If the government legalizes marijuana in the US...

Nurses General Nursing

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When the US government legalizes weed at the federal level will nurses be allowed to smoke weed?

Specializes in Pediatrics.

I figure it would be the same as alcohol. It would be considered legal for recreational as well as medical purposes. You could ingest it and coming up positive for THC/CBD would not be a offense to be fired over by itself, and you may need to produce a prescription. But any nurse going to work impaired in any way would rightfully be held accountable. And many hospitals would probably ban smoking it like many ban smoking nicotine as a public health measure. It's well documented that smoking marijuana deposits more tar than nicotine.

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I recently attended a medical conference - not a nursing conference, a medical conference - and marijuana was a well discussed topic there. I think we will see legalization at the federal level within the next decade at the latest. I'm not worried, I'll cross that bridge when we come to it. :)

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Smoking weed is not all that. Why are people so obsessed with it?

Eh, the same reason why people self-medicate with alcohol, tobacco, food even. It makes them feel good, even if you had the opposite experience. I haven't used marijuana since before nursing school, but I do miss the feeling of relaxation and calmness it brought me. But, I also believe I can attain those same feelings while not under the influence of anything - it's just harder.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I don't think there's any reason to believe that BONs would take positions different than what they already taking, which is that so long as you aren't impaired while at work then they don't really care.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
I figure it would be the same as alcohol. It would be considered legal for recreational as well as medical purposes. You could ingest it and coming up positive for THC/CBD would not be a offense to be fired over by itself, and you may need to produce a prescription. But any nurse going to work impaired in any way would rightfully be held accountable. And many hospitals would probably ban smoking it like many ban smoking nicotine as a public health measure. It's well documented that smoking marijuana deposits more tar than nicotine.

That's not really correct. Given an equal amount of loose-leaf marijuana smoked, marijuana produces more 'tar' than cigarettes, although typical cigarette use involves far more leaf in terms of volume on a daily basis, and therefore more tar. Beyond that, direct smoking of the plant product is no longer the most common method by which marijuana is ingested (concentrates and edibles are more common than straight smoking of the plant). Hospitals ban smoking (ie nicotine cigarettes) since there is ample evidence that this increases the healthcare costs of these employees which then increases costs to the employer, there is no evidence however that marijuana poses the same or even comparable health costs to that of cigarettes.

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Canadian here. Since weeds been federally legalized, our BON and employers policy is essentially to maintain ones fitness to practice and not come into work impaired.

Granted our drug culture is much different than that if the US. I've never had to undergo a drug screen, nor is it common practice for entry to school, new job etc. I know of many health care professionals who would smoke on their own time but never showed up impaired so it was a non issue.

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And what about the therapeutic compounds in the cannabis plant? Anyone go through the American Cannabis Nurses Association certification?

Unlike alcohol, no one has ever died directly from marijuana use. We haven't scratched the surface of the possible uses for the PLANT. It is a plant; not a man made chemical cocktail. It is not hepato toxic. Does not cause slowing in the gut. Yet offers a new treatment for pain relief, anti convulsive, anti emetic...

To quote comedian Denis Leary , " Pot doesn't lead to other drugs...it leads to carpentry."

The fear mongering over recreational cannabis is ridiculous. Ask 5 police officers who they would rather have to interact with: drunk or someone who is high on cannabis. I have. They all said cannabis.

By the way: it's called Cannabis. Not weed or Marijuana or other street names.

I don't smoke weed, drink alcohol or even take NSAIDS. I have family members who participate. They live in legal states.

I think it comes down to personal choice. If you are not harming anyone or yourself what you do on your own time is your business.

Please educate yourselves with real information about the plant.

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And what about the therapeutic compounds in the cannabis plant? Anyone go through the American Cannabis Nurses Association certification?

Unlike alcohol, no one has ever died directly from marijuana use. We haven't scratched the surface of the possible uses for the PLANT. It is a plant; not a man made chemical cocktail. It is not hepato toxic. Does not cause slowing in the gut. Yet offers a new treatment for pain relief, anti convulsive, anti emetic...

To quote comedian Denis Leary , " Pot doesn't lead to other drugs...it leads to carpentry."

The fear mongering over recreational cannabis is ridiculous. Ask 5 police officers who they would rather have to interact with: drunk or someone who is high on cannabis. I have. They all said cannabis.

By the way: it's called Cannabis. Not weed or Marijuana or other street names.

I don't smoke weed, drink alcohol or even take NSAIDS. I have family members who participate. They live in legal states.

I think it comes down to personal choice. If you are not harming anyone or yourself what you do on your own time is your business.

Please educate yourselves with real information about the plant.

Oh the irony. Might want to get off that high horse before you hurt yourself.

It is legally known as "marihuana" or "marijuana." I support legalization but this push for the term cannabis is 100% a political push to separate the negative social view of marijuana from the socially newer (yet scientifically correct) term of cannabis.

I personally prefer the term "dope" or "grass." I think it is more colorful and nostalgic.

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Actually the term 'marijuana' was part of the whole reefer madness demonization of the plant. The name of the substance is cannabis. It isn't political to call a thing by it's actual name. Great you are pro legalization. Fantastic. Getting everyone to understand the idea that this substance has genuine benefits is the goal.

Would you like us to start calling oxycodone 'ox' and xanax 'xannies' too? Enjoy your nostalgia.

I'll keep my 17hh warmblood (horse) and keep going cross country with him as well.

Fail to see any irony.

I do see a snarky self righteous bit of ignorance, though.

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Actually the term 'marijuana' was part of the whole reefer madness demonization of the plant. The name of the substance is cannabis. It isn't political to call a thing by it's actual name. Great you are pro legalization. Fantastic. Getting everyone to understand the idea that this substance has genuine benefits is the goal.

Would you like us to start calling oxycodone 'ox' and xanax 'xannies' too? Enjoy your nostalgia.

I'll keep my 17hh warmblood (horse) and keep going cross country with him as well.

Fail to see any irony.

I do see a snarky self righteous bit of ignorance, though.

What does Title 21, Chapter II, Part 1308.11 call it?

If the name of the plant is cannabis then why would you yourself refer to it as weed? Unless you are caught up in this 'reefer madness' yourself?

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.
Unlike alcohol, no one has ever died directly from marijuana use. We haven't scratched the surface of the possible uses for the PLANT. It is a plant; not a man made chemical cocktail.

Opium poppies are plants. Oleander is a plant. Half of all medications are derived from plants.

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Opium poppies are plants. Oleander is a plant. Half of all medications are derived from plants.

True, and just because something is a "PLANT" doesn't mean it can't be just as dangerous to humans as a "man made chemical." I'm not saying marijuana is dangerous, just taking issue with the insinuation that PLANT carries some kind of magical safety mechanism over man made synthetics.

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