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.

Cancer is a condition that creates a significant body of evidence, and recognizable, well-known adverse effects that CAN be managed (for some, for many) with monitored medical marijuana. NO doubt.

But I'm curious about how the practitioners that prescribe marijuana for people who claim insomnia (and what qualifies as that, I wonder? How is it proven?) and anxiety (again...how is this measured by the practitioner?). Seems to me that the 18-34 year old male demographic could very easily choose such a "treatment" option if there is no actual proof required that the condition even exists!

I wonder how well their prescribing practices would stand up on a medical audit.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
One thing I thought about since my post is that medical marijuana is not something that is prescribed for a run-of-the-mill disease. I don't think a person is going to get a prescription for MM for HTN or diabetes or a broken leg. MM is usually one of the very last things that are prescribed when all other modalities have failed.

You're joking, right?

In states where medical marijuana is legal, it's RIDICULOUSLY easy to get a MM card. It's huge business, and there are physicians who will approve it for anyone who can pay the $100 "Consultation fee". The biggest users of medical marijuana are males, age 18-30.

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
You're joking, right?

In states where medical marijuana is legal, it's RIDICULOUSLY easy to get a MM card. It's huge business, and there are physicians who will approve it for anyone who can pay the $100 "Consultation fee". The biggest users of medical marijuana are males, age 18-30.

I agree it is a huge business but a physician's prescribing privilege is on the federal level and no physician can legally "Prescribe" marijuana in any state. They can make a recommendation which may or may not be honored . I have attached a link to a site that list each state that currently allows medical marijuana and the conditions it is approved for.

I will not debate the medical efficacy of Marijuana - For some people it is a god send. The government simply has to reclassify it's use. Still Vicodin, Ativan etc.. are all perfectly legal but you can still lose you license if you are found to be working with it in your system.

Hppy

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
I'm sorry to hear of your personal struggles, hppygr8ful. I am also sorry to hear that the BON thought it was in their realm to punish you for it.

What I find to be so ironic is that if the ER staff did not know you were a nurse, you wouldn't have been reported to the BON. Again, a case of the truth not always being the best policy & keeping certain things private.

Tens of millions of nurses out there take antidepressants. Tens of millions drink booze. The BON should not be permitted to single out certain nurses & punish them for these things---it's an all-or-none type of thing. I also think that you would have a very good case against whomever reported you to the BON for being "impaired" while not working, as well as the BON itself for punishing you as an "impaired" nurse.

On the flip side, it does sound like you were severely depressed & needed help. Life & its stressors certainly don't make it easy. Nurses have to quit being thought of as invincible and put into the "general population". It is ironic that the very people who are supposed to understand disease states---and that includes mental disorders---are the most critical & not understanding or accepting. That is very sad.

Thank you for your kind words - The truth is I was highly depressed and in need of significant intervention that I might not have received had circumstances been different. It was a long time ago - sober now for over 10 years and I am a much better person for the experience.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
I agree it is a huge business but a physician's prescribing privilege is on the federal level and no physician can legally "Prescribe" marijuana in any state. They can make a recommendation which may or may not be honored .

I did not say "prescribe" I said "approve." Or, to use the vernacular of the Colorado DPHE, "recommend." And to get a medical marijuana card, one must have a consultant and "recommendation" of a licensed physician who is registered with CO DPHE for such purposes.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
You're joking, right?

In states where medical marijuana is legal, it's RIDICULOUSLY easy to get a MM card. It's huge business, and there are physicians who will approve it for anyone who can pay the $100 "Consultation fee". The biggest users of medical marijuana are males, age 18-30.

In my view, this is one of the reasons that recreational cannabis should be legalized and treated in the same fashion that we treat alcohol in society. That would allow us to make the medical use of the substance more "honest" because it does have appropriate applications.

It makes sense to me that users of cannabis would take advantage of ANY loophole that might allow them to use and not have to pay the ridiculous legal penalties for breaking the ignorant and outdated laws prohibiting it's use. How many lives must we ruin in the legal system over marijuana before we wake up?

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I wasn't joking. I didn't know that. Clearly, I am not familiar with the MM industry. I thought doctors were more strict about writing prescriptions for it. MM was only approved in my state in 2014, so I don't even know if MM dispensaries are operating in the state. My statements were based on the medical marijuana drugs that already existed like marinol. Marinol isn't prescribed as an everyday thing---it's generally reserved for cancer patients, severe glaucoma. I actually know someone whose son has intractable seizures, and the docs are thinking about trying it to help control the seizures because he's on the max dosages for seizure meds. Like I said, a last ditch effort after everything else has failed.

I just kind of chuckled to myself about doctors being so loosey-goosey with the MM prescriptions: Some of the biggest pot smokers I have ever known have been medical providers. They are also some of the most brilliant people I have ever met. Coincidence? I don't know.

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Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
We are expected to be perfect robots,

Not a robot here. I think. However have you ever seen the movie "the Island". The clones had no idea they were clones.

can't get hurt

In the last 10 months, fractured vertebrae, badly sprained wrist, and achillles injury

and take medication, can't have anxiety and take medicines etc..

I have depression and anxiety, I also take an antidepressant and anxiety meds. No one has a problem with that.

Nurses can't do this and nurses can't do that and nurses better do this and they better do that or else!!!

Nurses can most of what they like, they cant take illegal substances. Like alot of jobs these days. Employers get to set the rules and regretfully cannabis is still counted as an illegal substance.

There isn't enough money In the freaking world for me to be expected to be inhuman!! Ugggggghhh!!! Oh not to mention all the female dogs we are surrounded by..

Is it possible that your co workers also hold you in the same level of esteem you hold them?

You have a choice, you can either whine about how unfair the world is, or you can suck it up and get on with life.

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Specializes in ICU.

The reason alcohol and marijuana cannot be treated the same is the way the body metabolizes it. If I show up to work drunk and do a urine screen or blood test, the alcohol is recent. Not the same with marijuana. This is not about who occasionally smokes on the weekend or someone who uses it for medicinal use. The screening we have now does not distinguish.

People are trying to compare apples and oranges here and are completely missing the reason why the laws are the way they are even in states who allow marijuana for medicinal and recreational use. There are legal ways to treat insomnia and anxiety without smoking for nurses. Follow the law or find a less restrictive profession.

My bet is the OP is done trolling and is back to smoking it up in their dorm room discussing the downfall of the American Government that doesn't allow marijuana use the way the OP sees fit.

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Specializes in Care Coordination, MDS, med-surg, Peds.

I asked the state BON of my state, which has medical marijuana and the response from them was that as long as MJ is schedule one and is federally illegal, it will not be allowed as medication for nurses

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MJ is the only thing that relives the anxiety I experience when I run out of weed.

Thank god I rented an understanding doctor.

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
I did not say "prescribe" I said "approve." Or, to use the vernacular of the Colorado DPHE, "recommend." And to get a medical marijuana card, one must have a consultant and "recommendation" of a licensed physician who is registered with CO DPHE for such purposes.

Here's how it works - you go to a script quack , "I can't sleep at night" I am anxious all the time" or I have Chronic pain. You hand over somewhere between $100.00 and $200.00 and the Doctor writes a "Recommendation" then he/she places the cash in their pocket and see's the next guy in line. I knew a physician who ran an MM script business out the back door of his office. He is now in prison.

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