Nurses smoking weed?

[bunnynurse]

Hey nurses,

In honor of "420" tomorrow... As a health-care professional, what are your thoughts on smoking weed? Any nurses out there that smoke a joint here and there?

Cheers.

[AllOfMyWat]

Obvious post is obvious.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

Until the Feds make it legal, it isn't legal regardless of what any state says. And given that you administer meds under federal authority, I wouldn't presume to start sparking up unless your employer is OK with it.

You are absolutely correct as far as weed being illegal at the federal level, but you are mistaken in the statement that we nurses administer meds under federal authority. Well, maybe not totally as the FDA does oversee the medication part of the equation but as for nurses administering those meds it falls under state authority. Hence the various states' BON with their varied rules and regulations.

Even with those varied rules though not a single state BON that I am aware of has come out in favor of recreation use despite what their state law may be, so yes if you would like to inhale I suggest waiting until the FDA and the Federal Government change their stance.

[AutumnApple]

People make fun of the "gateway drug" theory but my eyes have told me it's a sound assessment of things.

Seen too many "I just smoke weed, nothing else. It's natural and better than alcohol" types end up doing other things.

So..........

If putting your patients at risk doesn't bother you, losing your license should. And if you still think it's a good idea, maybe visiting a homeless shelter and talking to a few of the heroine addicts will change your mind.

[bgxyrnf, MSN, RN]

People make fun of the "gateway drug" theory but my eyes have told me it's a sound assessment of things.

Seen too many "I just smoke weed, nothing else. It's natural and better than alcohol" types end up doing other things.

So..........

If putting your patients at risk doesn't bother you, losing your license should. And if you still think it's a good idea, maybe visiting a homeless shelter and talking to a few of the heroine addicts will change your mind.

Smoking pot doesn't put your patients at risk, being intoxicated does. My personal experience was that the intoxication lasted for a few hours.

I do make fun of the 'gateway drug' theory because it conflates correlation with causation. Sure, the vast majority of tweakers, for example, use marijuana but the vast majority of marijuana smokers do not become tweakers.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

Smoking pot doesn't put your patients at risk, being intoxicated does. My personal experience was that the intoxication lasted for a few hours

Have you ever looked up the pharmacokinetics of THC?

[MunoRN, RN]

Have you ever looked up the pharmacokinetics of THC?

"A few hours" is actually consistent with the established duration of marijuana intoxication.

[AutumnApple]

"A few hours" is actually consistent with the established duration of marijuana intoxication.

I just noticed your act name is Muno.........RN.

I was pronouncing it as Monroe in my head, no idea why.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

"A few hours" is actually consistent with the established duration of marijuana intoxication.

This is a highly potent psychoactive drug with high lipid solubility; fat sequestration results in both a very long half-life, and in chronic users, produces a relatively high steady state of the drug out several days.

"Because they are extremely lipid soluble, cannabinoids accumulate in fatty tissues, reaching peak concentrations in 4-5 days. They are then slowly released back into other body compartments, including the brain. Because of the sequestration in fat, the tissue elimination half-life of THC is about 7 days, and complete elimination of a single dose may take up to 30 days. Clearly, with repeated dosage, high levels of cannabinoids can accumulate in the body and continue to reach the brain. Within the brain, THC and other cannabinoids are differentially distributed. High concentrations are reached in neocortical, limbic, sensory and motor areas."

Ashton, C. H. (2001). Pharmacology and effects of cannabis: a brief review.The British Journal of Psychiatry, 178(2), 101-106.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

Same here, word for word.

I was doing the same! Strange...

[NurseLauraM]

If you're so interested in nurses smoking weed you can always look into the medical marijuana field! Booming now...

But for real if you're not a troll (which you probably are), this is not the place to ask

[Quilterbeth]

While it may be legal in several states, businesses have the right to declare their property "drug free". If you are called on to submit to a random drug test, (check your contract. Many businesses are now including random testing in the fine print), even the hint of THC will be grounds for dismissal. And heavens, appearing in front of State Board is terrifying.

No thanks

[sherri64]

While it may be legal in several states, businesses have the right to declare their property "drug free". If you are called on to submit to a random drug test, (check your contract. Many businesses are now including random testing in the fine print), even the hint of THC will be grounds for dismissal. And heavens, appearing in front of State Board is terrifying.

No thanks

Medical marijuana has no THC and thus no high. Relieves pain without any impairment. Better than narcotics! Safer to work under. Should not be a problem as long as you have prescription and your state approved medical marijuana use. Comes in a capsule or liquid for under tongue. Works very well. No side effects of sleepiness, nausea, hungry, dizzy or anything. Can fully function when taking it.