their OWN time is their OWN business and no one else's. as long as you're not going to work high/intoxicated ordriving/putting others at risk, then it's YOUR business and not MINE.

Specializes in peds and med/surg.
well ok you guys are right...lets not break any laws ok?

lets not speed...lets claim everything on our taxes (dont forget that 2 bucks you won on the scratch lottery) and as i recall some sex acts are still illegal (better stop doing those)

if we are going to obey ALL laws, then lets obey ALL laws (you do wear seatbelts dont you, it is the LAW)

and your kids are REALLY sick when they stay home from school because thats the LAW you know.

your dog has a license doesnt it? thats the LAW too.

and you do walk home from the bar dont you because the LAW says you cant drink and drive.

we can stretch this law thing forever, in my opinion, youd be better sticking to the health issues if you are going to argue over pot usage.

at least your points have some validity.

i dont think there is a problem with recreational use if recreational use is defined. im not talking about someone who puts their baby outside...thats NOT recreational use be it alcohol or weed.

and we all know that smoking weed leads to crack use on the job and off. come on...you know you cant generalize all smokers or all drinkers like that.

proponents of marijuana can say that

alcohol leads to marijuana leads to crack leads to heroin...that would be just as stupid.

i only have ONE point in all of this...it seems to me that so many of the anti marijuana people have no problem with alcohol. if one is illegal than the other should be as well.

i see alcohol as one of our biggest evils because its socially acceptable and easily available REGARDLESS OF AGE RESTRICTIONS.

i think we would be doing our society a favor by abolishing BOTH.. but thats not going to happen any time soon. legalizing marijuana wont happen either because, face the facts...theres TOO MUCH money involved.

drugs are big business in our country. lots of revenue to be made by the government in one way or another. think about it.

i say abolish them both

I agree....sort of. Ok, first I am going to start by saying that I maybe drink about once a year and I've never smoked anything or done any other type of drug. Alcohol does cause many of the same problems as marijuana, it's just legal and that's b/c it can be controlled. The only reason marijuana is illegal is b/c the gov't makes too much money off of it being illegal than if they were to legalize it. Alcohol can be taxed....you can't tax something that millions of ppl grow in their yards or houses....they make no money off of it. There are even rumors of the gov't making deals with the people who import illegal drugs in from other countries..it's all about the almighty dollar. I don't think anyone should go to work or operate a vehicle while under the influence of anything, but it's a different story if it hurts no one.....I also agree about the whole thing about putting smoke into my lungs, but whatever floats your boat. If you go out and pull an all nighter at the local bar, you'll be hung over the next day.....so the pilot complaint is invalid....sure they shouldn't have been there, but neither should the functional alcoholic that is around the corner.

...but it does bother me that others are so quick to judge a pot smoker as they sip on their drinks. one is no better than the other.

Which Is why I don't do either. I don't want to be impaired, my life is just fine without chemicals to warp it.

However, if you drink a glass of wine with dinner, it is not illegal. Smoking pot is. I expect certain members of society to be moral leadrs, this includes the people who work in healthcare.

Also, I would not want an alocholic Dr. or nurse anymore than I would want a pothead. They need to remember it's not just their own lives in their hands, it is the patient's life too.

Oh, and btw, when you buy a case of wine or beer or whatever, you can probably be assured of what is in it. There are regulations in place to make sure your wine is not laced with lsd.

There are not such precautions with pot. I havea good friend who use to smoke pot that had to go to the ER because she was given some pot that was laced with special K or something. Would you want your nurse hyped up on that??

Specializes in Med Surg, LTC, Home Health.
I expect certain members of society to be moral leadrs, this includes the people who work in healthcare.

Should those health care workers smoke cigarettes? I am certain young kids many times see groups of nurses smoking. What kind of message does that send to those kids? Maybe nurses should be forced to hide in a closet while they smoke. Certainly a "moral leader" should do more than just not smoke pot. So what are the rest of the rules? Also, could you point out the groups of "moral leaders" that actually do live up to your expectations? (Catholic priests, politicians, teachers, etc.):)

In opinion, nobody should smoke cigarrettes, especially where young children can see it. It is a very unhealthy habit, and most people who smoke would agree that it is a bad habit, however, it is not illegal.

You asked me to refer to moral leaders who live up to their roles. Then you point out catholic priests, police officers, teachers, and lawyer. While no entire group lives up to the expectations, I do personally know teachers and police officers and lawyers that have lived up to my expectations. Unfortunately, I'm not catholic, so I don't know any catholic preists, but I'm sure most of them are good moral leaders (I assume you mentioned them because of the news reports of sexual abuse. Trust me, Great Uncle Jimmy is more of a threat than most priests).

In my experience, people will do lash out when people point out their wrongs. This thread is no exception. Just as when an overweight person defends overeating, and alcoholic defends drinking, an abuser defends violence, potheads will defend smoking pot.

I'm not on this thread to argue. I have said my peace.

Best of Luck to you all.

"Just as when an overweight person defends overeating, and alcoholic defends drinking, an abuser defends violence, potheads will defend smoking pot."

Most of us are not defending pot smoking, nor are we pot smokers. (I am NOT a pot smoker) What we are defending is the right to personal privacy and also saying what people do on their own time which does not affect others should not be used against them. I DO NOT believe that social pot smoking affects judgement and care the next week or even the next day. It is a privacy issue not a pot smoking issue.

Who cares? People are always so concerned with everyone else's business. As long as they aren't impaired while taking care of patients it doesn't matter.

DA314, contrary to what you may think I am not a pot smoker. I just mind my own business...I know it is shocking but some people actually do that. I also disagree with you strongly that as health care professionals we are expected to be moral leaders. Nursing is a job. I did not sign on to take on the role of 'moral leader', regardless of what you may feel. What we do on our time is our business, as long as patients aren't affected.

Specializes in OR.

I am NOT a pot smoker, however, the policy may have been put into place due to the fact that the pot smoking RN may be using it medicinally. One really doesn't know if they have to use it vrs choose to use it. Why not ask this nurse yourself to see which category they fall into? I agree that it should not be found in their system as to impair them while working or "on call", if so, they should be removed from patient care.

Specializes in ER,ICU,L+D,OR.
Are you all trying to tell me that marijuana is still illegal??

pfffftt..*cough...cough...(Bummer man!)

Just jump on the wagon with Cheech and Chong. They are trying to get it legalized again or is it still.

I havea good friend who use to smoke pot that had to go to the ER because she was given some pot that was laced with special K or something. Would you want your nurse hyped up on that??

Know your drugs. Special K is Ketamine. That's a sedative. How do you get hyped up on a downer...

:)

Pot is usually only laced with Cocaine or PCP. Cocaine, well you might get a little hyped up. If its PCP YOU WILL KNOW...

I smoked pot for years with no ill effects other than a lack of ambition. :) The only reason I stopped is I keep having jobs with random drug tests and I love my money way more than weed. Most states nowadays if you have only a little amount they just confiscate and write you a ticket.

Pot is beyond needing acceptance. It is accepted. The number of people that smoke pot and who they are would amaze you.

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